Arteshop is a programme which aims to boost retail activity through art, by displaying the work of students from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the UPV/EHU and of artists from Bilbao Arte. In this way it seeks to harness the synergy between retail and artistic activities, and to enrich the shopping experience.
Bilbao City Council, through the public body Bilbao Ekintza, and in collaboration with the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and the Bilbao Arte Foundation, is organising the tenth edition of ARTESHOP BILBAO.
ARTESHOP BILBAO harnesses the synergy between retail and artistic activity, encouraging creative capacity in shops, and generating an unusual space for artistic expression while enriching the shopping experience. Retail establishments around the city exhibit works of art expressly created by students from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of the Basque Country.
The Fine Arts Students receive tutoring from artists at the Bilbao Arte Foundation, who offer support in the creation of the interventions and supervise the progress. In addition, the artists-tutors create their own artistic interventions in a number of exhibition areas (Ribera Market, Bilbao Tourist Office, etc.)
With the aim of recognising the results of collaboration among the retailers, the Fine Arts students, and the artists from Bilbao Arte, award are offered to the three best projects by the students and the best project from among the artists. A team made up of professionals from the retail sector and from the art sector assess the work and select the winning projects.
In addition, the Award from the Public is given to the student selected by the general public.
The goals of the initiative include:
- Boosting the retail trade of the city by helping to enrich the shopping experience, seeking to draw public attention in a creative and different way.
- Offering a window for making the results and work of students at the University of the Basque Country more visible, together with that of artists from the Bilbao Arte Foundation, bringing them into direct contact with society and establishing other types of relations between art, creative work and society.
- Harnessing the synergy between retail and artistic activity, encouraging creative capacity in shops, and generating an unusual space for artistic expression while enriching the shopping experience.
