Unidad de Cultura Científica y de la Innovación

Jorge Yeregui (Santander, 1975) has been announced the winner of the Pilar Citoler International Photography Award and, as a result, of the 15,000 euro prize money at which the Award is valued. The winning piece, ‘El Valle. Piscina Municipal, Lobres’, convinced the judging panel composed of Pilar Citoler, photographers  María Bleda and José María Rosa, the gallery director of the Galería Fúcares Norberto Dotor, theorist and art critic Alfonso de la Torres; and Karen Knorr, winner of the last edition of the award. The winning work of art has been presented in the press room of the vice-chancellor’s office of the University of Cordoba in the presence of the vice-rector for students and culture, Manuel Torres Aguilar; collector Pilar Citoler; and the Award secretary, Carmen Jareño López.
A total of 180 works of art were entered into the sixth edition of the Award from which ten were selected and the final winner was chosen. The photograph, from 2010, is presented in colour, silicone on methacrylate. It measures 153 x 120 cms. The judging panel, states Pilar Citoler, has valued the artist’s experience and that it is a photograph which “conforms to a conceptual exploration of the symbolic value that the nature of the contemporary city acquires”. Also, it is registered in a series titled ‘Minimal Landscapes’ that documents new natural spaces whose urban presence admits multiple and contradictory interpretations that oscillate between environmental commitment and ‘Greenwashing’.
Collector PIlar Citoler explains that the level of works presented “has been very high” and has stated that “without the support of the University of Cordoba” the holding of the award would have been “unviable.” “The future is hopeful despite the trials of recent times,” she added. Citoler has been asked about the future of her collection in Cordoba and has confirmed that she hopes “that the setbacks of the last few years” sort themselves out and that “the situation can be resolved”. “We hope to reach more concrete and viable solutions, maintaining the normal enthusiasm so that this can be achieved,” she says.

The vice-rector for students and culture, Manuel Torres, has stated that with respect to the future of the Circa XX collection, “conversations with Cordoba City Council” are taking place, as well as reminding that “we must be grateful for the tenacity and firmness of the collector” in this respect. “The time period we have given to resolve it is until June,” he stated.
The winning work of art together with the other nine finalists will be the protagonists of an exhibition to be inaugurated in the Sala Puertanueva on 23rd February 2012. Also a retrospective of Karen Knorr, winner of the fifth edition, will be held and from which a book will be published for the occasion written by Kathy Kubicki, Quentin Bajac and Alfonso de la Torre.

Finalists
‘El Valle. Piscina Municipal, Lobres’. Jorge Yegueri Tejedor.
‘The Tent. Edimburg 2011’. Wendy Ann McMurdo.
‘(13ft/3m) serie Ilha Preta 2011’. Joana Nieto Guimaräes Pimentel.
‘La Casa de Fernán González. Libertador de Castilla’. Paco Valverde Gámez.
‘Los trapos sucios se lavan en casa’. Paula Rubio Infante.
‘Estaremos siempre Unidos’. Marina García Burgos y Ramón Jame Ricardo.
‘Matadero. Carhue’. Esteban Pastorino Díaz.
‘Stills from others views’. Paloma Polo Carreño.
‘Vanity’. Álvaro Laíz García.
‘Untitled’. Anna Fox.