China and Spain have a long history of cultural and artistic exchanges. The paintings of past generations of Spanish art masters have had a huge impact on China, especially Diego Velázquez, a master of Spanish art in the Golden Age, and even more for China. Contemporary artists have had a continuous and in-depth influence. Velázquez’s character and portrait paintings and precise "theatrical light and shadow" (tenebrist) effects, the interpretation and development of bold brushstrokes are characterized by a more free painting method, in addition to the full expression of historical and cultural significance of the scene. His explorations of painting materials and techniques have reached an unprecedented height. In order to strengthen the cultural and artistic exchanges between China and the West, so that the world has a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and art, especially contemporary Chinese figurative and realistic art and after successfully holding the first art competition, the second Velázquez Painting & Sculpture Competition was officially launched on January 4, 2022.

      The second Velázquez Painting & Sculpture Competition is not only a continuation of the first competition, but it is also an improvement and breakthrough in the quality, specifications, aim and academic standards of the art exchanges. This competition has an international background and a degree of professionalism. The judges of this competition are the most authoritative art historians, art critics, museum curators, curators, and directors of art competitions and art associations in the field of figurative realism in China, Spain, the United States, Italy and the United Kingdom. The 2nd Velázquez Painting & Sculpture Competition is not just a pure art event, but it responds to the global figurative art revival movement, it highlights contemporary Chinese figurative realism art development achievements, and reflects Chinese culture and art in the world. It becomes the concrete practice of self-confidence and the right to speak!

        Velázquez is one of the greatest artists in the art world history. The themes and styles expressed in his works are considered the fundaments of the Spanish national art language. The "Velázquez Painting & Sculpture Contest" is a contemporary art practice that inherits and develops the splendid cultural heritage of mankind. Through art competitions, people from different historical and cultural backgrounds from all over the world are brought together. It also deduces a unique realistic art form, a diversified and cross-regional artistic exchange; breaks the current stagnation of international cultural and artistic exchanges caused by the raging "epidemic", in order to enhance the global art world mutual trust, cooperation and exchange!

[Co-hosted]
European Museum of Modern Art (Barcelona, Spain);
Spanish Art & Artist Foundation;
Sheng Xinyu Art (China).

[Co-organizers]
Italian Cultural and Art Exchange Association;
Spanish Freedom & Art Gallery;
New York Academy of Art；
"Chiasso Perduto" Gallery, Florence, Italy;
Li Keran Painting Academy, China;
Shanghai Association of Cultural and Art Exchanges between China and Foreign Countries;
"Collection" Magazine;
China New Classic Painting Association;
Shanghai Youth Realistic Painting Salon;

[Contest Organizing Committee]
Honorary Chairman: 

Fred Ross (USA) , the founder of the American ARC Art Renaissance Center, the chairman of the ARC International Salon Competition, and the editor-in-chief of Bouguereau's complete works.

Executive Chairman:

Raffaello Padovan (Italy), Vice President of the Italian Cultural and Artistic Exchange Association.

Chief curator: 

Zhang Hongbin (China), founder of Sheng Xinyu Art, Chinese representative of the ARC International Salon Competition, Chinese representative of the Spanish International Portrait Competition.

Co-curator:

Sandra Miranda Pattin (Italy/Colombia) , international curator, former director of International Projects of the Florence Biennale, currently head of the Chiasso Perduto space in Florence, Italy.
Yu Ming(China),associate professor of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, painter of the Chinese Realism School;
Lai Yuan (China),associate professor of the China Academy of Art, painter of the Chinese Realism School.

The Secretary -General of the Permanent Secretariat of the Competition :
Ji Yinglun, Sheng Xinyu Art Partner，deputy editor of "Collection" magazine, senior art media person, art critic.
Deputy Secretary-General: 

Liu Shuang, young oil painter, head of Shanghai Youth Realistic Painting Salon.

Zeng Chuanxing, Tutor for postgraduates of the Academy of Fine Arts of Hunan Normal University, vice chairman of Hunan Oil Painting Society, and vice president of Zhigong Central Academy of Painting.

Member of the Secretariat:

 Li Feng, Wang Min,Aliyah, He Peng, Li Bin;

The Competition News Department: Wang Min, Li Bin

The Competition Promotion Department: Li Feng, Zhai Yanqi, Aliyah He Peng, Pei Fabang, Deng Zongtao.

The Competition College Liaison Department：Zhu Chuanqi, Song Zhirong, Zhuang Jie, Chen Ziyi。

The Competition International Liaison Department：Yang Min, Wu Jiannan, Yang Yantong。

【Contest Rules】

7. Contest awards
      1）Velázquez Prize for Painting: First Prize (1), Second Prize (2), Third Prize (3);
      2） Velázquez Sculpture Prize: First Prize (1), Second Prize (2), Third Prize (3);
      The above works that win the Velázquez Prize will not participate in the selection of other awards.
      3）Best image: (Character and Animal) First Prize (1), Second Prize (2), Third Prize (3);
      4）Best still life: first prize (1), second prize (2), third prize (3);
      5）The best landscape: first prize (1), second prize (2), third prize (3);
      6）The best innovation and exploration: first prize (1), second prize (2), third prize (3);
      7）College Art Award (only for Chinese college students)
    （1）Young Talent Award (16): First prize (1), second prize (2), third prize (3), excellence award (10).
    （2）"Young Envoy Award" (30 people)
      The "Young Envoy Award" is part of the International Youth Art Exchange Program. It is selected from the students of participating colleges and universities, and the competition review committee comprehensively selects the entries from the colleges and universities. In addition to issuing certificates to the winners, the organizing committee of the competition also provides priority opportunities for the winners to participate in international art competitions and opportunities for overseas exhibitions (online and offline exhibitions). To provide students with the opportunity to participate in international exchanges without leaving the school, so as to achieve the purpose of promoting mutual learning, mutual understanding and friendship at home and abroad.
       (3)"Residence Program Award" (30 people)
      The contest judges comprehensively select from the college's entries. Winners will have the opportunity to go directly to Spain, Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom and other European and American countries for short or long-term residency study and creation.
      (4)Outstanding Academy Award (30 people)
      Nominated by the winners of the competition’s cooperative art school, and comprehensively reviewed by the competition review committee. In addition to awarding this award to student winners, the recommended school will also receive the "Academic Contribution Award" issued by the Organizing Committee of the competition.
      8) International nomination award (a separate nomination award for an international art institution，For all contestants.)
      (1) "European Museum of Modern Art" (5 winners): The award is selected and awarded by the "European Museum of Modern Art" in Spain.
      (2) "Art and Artist Foundation Award" (3 winners): The award is selected and awarded by the Spanish "Art and Artist Foundation".
      (3) "Freedom and Art Award" (3 winners): The award is selected and awarded by the Spanish "Freedom and Art Gallery";
    （4）“New York Academy of Art Award”（10winners），The award is selected and awarded by the Spanish "New York Academy of Art ";
      (5) "Chiasso Perduto Award for Contemporary Exploration ("Chiasso
Perduto "Contemporary exploration Award" (10 winners): The award is selected and awarded by Chiasso Perduto Gallery, Italy;
      (6) "Da Vinci Award for Visual Art" (5 winners): The award is selected and awarded by the Italian Cultural and Art Exchange Association.

 8、 Treatment of winners:
      1）All selected and award-winning works will receive a certificate issued by the competition judging committee and signed by the director of the competition judging committee.
      2）Winners of the first prize will receive a certificate issued by the jury of the competition and a short critical text on the works by international experts who have evaluated their works.
      3）All winning works (excluding sculptures and works by overseas artists) will participate in the offline awards ceremony and exhibition in September 2022 (tentatively scheduled for Shanghai).
      4） The jury of the competition will select 20 works from the winning works to participate in the thematic group exhibition of the competition held at the Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona, Spain (participation is voluntary, international expenses are at the artist’s own expense).
      5）The jury of the competition will select 30 works from the winning works to be included in the Spanish Figurative Realistic Art Yearbook.
      6）From the selected and award-winning works, select some works and recommend them to participate in the American ARC International Salon Competition, the Spanish International Portrait Competition and the Spanish Figurative Painting & Sculpture Competition.

9. Contest exhibition
Offline award ceremony exhibition time: mid-September 2022.
Exhibition location: To be determined (Shanghai or Beijing, China)
Online exhibitions: Shengxinyu Art Network (www.shengxinyuart.com), Spanish European Modern Art Museum (www.meam.es).