“Living and surviving in outsider art in Spain”
Don’t miss the first International Outsider Art Conference in Spain
Event details
- Date: June 13, 2025
- Time: 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m
- Location: Distinguished Bar Association of Bizkaia
Proposal accepted within the Expanded Program “Towards MONDIACULT 2025”
In 2025, BILBAO FORMARTE organized the International Congress of Outsider Art in Bilbao on June 13, marking the first time this event was held in Southern Europe.
The main goal was to give visibility to artists with psychological or intellectual disabilities, recognizing and promoting their talent, and preparing a report of best practices to foster inclusive policies in the cultural field.
The congress brought together associations and groups from across the country (Galicia, Asturias, the Basque Country, Castile and León, Aragon, Catalonia, Madrid, Valencia, and Andalusia). Each speaker attended with artists who showcased their work in disciplines such as painting, music, and theater, asserting their right to make a living from their creative work.
The meeting also highlighted the lack of opportunities for this group, whose artistic and professional training is cut off after the age of 19, as well as the limited recognition of Outsider Art in Spain compared to other European countries, where a paternalistic approach toward these individuals still persists.
Event Program
- 08:30 | Coffee and registration
09:30 | Welcome and introduction by Thomas Röske, President of the EOAA.
09:40 | Naia Aristondo: Presenter and moderator of the event.
09:50 | Art studios and collectives of artists with disabilities:
Igualarte Foundation – VIGO (Galicia)
Berde.org – GIJÓN (Asturias)
Vinjoy Foundation – OVIEDO (Asturias)
Nahiarte – BILBAO (Euskadi)
11:30 | Coffee break
12:00 | Art studios and collectives of artists with disabilities: - Berbiquí Association – BURGOS (Castilla y León)
Bolboreta Press – ZARAGOZA (Aragón).
INSOLIT ART Association – BARCELONA (Cataluña).
13:00 | Dance performance: Ane Zapirain
13:30 | Lunch
14:30 | Art studios and collectives of artists with disabilities:
Debajo del Sombrero – MADRID
Artes, Cultura y Ocio – ELCHE (Valencia)
Art Diversia. Torredelcampo – JAÉN (Andalucía)
Colectivo Ojo Pértico – LA PUEBLA DE CAZALLA (Sevilla) (Andalucía)
16:00 | Coffee break
16:30 | Round table: Living And Surviving In Outsider Art In Spain.
Moderator: Naia Aristondo.
Begoña Guzmán Responsible for culture · Basque Country Association for UNESCO
Graciela García since 2007 maintains the blog about Art Brut “El Hombre de Jazmín”, a field in which she specialized after her PhD in ‘Art Therapy and Art for Social Inclusion’ by the Complutense University of Madrid in 2010.
Ana Urgoiti, co-founding partner of BILBAO FORMARTE
17:30 | Questions and answers
18:30 | Closing
19:00 | Dinner for EOA and speakers
21:30 – 23:30 | Party EOA
Material about the event:
Video recording on YouTube in Spanish (soon to be subtitled in Basque)
Video recording on YouTube in English (soon to be subtitled in Basque)
Podcast of the conference in Spanish
Podcast of the conference in English
The event is supported and sponsored by
