Latvia International Ceramics Biennale is a key event in the field of contemporary ceramics in the Baltic region. The biennale is organised by Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics in cooperation with Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre. The event attracts artists from all over the world and seeks to develop and promote contemporary ceramics in Latvia and Eastern Europe. The central event of the biennale is Martinsons Award – an international juried exhibition held on the premises of Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre as a testament to current vitality of ceramic art and tribute to Pēteris Martinsons – the world-renowned Latvian ceramic artist.

LATVIA CERAMICS BIENNALE 2021

Latvia, Daugavpils, July – October, 2021

Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics in cooperation with Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre announces a call for applications for the MARTINSONS AWARD International Ceramics Competition within frames of the 3rd Latvia Ceramics Biennale in 2021.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

The MARTINSONS AWARD International Ceramics Competition is organized by the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics in cooperation with Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre. The event is being implemented in the framework of the 3rd Latvia Ceramics Biennale program in 2021.

Curator of the Competition:
Valentins Petjko, +37120207533, [email protected]

JURY
Claudia Casali (ITALY), art historian, Director of the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza
Ilona Romule (LATVIA), artist, council member of International Academy of Ceramics
Steve Mattison (UK), artist, International Coordinator of the International Ceramics Studio in Kecskmet, Hungary
Arina Ailincai (ROMANIA), artist, curator of Cluj Ceramics Biennale
Kaspars Geiduks (LATVIA), artist, National Bronze Prize winner at Martisons Award Competition in 2018
Irina Razumovskaya (RUSSIA/UK), artist, Tutor at Royal College of Art
Misun Rheem (SOUTH KOREA), Board member of the Korea craft and cultural industry promotion committee affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korea; Advisory member of Seoul Museum of Craft Arts, Seoul Metropolitan Government
Valentīns Petjko (LATVIA), artist, curator, Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics

PARTICIPANTS

Individual artists, as well as groups of artists, are invited to submit their artworks for the MARTINSONS AWARD International Ceramics Competition. The applicants are not restricted by age or nationality. Each applicant (individual artist or a group of artists) can submit only one artwork. Artists awarded with Gold, Silver or Bronze prizes in both National and International categories during MARTINSONS AWARD Competition in 2018, cannot participate in the Competition in 2021.

The artwork submitted for the MARTINSONS AWARD Competition has no thematic restrictions. The ceramic component of the artwork must be at least 80%, and it must have been created in 2018-2020. Artwork must not be displayed in other competitions, as well as published in catalogs. The minimum size of artwork should be equal or exceed 25cm at least in one dimension. The maximum size has no restrictions.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Individual artists and groups of artists are invited to apply for the MARTINSONS AWARD International Ceramics Competition by submitting ONLINE APPLICATION FORM.

Up to 3 high printing quality jpg or jpeg images (at least 300 dpi) attached to the Application Form should represent the artwork on a neutral background (white, black or grey). Images of the selected artworks will be used to create the catalog of exhibition.

Applications must be submitted before 1st November 2020.

Applications submitted after 1st November 2020 will not be considered.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

The selection of the submitted applications will be processed in 2 stages:

1st stage – selection of participating works

On a basis of Application Forms received, the jury will choose works for participation in the MARTINSONS AWARD International Ceramics Competition. The results of selection will be announced by 1st December 2020. Participants must deliver the selected works to the exhibition venue by 1st March 2021.

2nd stage – selection of the winning works

The National and International winners of the MARTINSONS AWARD International Ceramics Competition will be selected prior to the opening of the exhibition in a closed jury vote after the evaluation of artworks in presence.

The winners will be announced at the Opening Ceremony of the MARTINSONS AWARD International Ceramics Competition on July 2021. The winning entries will become the property of the organizers.

TRANSPORTATION & INSURANCE

Delivery of artworks to the exhibition venue:

1st December 2020 till 1st March 2021

The participants selected during the 1st selection stage have to deliver the selected work to the exhibition venue before 1st March 2021. The work may be submitted in person directly to the exhibition venue during its working hours or sent via door-to-door delivery service at the expense of the sender (participant). Participants are responsible for proper packaging of their work (the same packaging will be used by the organizers for the return of the work). All insurance costs during the transportation of work to the exhibition venue shall be borne by the participant.

Return of artworks:

Until 30th December 2021

Participants may either collect their work from the exhibition venue or use door-to-door delivery service at the expense of receiver (participant) till 30th December 2021. All insurance costs during the return of work to the participant shall be borne by the participant.

Participants may also donate their work to organizers. In this case the work become property of the organizers, and the donor will receive an appropriate certification.

Works that are not collected by 30th December 2021, will become property of the organizers, to all intents and purposes.

EXHIBITION

The exhibition of the MARTINSONS AWARD International Ceramics Competition will take place at Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre form July till October 2021, as part of the 3rd Latvia Ceramics Biennale.

Exhibition venue:

Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre
Mihaila str. 3
Daugavpils, LV-5401
Latvia
www.rothkocenter.com

The exhibition setup will be exclusively undertaken by the organizers.

AWARDS

The total amount of no less than EUR 15 000 will be distributed between National and International winners. The Awards will be subject to the applicable withholding taxes.

BENEFITS FOR PARTICIPANTS

Exhibition

The works of the selected participants will be exhibited at Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, Latvia’s best renowned and largest centre for contemporary art, located in the Dinaburg Fortress, the historical area of Daugavpils, where the world’s best-known Latvian ceramist Pēteris Martinsons (1931 – 2013) was born. Since 2013, Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre holds the largest selection of artworks by Pēteris Martinsons in its Contemporary Ceramics Collection.

Prize

The Jury will select MARTINSONS AWARD winning works in two categories: National and International award-winners will be chosen from the works selected for the Biennale.

Participation in the Biennale program

Along with participation in the MARTINSONS AWARD Competition, participants will be invited to attend all events (exhibitions, conferences, lectures etc.) related to the program of the 3rd Latvia Ceramics Biennale.

Catalogue

All works exhibited at the exhibition of the MARTINSONS AWARD Competition, will be included in the catalogue of the exhibition. Each participant will receive a copy of the catalogue along with the certificate of participation.

Promotion

The organizers will promote participants in art-related media, websites and social networks.

Donation

The artworks of prize-winning participants, as well as of those participants who decide to donate their works to the organizers, will be included in the organizers’ Contemporary Ceramics Collection. The donors will receive an appropriate certification. The works will be stored under appropriate conditions, and will be exhibited at various exhibitions in Latvia and abroad.

Use of Personal Information

Participants allow the organizers to reproduce the images of prize-winning and other selected artworks, as well as other information about participants submitted within the application in any kind of media.

Contact information

Valentins Petjko, Curator of Competition
tel.: +371 20207533, [email protected]