The 11th edition of the COMEL award, “Aluminium, beneath the Surface“, has entered its most delicate phase. The call for entries closed in the second half of July, and now the jurors are at work reviewing the artworks entered and selecting the 13 finalists which will be exhibited at the COMEL Space in Latina from Oct. 26 to Nov. 16.

Never before has the jury’s job been as challenging as it is this year because never before has there been such a wide variety of techniques and such a heartfelt focus on the proposed theme. Aluminium was used in the most diversified ways, some truly original and innovative; it was not a mere material but the very essence of the works, what allowed them to be what they were.

Unprecedented technical experimentation resulted in extremely valuable aesthetic results, effectively combined with particular attention to content, as the artists declined the theme in a heartfelt and highly poetic way.

The organizers, in this edition in particular, would like to thank the artists who entered their works for the COMEL award, not only because of the large number: about 300 entries arrived from Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Greece, Bulgaria, Poland, Ireland, Slovakia, and the Netherlands, as well as artists from South Africa, the U.S., China, and Korea who unfortunately, according to the terms of the call for entries, cannot participate.

The Organization was impressed and appreciates the dedication with which this year’s theme was approached: the works entered, in addition to having a really high technical level, almost all of them were made in 2024 on the very occasion of the Award, and they touch very deep chords of human feeling, they speak of memories, emotions, lived engagingly. Most of them denote a seriousness of purpose, a desire to stand out, and a desire to get in touch with aluminium, which is rare.

The COMEL Award organization would like to thank those who approached the challenge with aluminium with technical rigor and intimate involvement- a truly appreciated attitude.

This year, the jurors’ work seems even more difficult than usual because only 13 works must be selected. We have to wait until the end of August to know the names of the finalists of this successful 11th edition.