Open Call XI Edition

ALUMINIUM BENEATH THE SURFACE

ART. 1 – OBJECTIVES AND OBJECTIVES OF THE COMEL AWARD 2024
The COMEL Award 2024 aims to:

1. Promote contemporary art and intercultural relations between European countries.
2. Strengthen the bond between art and business.
3. Enhance the value of aluminum and its expressive, aesthetic, communicative, and constructive possibilities.
4. Create a vital and meaningful relationship between the public and artists.

ART. 2 – TITLE OF THE COMEL AWARD 2024
ALUMINIUM BENEATH THE SURFACE

“Art is always a story behind appearances.”

Anonymous

Among the characteristics of aluminium is corrosion resistance, that is, the ability of this metal to resist the action of external agents. This happens because, in contact with oxygen, a film, a protective layer, is created on the surface of aluminium, which is thin and resistant. It is as if the metal puts in place a kind of defense mechanism, protection, integrity, to endure the weather and external aggression,in order not to lose its physical and chemical characteristics. Beneath the surface, aluminium remains itself and preserves its peculiarities. A natural process that can be said to be analogous to the reactions of human beings, who often, in order to defend themselves, mask their feelings, personal and true psychological and spiritual traits.

“Aluminium, beneath the surface,” starting from a specific property of this metal, wants to be an encouragement to aim at the heart of things, to express in art what is often hidden behind appearances, what leaks out, what is not immediately visible and delineable, what is hidden. Art after all by its nature is also forwarding into the invisible, probing the inner spaces of existence.

The artists are invited to express an idea, a memory, a feeling, something that can be understood only by going deep inside: an invitation to use Art as a valuable means to externalize something one has inside, without using words but the “aesthetic gesture.”

ARTICLE 3 – PARTICIPATION PROCEDURE IN THE CALL FOR ENTRIES

Participation in the call for entries is free of charge. There are no age limits, and it is open to all contemporary artists, aged 18 and above, of every European nationality, who use aluminum as the main and significant element in the creation of the artwork they intend to submit to the competition.

Registration for the Prize is permitted with only one artwork (registration instructions can be followed as per Article 5 – Registration).

The deadline for registration for the COMEL Prize 2024 is set for July 7, 2024.

Employees of the Promoting Company and those related to them by kinship are excluded from participating in the competition. Also excluded are any third parties and their employees who collaborate in any capacity in the organization of the competition. Winners of previous editions are also excluded.

ART. 4 – ARTWORKS

Works, whether published or unpublished, created using any technique – painting, sculpture, design, photography, and installation – are admitted, provided they use aluminum as the main and significant element. Fundamental criteria for selection will be the quality, research, originality, and contemporaneity of the work. The maximum permitted size for participating works is 150 x 150 x 150 cm. The work must be completely realized at the time of registration; projects, sketches, or 3D simulations of the works will not be accepted.

The works submitted for the Prize must be physically and intellectually owned by the artist presenting them. The selected works, accompanied by all necessary materials and detailed instructions, must arrive ready for installation. The works, under penalty of exclusion, must not have won other contests similar to this one.

ART. 5 – REGISTRATION

Interested artists can register using one of the following methods:

1. complete the online application form available on the website www.premiocomel.it section Registration;

2. download, complete the application form (Annex A1) available on www.premiocomel.it and send an email with the requested material to the following address: info@premiocomel.it ;

In both cases, failure to provide the following information will result in exclusion:
a) Full name;
b) Nationality and date of birth;
c) Place of residence (country, city, province);
d) Postal address;
e) Email address and any website or references deemed useful;
f) Contact phone numbers;
g) A series of 3-5 images of the artwork in full format and from different angles (for a total size of 5 MB) clearly showing the aluminum work, with indication of technical characteristics and materials used, dimensions, title, and year of execution;
h) A brief description of the artwork intended for presentation;
i) Brief curriculum vitae, biography, and artist statement;
j) Authorization for the processing of personal data;
k) Full acceptance of the regulations of the prize as stated in this announcement.

ART. 6 – SELECTION PROCESS AND JURY

A professional Committee in the field of art, will select thirteen works, among all the submitted artworks. The thirteen works will be exhibited, at a date to be defined, at the gallery Spazio COMEL Arte Contemporanea, via Neghelli 68, Latina, Italy, in a special dedicated exhibition for the selected artists and the Jury will choose among them the winner for the COMEL Award of Contemporary art 2024.

In addition to the above mentioned 13 artworks, the Jury will also identify two additional reserves that will be called to participate in the exhibition, only in the case of exclusion or waiver of the previous selected works. The Jury also may signal, beyond the winner, some special mentions and/or prizes

The selection procedure will be performed on photographic images, so it is recommended for the submission, to send the material as exhaustive as possible. The judgement expressed by the Jury is final and irrevocable.

The judgement expressed by the Jury is final and irrevocable.

The names of the members of the jury of the COMEL award 2024, chaired by Giorgio Agnisola, art critic and writer, professor of sacred art at the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Southern Italy. The names of the members of the jury of the COMEL award 2024 will be communicated in the coming months.

ART. 7 – PHASES AND DEADLINES

1. July 7, 2024 (midnight), the registration deadline of the COMEL 2024 Award;

2. Within August 30, 2024, the finalist artists will be contacted via e-mail and announced online, who will be provided with information on sending the work and the exhibition;

3. By September 27, 2024, the selected artists must send the registered work (see Art. 9 – TRANSPORT, INSURANCE, PREPARATION OF WORKS). Failure to respect the delivery date of the work will result in exclusion from the competition. The works must be delivered in suitable reusable packaging for returning the works at the end of the competition.

4. Exhibition opening: October 26, 2024

5. Announcement and award of winners 16 November 2024

ART. 8 – AWARDS

A) COMEL jury Award
The unique winning artist will be awarded the COMEL Jury Award 2024. The prize consists of a cash prize of € 3500. ² The winning artist will also be awarded a solo exhibition to be held at the Spazio COMEL Arte Contemporanea, located in via Neghelli, 68 – Latina. The publication of a catalogue of the exhibition is also included. The dates and conditions of the exhibition to be agreed in advance with the organization and however no later than the calendar year in which the prize has been held. The work will become part of the permanent collection.

CO.ME.L. By accepting the Prize, the winner relinquishes ownership of his/her work and gives. CO.ME.L. all rights related to it, including the publication right of the image, while retaining the right to be recognized as the author of the artwork.

² Witholding tax on money prize

B) Audience COMEL Award 2024
The artist who will receive the greatest number of preferences from the exhibition visitors, will be awarded a solo exhibition to be held at the Spazio COMEL contemporary art gallery, located in via Neghelli, 68 – Latina. The dates and conditions will be agreed in advance with the organization and it will be displayed no later than the calendar year in which the prize has been held. The ‘Audience Award 2024’ does not consist of a cash prize and the winning artwork will remain property of the artist.

For more information on how to award prizes, please consult the website www.premiocomel.it in the dedicated sections.

The awards ceremony will take place on Saturday 16 November 2024 as part of the exhibition. Very welcome the presence of the winners of the competition at the time of the award ceremony.

ART. 9 – CATALOGUE

The catalog will include pictures of the selected works, short biographical notes of the finalists and critical texts of the jury, in Italian and English. Copies of the catalog will be delivered free of charge to the artists and to all visitors of the exhibition.

ART. 10 – OPENING OF THE EXHIBITION

The inauguration will take place on Saturday October 26 2024 and the works will remain on display until Saturday November 16, 2024, subject to a possible extension of the exhibition time.

ART. 11 – TRANSPORTATION, INSURANCE, ARTWORKS INSTALLATION

The transportation (delivery and collection) and insurance will be at the expense of the artist. The COMEL will take charge of the insurance of the works only within the gallery space, during the exhibition.

The works must be received no later than Friday 27 september, 2024, under penalty of exclusion, at the headquarters of the CO.ME.L. in Latina (LT), CAP 04100, in Via Congiunte sinistre n ° 398 from 8: 30/13: 00 – 15: 00/18: 00 from Monday to Friday. It is essential that the works arrive accompanied by suitable reusable packaging for the return of the works at the end of the competition.

The works must be delivered in a suitable reusable packaging for the return of the artworks at the end of the competition.

The artworks will be installed by the exhibition organizers according to the instructions previously arranged with the artists (see Paragraph 4 – CRITERIA FOR ARTWORKS). Each work must arrive ready for installation, under penalty of exclusion. Except for the award winning work (which becomes the property of the CO.ME.L permanent collection) all artworks should be collected directly from the CO.ME.L. company premises by Wednesday 27 December 2024, at the company address:

CO.ME.L. via Congiunte Sinistre n. 398 – 04100 Latina (LT) Italy. From Monday to Friday, from 8.30/13.00 to 15:00/18:00

The works not collected within the deadline will be considered as a legacy to the Prize.

ART. 12 – PRIVACY

Each candidate expressly authorizes the COMEL Prize, as well as his legal representative, to process personal data transmitted, pursuant to law 675/96 (Privacy law) and subsequent amendments of Legislative Decree 196/2003 (Privacy code), also for the insertion in databases managed by the aforementioned people.

Each participant in the competition grants the COMEL Prize, as well as its legal representative, free of charge, the reproduction rights of the works and texts released to the prize, for the purpose of drawing up the catalog, publication on the Prize website and other forms of communication, promotion and activities of the organization. The material sent for registration only, will not be returned.

The organizers of the competition will have the right to make a final decision on anything not specified in this notice.

The organization reserves itself the right to make changes to the notice if the need arises, communicating it on the portal www.premiocomel.it

Participation in the COMEL Prize implies full and complete acceptance of all the articles of this call for submission.