

It is peak holiday season in Spain, with high hotel prices and expensive villa rentals.

But if you are an artist, you can enjoy a two-week stay in one Spanish village for free - as long as you donate a sculpture at the end of it.

Dubbed 'Artbnb' - a play on the popular private rental company Airbnb - the unusual concept is being offered by the pretty, whitewashed village of Genalguacil, in Andalucia, Southern Spain.

Mountain retreat: The whitewashed village of Genalguacil is offering free stays in return for sculptures

Creative types can descend on the sleepy community and enjoy a stay in local cottages, with all the materials they need to complete their artwork.

The only catch is they have to donate one piece of art to the village for display.

The unusual concept has led to Genalguacil becoming an open-air museum of art, attracting tourists who come to see the works dotted along the winding streets.

Located up in the mountains, just inland from the coastal tourist hubs of Estepona and Marbella, Genalguacil has always been a popular haunt for artists for its bright light.

Picture perfect: The pretty village is famous as an artists' retreat and hosts a biannual art festival

So a mayor in the 1990s decided to capitalise on the village's creativity to turn it into a veritable tourist attraction.

The biannual 'art encounters' festival lets artists descend on the village to find inspiration for their works, without the worries of having to pay for accommodation.

Elias Bendodo, president of the Malaga Council, said: 'Art Encounters sustains a small but important cultural industry in Genalguacil, because thanks to the event, gallery restaurants, artisan shops, artist residences, theatre productions and concerts have sprung up throughout the year.'

Work of art: Unusual sculptures can be seen dotted all around the village of Genalguacil

Now this summer, the village has decided to take its idea one step further... by paying 11 well-known artists £790 to stay and create some extra pieces for the town.

Among them is Spanish artist Eugenio Merino, whose controversial works include a mannequin of Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco stuffed inside a fridge and a George W Bush punch bag.