Rua Viva Award: Antinoo Identità Libere receives important new sponsorship for the Award

RUA VIVA Award 2025

The RUA VIVA Award 2025 Promoted by the Taverna Est ETS Cultural Association, the event aims to provide visibility to outstanding, non-historicized artists, encouraging direct interaction with the urban and social fabric through an exhibition that transcends conventional forms of art enjoyment. Already supported by the patronage of Arci Campania, the Municipality of Naples, and the Campania Region for the exhibition of the finalist works, the event is enriched by a new, important patronage, that of Antinoo identità libere.

Antonello Sannino, president of the Antinoo Arcigay Naples Association, declared: The Rua Viva Award embodies values and objectives entirely consistent with the multicultural spirit of our association, which for years has promoted every artistic and expressive expression that seeks to connect the diverse souls of our society and our territory, supporting paths of growth and liberation that are achieved through the contamination and connection of diverse and transversal experiences and narratives.

Purpose and Theme

The competition is intended as a innovative storytelling tool for contemporary art, creating sharing spaces which expand the possibilities for interaction with the public. The aim is to stimulate a transversal dialogue between different fields of knowledge, combining skills and sensibilities. The theme is open, allowing artists maximum freedom of expression.

Sala Sole: a hub for contemporary art

The 2025 edition of the RUA VIVA Award finds its core in the Sun Room, a place that embodies a natural vocation for welcoming and disseminating contemporary art. A theater, training center, poetry gatherings, and international study days, with great attention to its relationship with the neighborhood and other nearby communities, the Sala Sole is located in the heart of the Rua Catalana neighborhood, nestled in an urban context characterized by the historical presence of works by Richard Dalisi, Felix Policastro and numerous street artists. This multifunctional space becomes a means for increase the possibilities of reception, activate new connections and generate ideas that fuel urban regeneration and the revitalization of human relationships.

Jury

To strengthen the experimental approach of the prize, the selection of the works will be done through a jury unusual, which will go beyond the traditional circle of industry experts. Made up of professionals from culture, journalism, and other fields of knowledge, the jury will help expand the boundaries of vision and develop the artistic sensibilities of those attending an exhibition that will be open to interaction and encounter with an audience, including those new to art galleries and new to visual art.

Awards and Recognitions

Cash prize for the winning artist.

Color catalog dedicated to the selected works.

Exhibition of the winning works at the Sala Sole, a space that becomes a laboratory for dialogue between art and citizenship.

The Taverna Est ETS Cultural Association

Taverna Est ETS is a cultural association founded in 2004 by director and playwright Sara Sole Notarbartolo. The association, which focuses on theater, has organized cultural projects, performances, training programs, reviews, and festivals internationally. The Sala Sole, the association's headquarters, was created with the aim of: creating bridges between art and the social fabric, developing projects that enhance the dimension of interaction, experimenting with new languages and forms of engagement with the public. 

Attention to young artists

The award is held in the Italian underground and is intended as a recognition of independent art, aimed at all those who, for various reasons, have remained outside the more established circuits.

In this direction, Rua Viva has introduced a significant discount for the first twenty students to register from fine arts academies, art high schools, art institutes, or similar institutions: they will receive a reduced participation fee of €10. Federico Adriano Borreca, artistic director of Rua Viva, emphasized the importance of this initiative: "We are delighted with the commitment and attention Rua Viva is receiving. Supporting new generations of artists is essential for us, which is why we have decided to give art students priority access."“

The Rua Viva Award thus confirms itself as an opportunity for visibility and recognition for emerging and independent artists, creating a bridge between tradition and innovation and creating connections between different artistic realities operating in Naples.

Artists interested in participating in the award can download the complete rules and details on participation from the official website www.tavernaest.com