A lot, a lot, have changed the techniques, codes, styles and languages ??of poster design since the glorious era of Ramon Casas, Miquel Utrillo, Julio Tubilla or Sebastià Junyent. These great references of modernism could not even imagine that creation would advance along paths that were then unthinkable, such as digital illustration, NFTs or artificial intelligence. What has not changed is the cultural vocation of Codorníu, which, 125 years after creating a first poster contest that marked a before and after in the wine, advertising and patronage sectors, has once again convened artists, designers, advertisers and illustrators coinciding with the celebration of the 150th anniversary of its first sparkling wines.
The response has been massive. More than 300 creators have been presented, mainly from Spain, but also from different countries in Europe and Latin America, with a great diversity of techniques, which have ranged from animated gifts to neon sculptures, through embroidery, digital illustrations, animations or acrylics. And the winner has been the art director from Almeria who lives in Seville, Antonio Domínguez, with a digital illustration entitled Moments Codorníu.
“The finalist works deserve to be exhibited in the best art galleries in the world,” said the general director of Raventós Codorníu, Sergio Fuster, during the awards ceremony held on Friday at the Celler Gran de Josep Puig i Cadafalch in these Sant Sadurni d’Anoia. For its part, the jury highlighted that the winning work is “a reminder of a celebratory time without being nostalgic within a pictorial tradition.” And he added that “it is a striking and cheerful proposal with a vivid retro inspiration, but with a clear contemporary touch”.
For his part, Antonio Domínguez explained to La Vanguardia that his intention has been to capture “a moment of enjoyment, with a nod to cava and the architecture of Codorníu”. It is a festive allegory with vivid colors including a retro Pompadour cup. The finalist posters are works by the illustrator Anna Carazo; the artist Sandra Modrego; the first Spanish NFT artist, Gala Mirissa; and the graphic designer, artist and dancer Mariana Schrader, with a prize of 2,000 euros each. The prize for the winner is endowed with 10,000 euros. In the contest held in 1898, the artists were awarded 2,550 pesetas (15.33 euros), divided into five prizes.
The jury of this second edition of the Codorníu Ars Collecta contest was made up of Ainhoa ??Grandes, president of the Macba Foundation; the artist Antoni Muntadas; Stein Olav Henrichsen, director of the Munch Museum in Oslo; Emília Ferreira, director of the Museo Nacional de Arte Contemporáneo del Chiado in Lisbon; Alessandro Allemandi, director of Il Giornale dell’Arte; Pati Núñez, art, architecture and communication consultant; and the CEO of Raventós Codorníu Sergio Fuster.
An exhibition now brings together in the historic cellars, which are a National Historic-Artistic Monument, works from the first edition (some never shown before to the public) and those from this new competition call. The finalist posters and the winner of this last edition will also serve to star in dissemination campaigns or to illustrate special editions of the Codorníu cavas.
