The initiative is organised by the OPEN Bilbao Architecture Festival, the Escuela de Escritores, Bizna Estudio and Punta Begoña Foundation.
The deadline for entries is 7 September, and poems may be submitted in either Spanish or Basque.
The Punta Begoña Foundation, together with the OPEN Bilbao Architecture Festival, the Escuela de Escritores and Bizna Estudio, has launched the ‘Micropoemas de Punta a Punta’ competition, an initiative that brings together literature, architecture and heritage to commemorate the legendary Getxo-born writer Ramiro Pinilla and his close literary connection with the Punta Begoña Galleries.
The competition invites participants to write a short poem inspired by this iconic space whilst work is underway to reinforce the structure of its main hall and restore its monumental entrance. As a nod to the work Verdes valles, colinas rojas (Green Valleys, Red Hills), the texts must include the phrase ‘una galería corrida de punta a punta’ (or ‘alderik aldeko galería luzea’ in Basque). The competition is one of the highlights of the programme for the tenth anniversary of the OPEN Bilbao Festival and forms part of the ‘Open for Renovations’ project, which combines the restoration of the Galleries with guided tours, cultural activities and outreach initiatives to bring the public closer to the process of restoring this heritage site.
Punta Begoña is currently a forest of shoring timbers that enable work to be carried out on the complex structural consolidation of a monument clinging to the cliff face. At the same time, it is a quarry in which the finest professionals are shaping and restoring the splendour of an exceptional monument. And all of this is to return it to society, which is calling for it to create, exhibit, share and enjoy. The fact that Ramiro Pinilla is the guiding thread in this process is a source of honour for this municipality, which was his own.
Those interested may submit their entries until 7 September, in Basque or Spanish. The competition jury will select the winning poem and four finalists, assessing both the literary quality and the connection of the works to the architectural setting of Punta Begoña. The five selected texts will be exhibited at Punta Begoña Galleries themselves during the week of the Festival and throughout October, coinciding with the Heritage Month programme, during which the monument will host a packed programme of cultural activities open to the public. In addition, the winning poem will be displayed in a prominent position on the monument’s façade, and its author will receive, as a prize, the handbook Escribir poesía (Writing Poetry), published by the Escuela de Escritores and Páginas de Espuma, as well as an invitation to attend Bernardo Atxaga’s opening lecture for the Leer, Escribir, Crear course, on 24 October. The event also includes a discussion on poetry, architecture and Pinilla’s legacy, to be held on Thursday 1 October at the Galleries themselves.
Through this initiative, Punta Begoña continues to establish itself as a space where heritage, artistic creation and public participation come together. The restoration work currently underway in the Main Hall, the Monumental Entrance and the Flysch Cave will not only restore the site to its former monumental splendour but also expand the possibilities for the monument’s cultural use, reinforce its role as one of Getxo’s key heritage and cultural landmarks, and significantly enhance its social functionality, enabling it to accommodate the numerous proposals for activities to be held at the Galleries.
