New talent and new artistic projects remains a strong priority by EDP Foundation, and the 12th edition of the award was a testimony to its commitment to continue to support and give visibility to Portuguese contemporary art. The EDP Foundation's New Artists Award was created in 2000 and since then it has recognised names such as Joana Vasconcelos, Leonor Antunes, Vasco Araújo, Carlos Bunga, João Maria Gusmão and Pedro Paiva, João Leonardo, André Romão, Gabriel Abrantes, Priscila Fernandes, Ana Santos or Mariana Silva.

Awarding these artists and giving them the opportunity to exhibit in an institution and to work, for many of them for the first time, in a professional environment guided by a curator has proven essential to kick-start or reinforce significant and remarkable careers both on a national and international level.

Ana Cardoso, Bernardo Correia, João Gabriel, Ana Guedes, Igor Jesus and Claire de Santa Coloma were the artists chosen for the 2017’s collective exhibition of the EDP Foundation New Artists Award. The six artists were selected from a pool of over 600 candidates by Ana Anacleto, Filipa Oliveira and João Silvério, who were also the exhibition curators. In the exhibition the finalists presented only new works.

The winner, chosen by an international jury during the exhibition, was Claire de Santa Coloma (b. 1983).