The Cabildo de Tenerife, through the Department of Youth and Training, presented on Tuesday the first edition of the Insular Contests of Youth Illustration and Photography of Tenerife 2025.
These initiatives are developed within the framework of the ‘Merkarte’ program with the aim of promoting and showcasing young talent in the visual arts.
This was announced by the Youth Minister, Serafín Mesa, at a press conference held in the Noble Hall of the island corporation, accompanied by the Youth Area technician, Félix Fernández Palacios; the Photography professor at the School of Design and Art Fernando Estévez, José Luis Camejo, and the Drawing and Illustration professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the ULL, María Luisa Hodgson, who sponsor the two new contests.
Serafín Mesa explained that the objectives of this initiative are to «promote youth creativity and artistic expression, promote democratic values and coexistence through free themes, and give visibility to local talent on digital platforms, exhibitions, and events.»
María Luisa Hodgson congratulated the Cabildo on the initiative because «up to this point, there was no illustration prize, unlike in the case of photography.»
The sponsor of the two contests valued the proposal because it is essential to encourage creativity in young people.
Félix Fernández reported that young people who wish to do so can register until July 14, while the publication of the finalists will take place in the second half of September.
Registration will be done on the Merkarte website as informed by the Cabildo in a note.
Anyone between 18 and 30 years old (completed in 2025) who is a resident of Tenerife can participate in the contests.
Thus, a single project per person must be submitted, and the works must be original and unpublished, not previously awarded or disseminated.
Regarding the technical requirements, for the illustration contest, the technique is free (digital, color, black and white) and works created with artificial intelligence are excluded.
In this way, an illustration in JPG format, 1080 px on the longer side, and a maximum of 3.5MB will be presented.
As for the photography contest, the technique is also free (digital or laboratory) and works created with artificial intelligence are excluded.
Likewise, two to four photographs in JPG format, 1080 px on the longer side and a maximum of 3.5MB each, can be submitted.
In the awards section, a first prize consisting of a €1,500 voucher for specialized materials is established; a second prize with a €500 voucher for specialized materials, and up to two awards of €250 each.
The selected works will be part of a collective exhibition at the TEA Espacio de las Artes or a similar space.
