The paintings Cargando la esperanza (Holding hope) and América confinada (America confined), by Las Tunas painters Ángel Luis Velázquez Guerra and Wilber Ortega Aldaya, respectively, are among the first places in the 30 best pieces of the International Art Competition on COVID-19, which is currently being held through Internet, based in Barcelona, Spain.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- In total, 217 works by plastic artists from various countries participated and it was they who voted for those they considered to be of higher quality (less for their own), tempered by the issue in question. The protagonists could compete with painting, sculpture, photography and other expressions within visual arts.

Now, it is to be expected the final opinion, which includes the public vote. Either way, the creations of the 30 finalists will be exhibited in the gallery of the Montjuic Cultural Center, one of the most prestigious of its kind in Barcelona.

The painters from Las Tunas made a glimpse of how they feel about the situation the world is experiencing, with the consequent call for prevention. Ángel Luis, whose score was well at odds with that of the first place, painted a facemask that holds a Cuban landscape, with the Lone Star Flag included, in analogy to the role of Cuba in confronting the disease. For his part, Wilber addressed, beyond the physical wall, that "invisible wall that arises from all speculation and conspiracy theory that prevents seeing the light on the horizon."

Sponsored by the Wentworth Norton Group, from the United States, and the Matilde Tamayo Foundation for Contemporary Art, in Spain, this contest pays tribute to the victims of the pandemic and to the health workers who have faced it.

As stated in the call, its objective is to promote intercultural understanding and learn how different countries deal with this global crisis. People can stay informed about this event through the Matilde Tamayo Foundation website http://www.matildetamayo.org/, on the Facebook page of the Montjuic Cultural Center and on Instagram through covid19_inscrit.