TRIESTE, Italy – The artist Claudia Pagès (Barcelona in 1990), has won the XVIII illy SustainArt Prize from illycaffè framed in the 44th Edition of the International Art Fair ARCOmadrid. The winning work is built from two creations where the memory of spaces is represented, using inscriptions and historical symbols found on ancient walls. The artist’s starting point was the inspiration that arose in the cisterns of Xàtiva.
The work explores themes such as history, water, memory and the representation of protective spaces, such as walls and castles, as well as the interaction between space and time.
Claudia Pagès’ practice uses handmade sheets of paper to create intricate constructions that evoke history. Her inspiration comes from the proximity of old paper mills to places where historical inscriptions are still preserved. From this connection were born her two works ‘Muro de dos caras’ and ‘Xàtiva’, which are presented as filigree labyrinths.
Light plays a crucial role in her work, since emanating from inside a box, it reveals the hidden plot of memory, illuminating the stories that lie in the paper. For the young Catalan, this use of light symbolizes the need to illuminate the past to prevent it from being lost in oblivion, highlighting the fragility of both memory and paper.
Claudia Pagès holds a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Barcelona and an MFA from the Sandberg Instituut (Amsterdam). Her work has been exhibited at venues such as Manifesta 15, Barcelona (2024); IVAM, Valencia (2024); Sculpture Center, New York (2024); CA2M, Madrid (2023); Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona (2023); Tabakalera, Donostia (2022); Vleeshal, Middelburg (2022); MACBA, Barcelona (2022); CAPC, Bordeaux (2022); Kunstverein Braunschweig, Braunschweig (2021); Sharjah Art Foundation, UAE (2018).
Més de dues aigües, has been published in Catalan by Empúries Narrativa in 2024, and in 2025 she will publish a new book with Wendy’s Subway.
Pagès was awarded the Ojo Crítico Visual Arts Award in 2022, and has been an artist in residence at Gasworks, London (2017) and at Triangle France, Marseille (2020).
During the months of March and April 2025, she will be an artist in residence at EMPAC, Troy, United States. In 2025 her work can be seen at Chisenhale, London; INDEX, Stockholm; Mumok, Vienna; and in a group exhibition curated by Chus Martínez at Art Sonje Center; Seoul, Korea.
The jury composed of relevant figures from the world of art and culture, such as Imma Prieto (Director of the Fundació Tàpies), Javier Díaz-Guardiola (Art critic of ABC and coordinator of the art section of ABC Cultural) and Mariano Mayer (independent art curator). Accompanied by Carlo Bach (artistic director of illy).
