The 4th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland
Sfântu Gheorghe, 2016
The integrative character of contemporary graphics
The Covasna and Harghita County Councils and the Cultural Center of Covasna County are organizing together the 4th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland between January 20 and December 20, 2016.
General information:
Directing our thinking, perception and habits imperceptibly but very effectively, the created visual sign system covers our world almost entirely. We live in a world dominated by images, fact which must indispensably be taken into account. Especially by artists thinking and carrying out their activity in the field of fine arts.
Graphics also reflects this determining character of images and the changes of their social role; in its case the specific transformations of genres mutually influencing one another can be perceived perhaps the most powerfully. Virtual images have changed the role of graphics; nevertheless, the printed picture connected to the materiality of the artwork has not lost its importance either. In the world of the pictorial turn graphics has also become borderless; today the artist can freely choose the carrier of the images generated by new media. By printing, the virtual image can return to traditional reality bound to materiality, thus the digital image also becomes a means of graphics.
The objective of the Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland is to place side by side the local and the universal, and thus to find and define the role of endeavours in the field of graphics, born in the region as well as in other parts of the world, within global trends, in terms of both traditional and digital graphics. It aims to achieve this by fully respecting the freedom of the artists unbiased by stereotypes, as regards the choice of the means, the technique and the carrier of the visual mode of expression.
In accordance with the above, we can define several characteristics and forms of interpretation of the notion of graphics: its multiplicative character, printing as a communication medium, graphics as a visual mode of expression, graphic image creation as a form of illustration, digital image creation, the mode of visual archiving and the printed versions of these, the visual printed document. Every participant can choose from the enumerated definitions, they can provide definitions and visual responses. The Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland offers possibilities of choice and expects visual responses to the respective definitions.
Contrary to the first three editions of the biennial, this year we have modified the definitions of the application categories. We hereby announce one comprehensive category, which tries to integrate the possibilities of contemporary graphics. In accordance with this, the present call for applications announces one category, namely Printed graphics, which includes the following proposed procedures and methods of graphic art:
1. graphic artworks created with traditional procedures of graphic art;
2. graphic artworks created with digital methods of image creation and printed with digital devices;
3. graphic artworks prepared with digital methods of image creation but printed with traditional methods.
Terms and Conditions of Participation in the 4th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland:
1. Participants:
Any professional artist or art university student may participate if his/her application is in conformity with the Terms and Conditions included in the Call for Application. Associations and professional organizations cannot apply; only individual artists complying with the above mentioned professional conditions can submit their applications.
2. Information regarding the graphic artworks:
The topic of the artworks can be freely chosen; the disqualifying condition of participation is that the artworks have been created in the past 2 years. All artworks created with printed graphics procedure are accepted, included in the definition of graphics in terms of high, low and plain print methods(woodcut and linocut, aquaforte, aquatint, mezzotint, lithography, screen printing, individual print, C-print, offset, electrographics, etc.). Drawings, pastel drawings and watercolours are not accepted.
3. Every artist may participate with maximum 3 artworks. Every submitted artwork counts as 1 artwork. The elements of a series count as separate artworks; thus, a three-element series counts as three artworks.
4. The smallest size of the artworks to be submitted is 30×30 cm, and the largest accepted size is 100×100 cm.
5. Deadline and destination of sending the artworks:
5/a: FIRST PHASE: Preselection
In the first stage of the 4th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland the preselection will take place based on the digital reproductions of the artworks to be submitted. The applicants are requested to upload the perfect reproductions of their artworks online, in digital format, through the entry form, together with the data requested on the website. The file size of a digital image may not exceed 15 MB. The digital images can be uploaded in .jpg, .jpge or .png uncompressed format and 300 dpi resolution (the longer size must be minimum 2500 pixels).
In the first stage submission is only possible through the online entry form: https://gbiennial.ro/wp2/en/entry-form-2016/
In case of successful uploading the system will send a confirmation e-mail to the specified e-mail address. If you have problems with online registration, please contact the organizers on the following e-mail: grafikaiszemle@grafikaiszemle.ro
The deadline of submitting the digital reproductions is (25) 29 March 2016, midnight.
Important: For the phase of preselection don’t send the original artworks by post! If this is the case, we regret to inform the authors that we are unable to send back their original artworks.
All participants will be informed on the results of preselection via e-mail.
5/b: SECOND PHASE: Awarding
On the basis of the decision made in the phase of preselection, we ask those participants who qualify for the next phase to send us their original artworks which remained in the competition by post. The artworks qualifying for the second phase will be included in the catalogue of the 4th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland.
The deadline for sending the original artworks is May 20, 2016 (postmark date) by post or in person, to the following address: Centrul de Cultură al Judeţului Covasna, RO- 520008 Sfântu Gheorghe, str. Libertăţii, nr. 2, jud. Covasna, România.
Please, attach to the submitted artworks the printed entry form received via e-mail during the first phase online registration. The artworks must be numbered and signed in accordance with the international graphics standards. Original artworks must be submitted without their frames or mat boards by post or in person, in portfolios or carton reels. Artworks sent after the deadline will be excluded.
We do not assume any responsibility for possible damages that might occur during transport and they cannot be compensated for.
Please indicate on the postal package:
4th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland
For cultural purpose only, no commercial value!
6. The jury and evaluation:
The members of the jury are internationally acknowledged art historians and graphic artists. The evaluation of the 4th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland will take place in two phases.
The jury will select the awarded artworks from those remaining in competition after the preselection. In the course of the biennial, the artworks qualifying for the second phase will be exhibited, depending on the exhibition surface, in the Transylvanian Art Center and in the Szekler National Museum in Sfântu Gheorghe.
The official opening of the Biennial will take place on Saturday, October 15, 2016, 5 pm. The authors of the artworks will be informed about the decision of the jury and the details of the opening ceremony in due time, by phone or via e-mail.
7. Participation fee:
There is no participation fee for the 4th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland.
8. Prizes:
1. Main Prize of the Biennial: 2000 Euro
2. Nagy Imre Prize: 1000 Euro
3. Plugor Sándor Prize: 1000 Euro
4. Nagy Pál Prize: 1000 Euro
The prizes of the 4th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland are gross sums, they figure as taxable income liable for 16% tax according to the Romanian regulations.
9. Further information:
• The awarded works will remain in the property of the Transylvanian Art Center;
• After the exhibitions of the Biennial the exhibited artworks will be sent back to their authors by post within one year;
• The selected artworks will be included in the Biennial’s catalogue;
• The organizers of the Biennial reserve the right to organize the exhibitions.
Download the call for application: .pdf
