Open Call for Gioielli in Fermento Award 2020 10th edition

Open call for established and emerging artists and designers, to present a theme work of experimental jewellery, still unreleased (*)

The theme: Fermento! AGING and EVOLUTION

Carrying forward with the connection between wine and studio jewellery and using the words of wine, Gioielli in Fermento X (the 10th Edition) suggests the concept of maturity and evolution coming from the pathway of each author's research.

Moreover, it's time for a reflection. How did all this ferment get into ten years of exhibitions and tales about our relationship with the lively context that surrounds us?

We dealt with conviviality, landscapes, quality of life, Mediterranean shades, memories, colors, emotions, roots, territories, and materials. How far ahead are we with the way to express and interpret ornaments? What are the next steps approaching the field of research jewellery?

Evolution - where are we going? - towards the unknown or the refinement of skills, near freestyle performance or maturation of practice and aging?

Answers are up to You, designer, artist, contemporary goldsmith, researcher, expert craftsman or student.
Once more the metaphorical tasting will be evoked, thanks to the authentic contribution of the works selected (**) by the jury and shown in the next collection.

For 10 years, the main focus of the competition has been inspired by the chemical phenomenon of fermentation as the metaphor underlining the evolutionary aspect of contemporary experimental jewellery, which represents a crossroads between individual research paths and international collective atmospheres. A piece of jewellery is the result of a pure fermenting process.

The general context of the project Gioielli in Fermento, as it to say about the term fermentation, ideally refers to a suitably "transformed" result, an art jewellery piece, which constitutes the outcome of the research itself, linked to phases of preparation, experimentation, quality determination.

Apart from the chemical phenomenon, which has a precise role in the world of wine, over the years we have tried to investigate this concept more and more by putting it in relation to the world of contemporary body ornaments.

At the turn of the X Edition, the theme, from fermentation, leads to Aging and Evolution with the purpose of communicating something even more accomplished and beyond the inherent state of maturation.

The winning work will express singular creative energy, that original individuality of research studio jewellery that represents the idea of contemporary fermento (restlessness, excitement, trepidation, upheaval ...) through the maturity of the path, experienced by its author.

Artists will present an ornament for the body (***) challenging the theme, evoking descriptive or conceptual traits according to their own inspiration. The unquestionable choice of the jury will respect the essence of the work and its consistency within the collection that will be put on display for the 10th anniversary of Gioielli in Fermento.
/ Eliana Negroni

(*) unreleased: unprecedented work – the final award will be contingent upon the distinguishing factor of the work to be new, never seen or published before.
(**) elements for evaluation: a balanced combination of concept, form, individual character, harmony with the body, structure, freshness in use or accuracy of making techniques.
(***) body ornament: necklace, pendant, brooch, ring, earrings, other wearable ornaments (clothing excluded).


Key Dates:
March 5, 2020: Main deadline for emerging and professional designers/artists.
March 12 - March 28, 2020: Check Your email and be ready to ship the work for the jury’s examination. After receiving the 1st step feedback from G.i.F, the works must reach: 
Archivio Negroni Srl - Piazza Costituzione 9 - 29011 Borgonovo Val Tidone, PC Italy.
March 31, 2020: Deadline for students/schools.
April 15, 2020: Selected names (all categories) will be announced.
May 10, 2020: Exhibition opening and award ceremony. : weekdays visits by appointment.
By the end of May 2020: Not selected work after the real view checkpoint will be sent back with a copy of the catalogue, free of charge.
By the end of 2020: End of traveling exhibition circuit.

Click here >> for the detailed guidelines.

Entry works 
Any kind of ornament for the human body (except clothing), made using any material or technique, will be accepted provided it can be worn. The authors can submit one up to three pieces, but only one single work will be selected for competition. It can be a unique piece or a distinct piece set apart from a limited edition collection. Further pieces might be considered by G.i.F. #gallery for its exhibiting circuit after the competition results.
Previously exhibited works, or works selected for any other competition, must not be submitted. The unprecedented requirement (work not seen/shown/ published before) may not be verified during the selection but will be contingent and decisive for the awarding of the prize.
The first admission to the selection (by pictures) will be evaluated with the advice of the board of advisors. The selection (by real view) will be stated by the jury, taking into high consideration: original material and technique used, experimentation and project research, relevance to the theme, style balance, high-quality detail in realization, wearable feature.
With the registration to the competition, the author states the work is originally made and not published before and no other owns any copyright on it.

The Jury
The Gioielli in Fermento Awards will be assigned by the Jury Committee invited annually:
- Alba Cappellieri, Milano (Italy), professor of Jewelry Design and Accessory at the Milan Polytechnic and director of the Museo del Gioiello of Vicenza.
- Renzo Pasquale, Padova (Italy) artist and teacher at the goldsmith department of P.Selvatico Art school in Padua.
- Olga Zobel, founder and director of Galerie Birò (Munich, Germany – Cagnes sur Mer, France).
- Students sections: with the advice of AGC and GiF boards coordinated by Eliana Negroni, jewellery industry designer, contemporary jewellery collector and director of Gioielli in Fermento.

Awards
_Gioielli in Fermento 2020 Awards for established and emerging artists

• Artistic co-work session with Gigi Mariani at the Archivio Negroni in Milano (Summer 2020).
• Participation in JOYA Barcelona Art Jewellery & Objects in October 2020.
• Annual membership to AGC Association.
• Further exhibiting opportunities.

The jury will assign the prizes according to the ranking - More prizes can be assigned to winning competitors.
The awarded artists will be reported in all communication concerning her/his participation in Joya Barcelona, G.i.F. or AGC exhibits, as "Gioielli in Fermento 2020 awarded artist."

_Gioielli in Fermento 2020 Special Mentions.

• Special mentions might be assigned to the most interesting works.

_Premio Città di Castel San Giovanni - Student Sections.

• Allievi /Learning Section: for students attending secondary art schools, craft schools or first level in any course of studies of art, jewellery design, gold/metalsmith, or equivalent techniques - student attendance to be confirmed by teacher/school and sent with submission). Applicants must not have taken part in previous editions of Gioielli in Fermento - professional/emerging section. Entry can be a design dossier (sketches, drawings, cad, prototypes) and or a finished workpiece - interpretation free or inspired to the annual theme (according to an actual call for entries).
• Master Degree Section: for students who graduated not before 2019 or attending a course of studies or master in art, jewellery design, gold/ metalsmith, or equivalent techniques - student attendance to be confirmed by tutor/school and sent with submission). Applicants must not have taken part in previous editions of Gioielli in Fermento - professional/emerging section. Entry applications should have the same features, as for professional candidates (according to an actual call for entries).

The Student Awards will be assigned with the advice of AGC direction and the Jury committee, thanks to the City of Castel San Giovanni in collaboration with Le Arti Orafe Jewellery School in Florence and AGC Contemporary jewellery Italian association:
- A grant for a summer course at LAO-Florence.
- Free AGC membership with an online individual profile in the designer section.
- A guided day trip to Preziosa May 2020 in Florence (train-route in Italy or partial grant to low-cost European flight).
- Official mentions to the institutions with a number of applications and selected students.


Exhibition Opening and Award Ceremony:
Exhibition opening and the Award ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 24th at 4 pm at Villa Braghieri Albesani, Castel San Giovanni (Piacenza, Italy).
- A catalogue of all the selected works will be published, as part of the Gioielli in Fermento #gallery books collection. The project has the official recognition of the City of Castel San Giovanni, the Province of Piacenza and the Region of Emilia Romagna Institutions.
- Suitable promotion of the project will be provided with the collaboration of Joya Art Jewellery Fair Barcelona, Klimt02 International Art Jewellery online network and AJF Art Jewelry Forum.
- A list of displayed pieces and values will be made available for public view, and reservations to buy will be communicated to the requested artists and settled by them directly at the end of the exhibition project.
- The traveling exhibition program of Gioielli in Fermento #gallery will involve the selected artists who wish to take part in the project and will be published online during the year on www.gioiellinfermento.com - www.agc- it.org - www.klimt02.net and advertised as much as possible in the field and news media.


Gioielli in Fermento 2020 in collaboration with:
Comune di Castel San Giovanni - Provincia di Piacenza, Italy. 
 AGC Associazione Gioiello Contemporaneo, Italy. 

Archivio Negroni - Tools for contemporary arts Milano, Italy. 
 Le Arti Orafe Jewellery School Florence, Italy. 

JOYA International Art Jewellery Fair Barcelona, Spain. 

Charon Kransen Arts New York, US.

Official recognitions:
Regione Emilia Romagna - Assessorato alla Cultura. Provincia di Piacenza. Comune di Piacenza. Comune di Castel San Giovanni - Assessorato alla Cultura. Comuni di Alta Val Tidone, Borgonovo Val Tidone, Sarmato, Ziano Piacentino. 

Associazione Donne del Vino - Emilia-Romagna .

Thanks to:
Allied Group - Castel San Giovanni e Alta Valtidone (Piacenza, Italy).
 

Conditions

Entry registration:
- Online registration from 01.01.2020 - 05.03.2020.
- Mail to gioiellinfermento2020@gmail.com with photos and text attachments only, preferably using wetransfer.com / google drive.
- Accepted files: doc/txt/ odt. Full text written in capital letters will NOT be accepted.
- Registration fee (to be sent online by credit card/through Paypal to gioiellinfermento2020@gmail.com.

The first step of selection
Pictures: Do not send more than required, more pictures might be requested later:
- Max n.3 photos of entry, backside also, high quality, neutral white background ((#FFFFFF / 255-255-255 / 0-0-0-0).
- 300 dpi, 3000x3000pixel resolution
- n.1 photo of the artist (at least 8 x 8 cm. 300dpi) and/or n.1 photo of your studio, atelier, tools.
- The first step of selection takes place on the anonymous presentation of these images and the uploaded short text.

Attachment to send:
- Lecturer/school certification confirming student attendance (for submission to the Student Section).
- Notes concerning with Your works, statement, CV (optional).

Your registration to the Competition gives the organization permission to publish the pictures you send for promotional purposes strictly connected to this event "Gioielli in Fermento Fermenting Jewelry." If You are applying from overseas, please be ready to ship the work around the end of February.

The second step of selection
Sending works: After the registration deadline, the organization will inform the artists about the admission to send the piece for the second step of selection to be part of Gioielli in Fermento 2020.
- The jury Committee will confirm by expressed communication about the admission to the competition after the real view of the received works.
- The materials and works not selected will not be exhibited (it will be given notice to the author, and the work will be sent back together with a copy of the catalogue 2020 – by the end of May.
- Until 21.03.2020, the selected works must reach: Archivio Negroni Srl - the address for delivery will be confirmed in the admission email.
At the same time, You will be asked to send back by email the personal Release Document (Liberatoria) signed.
- The works must arrive inadequate packaging, reusable for return shipping, and if the sale is approved (in accordance with the procedures set out in the release document), the sender must provide a suitable container (the minimum size suitable) to deliver the work to the customer.
- Shipping including insurance and custom charges in both directions will be always at expense of participants (shipping expenses for return charged to the receiver). Customs declaration (in case of): we recommend to declare “present” “samples” or “design for the contest” for custom description and a small amount value (10 €).
- By accepting the Release document and sending the entry, the participant allows the organization of Gioielli in Fermento/ Fermenting Jewelry to manage and eventually showcase the works for the current edition circuit (at last for 12 months).
- By April 15th selected names will be announced and list of admissions will be published online on the website www.gioiellinfermento.com. Please mind that pictures and information on the selected works in the competition will be revealed only after the opening of the exhibition, May 24th at 4 pm.
- The selected works will be under Gioielli in Fermento availability till the end of annual edition (at least till 30/11/2020). In the meanwhile, they could not apply for other award selections or exhibitions, without authorization as a special exception.
- The selected works will be provided with an original certificate of participation to the 2020 edition of the competition. Therefore it is highly recommended to selected artists to quote "Gioielli in Fermento 2020 selected work" in any caption wherever their piece is shown or published.

Registration fees:
Emerging/Professional: 72 € to be paid on registration.
AGC members: free application - the member will pay 72 € if selected. Student: 30 € to be paid on registration.
School: please contact gioiellinfermento2020@gmail.com
The application fee is due for:
Sharing costs of competition’s processing + 1 copy of Gioielli in Fermento 2020 Catalog + 1 copy of G.i.F. 2017 Master Collection Book or previous editions [for all entries, whether selected or not].

Oversea Submissions (coming from elsewhere except Europe and Usa) will be asked 100 Euro instead of 72 Euro because of high rates in custom clearance and return shipping. We are very sorry for this fee policy but otherwise we cannot guarantee return shipping. 

Oversea Submissions will be paid after 1st step selection (after noticing pictures are selected).

Return shipment is covered only for NOT selected works.
The application fee does NOT include: the following additions may be requested for selected works IF entry’s information will not be sent on time or will not fulfill editing requirements editing fee/ texts translation and review (60 euro) shooting fee/photos - shooting and editing (40 euro).

Click here >> for the detailed guidelines.