Art flourishes as seaside town becomes an open-air gallery

10 Finalists to transform the urban landscape in October

The III Estepona International Mural Competition has reached a record participation with 116 proposals, consolidating its position as a leading urban art project both in Spain and internationally. This initiative, organized by the City Council in collaboration with the residential developer AEDAS Homes, aims to promote artistic development and expand the city’s famous outdoor vertical art route.

Global Participation

The competition has attracted entries from a dozen countries, including Germany, France, Colombia, Canada, Mexico, the United States, South Africa, Venezuela, Argentina, Italy, Peru and Australia, in addition to numerous Spanish submissions.

Selected Finalists

A panel of judges has chosen 10 finalists who will execute their works from October 7-17. The selected artists represent a wide range of backgrounds and styles:

  • Andrés Sánchez-Ocaña Núñez Misterpiro (Madrid)
  • Fabián Bravo (Sevilla)
  • José Enrique Ragel (San Pedro Alcántara)
  • Olorapintura (Madrid)
  • Pincel Echeverría Mena (Barcelona)
  • José Fernández Ríos (Jaén)
  • Manuel Moreno Guiaro (Melbourne, Australia)
  • Borja Fernández Gramage (Madrid)
  • Ignacio Vasave Cavanna (Madrid)
  • Diego Anido Seijas (Lugo)

Generous Awards and Evaluation Criteria

This year, the competition offers a total of 27,000 euros in prizes. The jury will award a first prize of 10,000 euros and a second prize of 5,000 euros. In addition, eight finalists will receive 1,500 euros each.The evaluation criteria include:

  • Originality and quality of the project
  • Integration in the urban space
  • Technical feasibility

Estepona: An Open Air Museum

Over the last decade, Estepona has been transformed into a veritable open-air museum, offering a new way to enjoy urban art through its mural route. Currently, 64 artistic murals adorn the facades of buildings in various neighborhoods, bringing the urban landscape to life.One of the featured pieces, titled ‘Fishing Day’, is among the tallest vertical murals in Spain, covering nearly 1,000 square meters on six housing blocks in the Isabel Simón neighborhood.

Mayor’s Vision

José María García Urbano, mayor of Estepona, emphasizes that this contest “contributes to consolidating and expanding the Estepona Art Mural Route, a cultural initiative that has become an important tourist attraction and one of the municipality’s hallmarks.” As the contest concludes, Estepona’s outdoor art route will add ten new murals, further consolidating its status as a dynamic center of urban art and cultural tourism.