>> Participating fine arts faculties include Princeton University, UDK Berlin, Columbia College Chicago, the University of Arts London, and the FHNW Academy of Art and Design in Basel, among others.
>> The Barceló Group will be the main sponsor of the first prize, along with its collaborators, Art Palma Contemporani and the ADEMA+ Foundation.
>> The guest curator will be the director of Chelsea College, American artist and curator, Ian Monroe.
>> An international jury has been invited, composed of leading figures on the international scene such as Claudia Tittel, Wendy Anderson, Amparo Sard, Nicola Ricciardi, Adriana Polveroni, Alejandro Romero, Guillermo Solana, David Barro and Xavier Fiol.
>> The event, which will take place on ADEMA’s two new campuses, Coll and Inca, and the Barceló Foundation, is sponsored by the Balearic Government and other institutional partners.
The ADEMA University School will turn Mallorca into the stage for a pioneering event on the international contemporary art scene and in the university world: the University Art Biennial, which will take place as part of Art Week 2025 from June 2 to 6 of this year.
This international biennial will bring together more than 200 emerging students, professors, and researchers from twenty universities in Europe and America in a major global collective exhibition that will remain open to the public throughout the summer.
Participating universities:
1. Princeton University (USA)
2. Universität der Künste Berlin (Germany)
3. Columbia College Chicago (USA)
4. University of Arts London UAL Chelsea College (UK)
5. FHNW Academy of Art and Design in Basel (Switzerland)
6. Aarhus School of Architecture (Denmark)
7. IUAV Università luav di Venezia (Italy)
8. Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk (Poland)
9. Academy of Fine Arts of Macerata (Italy)
10. ADEMA University School of Fine Arts (Spain)
11. Brera Academy of Fine Arts of Milan (Italy)
12. École Européenne Supérieure d’Art de Bretagne (France)
13. HfBK Dresden University of Fine Arts (Germany)
14. IPMT Lviv Polytechnic National University (Ukraine)
15. Royal Danish Academy (Denmark)
16. Universidad de La Laguna (Spain)
17. Universidad del País Vasco Euskal Herriko Unibersitatea (Spain)
18. University of Art and Design Cluj Napoca (Romania)
19. University of Dundee Scotland (UK)
This is the first time that a biennial dedicated exclusively to university artistic creation has been held, making Mallorca a benchmark for teaching and research in the Fine Arts. Each university has been invited to present a specific exhibition for one of the biennial’s spaces, with works created by a selection of ten students and one professor, in a work process that has developed throughout the academic year under the supervision of the event’s Artistic Steering Committee.
For the president of ADEMA and the head of studies for the Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts, Diego González and Amparo Sard, “this biennial was born from a very clear idea: to give visibility to emerging talent in a professional and real-life environment, placing university creation at the center of new contemporary artistic trends and creating synergies and building bridges with important universities on the international scene.”
The University Art Biennial – Art Week 2025 ADEMA will be held at three main venues: ADEMA’s new Coll and Inca Campuses and the Barceló Foundation.
The central space will be located on the Coll d’en Rabassa Campus (Palma)-ADEMA, where the main exhibitions, workshops, and activities will be held. In addition, there are two satellite venues: ADEMA Inca – ES CRUM, dedicated to artistic research projects, and the Barceló Foundation, which will host a group exhibition featuring works by various participants.
Barceló Group Award, main sponsor of the awards
In addition to its exhibition nature, the International Biennial offers four award categories, granting a total of twelve prizes that celebrate creativity and emerging talent.
The Barceló Hotels Group International Acquisition Award grants a first prize of €5,000 along with the acquisition of the work, as well as a second and third prize with honorable mention.
The Adema+ Foundation International Artist Residency Award offers the winner a one-month artist residency in Mallorca, while the second and third runners-up receive honorable mentions.
The Art Palma Contemporani International Scholarship Award grants the first winner a scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree at ADEMA University School.
Finally, three awards will be presented for the best exhibition at the 2025 University Art Biennial, recognizing excellence and innovation in the presentation of artistic projects.
International jury of renowned professionals
These awards will be evaluated by an international jury composed of leading figures from the world of art and culture. Claudia Tittel (the curator of the European Capital of Culture 2025 of Chemnitz in Germany, art and culture scientist, curator), Wendy Anderson (director of International Development-University of Arts London, artist and curator), Amparo Sard (head of Studies of the Degree in Fine Arts at ADEMA and artist), Nicola Ricciardi (Artistic Director of the Miart Art Fair in Milan) have been invited, Adriana Polveroni (Artistic Director of the Modern and Contemporary Art Fair Arte in Nuvola, Rome), Anita Becker (gallery owner), David Barro (Director of Es Baluard Museu d’Art Contemporani de Palma), Alejandro Romero (Coordinator of the Spanish Pavilion of the Venice Biennale for both the Contemporary Art and Architecture editions and coordinator of Visual Arts of the AECID), Guillermo Solana (artistic director of the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza) and Xavier Fiol (gallery owner-Art Palma Contemporani).
Guest International Commissioner
The guest curator for this first edition is Ian Monroe, director of Chelsea College of Art, artist and curator, known for his ability to navigate contemporary art, design, and culture with an inquisitive approach that challenges traditional boundaries.
“With this initiative, ADEMA aims to consolidate its role as a university institution committed to the internationalization and future of contemporary art, not only locally but also in Europe and internationally. This is a deeply academic and research-based project that we are very excited about. We would like to thank all the institutions that have shown their support and collaboration,” emphasized Diego González and Amparo Sard.
The University Art Biennial – Art Week 2025 is sponsored by the Balearic Islands Government and Barceló Hotel Group, the Balearic Institute of Studies, Palma City Council, Es Baluard Museum of Contemporary Art, Endesa, among others.