COMPETITION REGULATIONS
54º INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FOR CONTEMPORARY CERAMIC ART

Since its first appearance in 1938, the International Competition of Contemporary Ceramic Art has achieved notable progress without, however, failing to abide by the aims specified by Gaetano Ballardini. In the Charter of the Museum of Ceramics in Faenza that he founded in 1908, he established the need for “holding international competitions for ceramic production from the artistic and technical viewpoints”.
In 1963, the Competition was extended to an international level, and in 1989 it became a biennial event. Its last edition saw the participation of 1,203 artists from 62 nations, with a total of 2,800 works, an evident recognition of its prestige and success.
The recognition bestowed by the Premio Faenza has long been a goal for artists throughout the world whose works are now on display in a special prizewinners' section of the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza. In this section, one can appreciate the artistic and technical results that modern and contemporary ceramics have achieved over the last seventy years.
The millennium that has just begun is strongly marked by ever-increasing research into the technical field, with new materials and new technologies, and by the never fully satisfied need to give form to the certainties and doubts that accompany human experience in every age. Even the materials of ceramics, which can boast one of the longest-lasting histories, show constant progress and new developments. Artists, therefore, have at their disposal an ever-increasing range of possibilities and means of expression.
Even today the original assumptions of the Faenza International Competition of Contemporary Ceramic Art can still be shared. Precisely in the conscious, motivated adherence to the developments of an ancient material and in the opening of new horizons of expression, they glimpsed a possible guideline, between tradition and innovation and between respect for history and the needs of the future.
The goal of the International Competition of Contemporary Ceramic Art is to offer stimulation for research in this field and for the renewal of techniques and materials along with forms and means of expression and to offer them to the public during the International Ceramics displays that will be organized by the Fondazione Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza from June 10th to December 31st, 2005.

Partecipation
The International Competition of Contemporary Ceramic Art is open to individual artists or associations. There are no restrictions in regard to age or subject matter.
For collective works, artists must indicate the name of one person who will act as their representative in every phase of the Competition.
Participation may also be organized under the supervision of governmental ministries, cultural entities, associations or similar organizations.
Each competitor may submit a maximum of three works, which may be created using any ceramics technique. Works may include the use of other materials as long as those materials are not prevalent.
It is obligatory for artists to declare that works are their own, that they have been created in the last two years and that they have not been entered for other competitions. If these facts are not true, the Jury and the Foundation reserve the right to exclude the work from the exhibit and, if it has been given an award, to revoke that award.
The application for participation, made by filling out the attached form with the information requested, should be sent by July 10th, 2004 to the following address:
54° PREMIO FAENZA - Concorso Internazionale della Ceramica d'Arte
Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza
Via Campidori 2 - 48018 Faenza RA - Italia
The application should be accompanied by the curriculum vitae of the artist, relevant documentation and slides of the works that are being submitted.
Accompanying the application, there must be three slides of each work, 24x36 mm in format and mounted on 50x50 mm frames without glass. Each artist's name and surname must be written on the frame in permanent marker pen: please do not use labels. The reproduction of these works should be done so that their three-dimensionality may be appreciated, when necessary.
The materials submitted will not be returned and will become part of the Competition's Documentation Center.
Eventual publication of information about the artists does not involve any responsibility on the part of the Fondazione Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza. All responsibility for the information supplied shall be assumed by the artist.

The Jury
Fabio Benzi, art historian, Rome, Italy
Sueharu Fukami, artist/winner of the 1985 Premio Faenza, Kyoto, Japan
Kurt Spurey, artist, Vienna, Austria
Franz Stahler, artist/winner of the 1987 Premio Faenza, Hadamar, Germany
Biljana Vukotic, senior curator, Belgrade Museum of Applied Arts, Serbia and Montenegro
Jadranka Bentini, International Museum of Ceramics, Faenza, Italy
Franco Bertoni, International Museum of Ceramics, Faenza, Italy
Secretary of the jury: Dirma Dal Prato, International Museum of Ceramics, Faenza, Italy.

The Jury Phases
The First Phase
From September 20th to 22nd , 2004, the Jury will view the slides that have been sent in and select the works that will be entered in the Competition.
The works selected from the slides cannot be replaced by other work on penalty of exclusion from the competition. They must be sent in pre-paid by January 31st, 2005. Admission to the Competition and the relevant shipping requirements will be communicated to artists by immediate return of post.
The Second Phase
On February 28th and March 1st, 2005, the Jury will proceed to view the works sent in and to assign the Premio Faenza and the lesser awards.
All the works admitted to the second round will be on display from June 10th to December 31st, 2005.
The decision of the Jury cannot be appealed.

Prizes
The Premio Faenza of 26.000,00 euro
An Acquisition Prize of 10.000,00 euro
An Acquisition Prize of 8.000,00 euro
Public Prize organised by the Association "Amici della Ceramica e del Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza" (Friends of Ceramics and of the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza)
Honorable mention
The work that wins the Premio Faenza will become part of the collections of the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza.

Awards Ceremony
The awards ceremony will take place in Faenza on June 10th, 2005 at the site of the exhibition.

Meeting with the Critics
On the day after the awards ceremony, a meeting will be organized among the participating artists and critics, magazine editors, gallery owners and museum directors from a number of countries. The aim of this event is to broaden the debate about the Premio Faenza, to publicize the results of the competition in the best way possible and to foster a dialogue among the artists, the critics and the galleries.

Catalogue
Printing of the catalogue will be the sole responsibility of the Fondazione Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza to which artists cede all rights of reproduction of their works upon participation in the Competition.
Equally artists authorize the photographic, filmed, televised or digital reproduction of their works and the uses that the Fondazione Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza decides upon for the purpose of promoting the Competition (posters, postcards or other means) for its other cultural activities. The list of the works admitted to the Competition will be inserted in the International Museum of Ceramics website (www.micfaenza.org).

Display Arrangement
The arrangement of the Competition display will be the sole responsibility of the Fondazione Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza.

Insurance
Artists may, at their discretion and expense, take out insurance with a company of their choice against any damages that their works may suffer during transportation to or display at exhibition sites.
The insurance policy must contain a specific provision waiving all rights to claim compensation from the Fondazione Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza, which is not obliged to reimburse any damage suffered by the works during the entire display period.
In the absence of insurance, artists must specifically waive all rights to claim compensation from the Fondazione Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza for any damage that the works may suffer during transportation and the entire display period.
If a work should arrive at the Competition in a damaged condition, it will not be displayed.

Returning Works
For works from Italy, the Fondazione Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza will provide for packing and shipping them at the expense of the recipient. For works from other countries, it will take care of the packing, the customs formalities prescribed by Italian law and the expense of transporting them as far as the Italian border on their return.
If an artist does not want his or her work returned, it will be acquired by the Fondazione Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza, which can make use of it in whichever way it deems most suitable.

Official languages
Italian, English.

Information
Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza
Via Campidori 2 - 48018 Faenza (RA)
Tel. ++39-0546 697315; ++39-0546-697311
Ffax: ++39-0546-27141.
E-mail: concorso@micfaenza.org.