The Braque Prize awards an emerging Argentinian artist for the creation of a previously unseen work. It is awarded by the National University of Tres de Febrero (UNTREF) and its museum, MUNTREF, in partnership with the Institut français of Argentine and the French Embassy in Buenos Aires.

The Braque Prize, taking the name of Georges Braque, emblematic figure of the École de Paris art school, started in Argentina in 1963 at the proposal of the French Embassy to accompany artists from the Argentinian scene internationally. It was interrupted in 1998, then started again in 2013 in a joint effort from UNTREF and the Institut français of Argentina.  

The Braque Prize is one of the oldest and most prestigious recognitions in the artistic domain in Argentina. More than one hundred creators have been awarded since its first edition, including major figures in Argentinian contemporary art such as Mabel Rubli, Delia Cancela, Pablo Menicucci, Jacques Bedel, Nora Iniesta, Jorge Pietra, Felipe Pino, Jorge Macchi, Sebastián Gordín or Dino Bruzzone. The works selected vary according to the years between sculpture, ,painting, drawing, engraving, comic books, or graphic design; a free rein is given to the young generations’ imaginations.

Every two years, the Price gives rise to a collective exhibition in the rooms of MUNTREF, in Buenos Aires. UNTREF, the point of contact in Argentine for promoting the contemporary artistic scene, therefore invites five curators, art critics and artists in order to select twenty or so contemporary artists from all over the country to take part in the exhibition. For four months, these artists develop a work that they create especially for the Prize.

Chosen by a Franco-Argentinian jury composed of renowned artists and institutions (Palais de Tokyo, FRAC…), the winner is then hosted in Paris for six months via the Institut français residency programme at the Cité internationale des arts. Within the framework of their residency, the Institut français assists them in their research and creation project, allowing them to access the Parisian cultural scene and establish strong links with the French institutions. 

More than forty artists, such as Florencia Rodriguez Giles (2013), Andrés Aizicovich (2017) or Cecilia Szalkowicz (2019), have as such benefited from a residency in Paris, which has proved to be a deciding factor for their careers in most cases.

At a time when the border is closing between the two countries, the Institut français of Argentina and the UNTREF have started a series of interviews with former and current winners of the prize, and offers a set of video content, such as a documentary looking at the history of the Price between 1963 and 1998, interviews with artists or virtual exhibitions of their works.  

See all of the content through the links below:

• Documentary 1963 – 1998: the Braque Prize, between Paris and Buenos Aires
• Prize winner accounts
• Virtual exhibitions