Open Call for the Legnica International Jewellery Competition 2019

Idea:
A pretext is always important.
A pretext for making a decision, for creative engagement, for revealing one’s opinion.
Proposing competition slogans/topics/reasons, every year we searched for such pretexts, hoping that they would become a source of inspiration, irritation, interference, for authors, recipients, observers.
In recent years we have reflected together the importance of rituals (2012), the social and personal justification of revolt (2013), the canon of the classic (2014), barriers and transgressions that form boundaries (2015), the phenomenon of the city (2016), components of cultural identity (2017) and finally the phenomenon of illusion in art (2018).
This year we decided not to look for a pretext or an excuse. It materialized on its own (though it has been with us constantly since 1979, for the entire 40 years of the history of Legnica silver festivals and exhibitions of design jewellery). And that’s why it’s still so important to us.

Thema: Silver / Argentum 
A subject that calls for a return to the sources, focus, patience and attention, the perfection of execution, a reinterpretation of the term noble metal - in its material, chemical, historical, mercantile, cultural or symbolic value.


Aim:
The aim of the Competition is a wide presentation of the latest achievements of contemporary jewellery art. The works should be jewellery in a broad sense of the word, represent a high artistic and executive level, include an original creative concept and a clear reference to the theme of the Competition. The Organizers do not set any limits as to the materials and techniques used. However, emphasizing the 40-year tradition of the Festival, we suggest the use of silver. The competition works are evaluated by an international jury. The jury qualifies the works for the post-contest exhibition and awards statutory prizes. The jury’s decisions are final, they cannot be challenged in the court of law.


Statutory Prizes:
Grand Prix: PLN 10,000 + 1 kg of silver.
2nd Prize: PLN 5,000 + 1 kg of silver.
Award of the Mayor of Legnica City: PLN 3,000 + 1 kg of silver.
Award of the Art Gallery in Legnica: an individual exhibition with a catalogue worth PLN 4,500.
Special Award for courage, innovation, uncompromising or joking character of the creative expression: “Silver Spur” statuette + 1 kg of silver.
The jury reserves the right to distribute the prizes in a different way.

Extra Statutory Prizes, outside jury’s competence.
Inhorgenta Munich Award: stand at Inhorgenta Munich 2020, worth € 2,000
PB Group Award: stand at the Jubinale 2020 Summer Jewelry and Watch Trend Fair in Kraków + an advertisement in the PB Catalogue in 2020.
A distinction of the Goldsmithing Artists’ Association: statuette and diploma.

The choice of extra-statutory prize winners is up to the prize Founder. The Organizer reserves the right to make changes to the above prize list for reasons beyond the Organizer’s control. Foreign Authors will receive the financial and material prizes only if they are personally present or their designated representative is present at the Festival main event on May 17-18, 2019 or if they personally collect their prizes on a different date by June 30, 2019.


Key Dates:
1st of April, 2019: Deadline for submitting works.
10th - 11th of April, 2019: Jury proceedings.
1st of May - 9th of June, 2019: Post-contest exhibition within the framework of Legnica SILVER Festival (with the possibility of prolonging).
17th - 18th of May, 2019: SILVER Festival culmination.
Till 31st of August, 2020: Submitted works will remain at Organizer’s disposal.
31st of December, 2020: Submitted works are returned.


Works must reach the Gallery before 1st of April, the date on the postmark is irrelevant. Also, take into account, please, that works sent from abroad may get stuck at the Customs which causes delays in their arrival at the Gallery.

Let us just remind you that the 28th International Jewellery Competition SILVER is an open contest, professional artists, as well as amateurs and debutants from all corners of the world, are welcome.
Submitted works are expected to be jewellery in a broad sense of the word, to represent a high level of artistry and execution, to contain an original, creative concept and a clear reference to the theme of the Competition. The organizers do not set any limits as to the materials and techniques applied. However, due to this year's title, emphasizing the 40-year-old tradition of the Festival, we suggest the use of silver.
 

Conditions

1. The competition is open and international.
2. There are no restrictions as to the number of works submitted by a participant, provided that: - the copyright is with the artist; - the works are submitted under the artist’s name; - all the works submitted by one artist can be contained within a case measuring 35 x 35 x 25 cm. (By the Organizer’s earlier permission, arrangements can be made to accept objects of dimensions exceeding those specified above.)
3. Authors deliver competition works to the organizer’s premises at their own expense. The organizer is not responsible for any damage caused during transport.
4. Submitted works are returned to participants at their expense by December 31, 2020.
5. Works are permitted to take part in the competition provided that the following conditions are fulfilled: - a correctly completed entry form is submitted electronically to the address silver@galeria.legnica.pl and in paper form along with the submitted work(s); - in the case of participants from Poland: it is declared in the entry form that the participant will pay the transport costs of the parcel with returned works upon their receipt or that they do not want their work(s) returned and that if by october 31, 2020 they do not declare a change of their decision in written form and do not pay the return fee or collect their work personally or through a representative – the works become the property of the organizer; - for participants from outside Poland: payment of the return fee is made and the bank transfer confirmation is submitted together with the entry form, or it is declared in the entry form that the author does not want to have their work returned and that if by october 31, 2020 they do not declare in written form a change in their decision, pay the return fee or collect their work personally or through a designated representative -  the submitted works become the property of the organizer.
6. Payments of the return fees should be made to the following bank account: IBAN (SWIFT): ING BPL PW: PL 24 1050 1748 1000 0090 7118 2886
7. Return fees:

• For participants from EU countries: €20 for return by postal service; €40 for return by courier service.
• For participants from outside EU: €30 for return by postal service; €50 for return by courier service.
• For participants from outsider Europe: €50 for return by EMS service.

8. Works awarded with statutory prizes become the property of the organizer and are included in the international collection of contemporary jewellery. If the author of the awarded work submitted only one work to the competition, the payment for the work return made by him/her will be returned by December 31, 2019.
9. Authors of submitted works grant the organizer free of charge the right to exhibit the submitted works, to use photographs of these works in all fields of exploitation for advertising purposes, to reproduce those photographs and to market them in the form of catalogues and folders.
10. Authors of works qualified for the post-contest exhibition receive a free catalogue of that exhibition, provided that they have paid the fee for the work return or personally participated in the vernissages on May 17-18, 2019.
11. Works not qualified by the jury for the main (contest) exhibition may be exhibited on a separate exhibition.
12. The decision about exhibiting works unqualified for the post-contest exhibition finally belongs to the organizer.