Applications are open for the International Ceramics Competition Carouge 2024: Festivities
Since 1987, the City of Carouge (Geneva, Switzerland) has organized a biennial ceramics competition. This competition focuses on the creation of works based on a specific theme. Three prizes are awarded: a First Prize in the amount of 10,000 Swiss francs, a Prize sponsored by the Bruckner Foundation for the Promotion of Ceramics in the amount of 2,000 Swiss francs, and a Prize sponsored by swissceramics (Swiss Ceramics Association) in the amount of 1,000 Swiss francs.
To participate in this competition, read the rules and complete the online entry form.
Application deadline: March 1, 2024. The 2024 theme is Festivities.
The works selected will be exhibited in the Musée de Carouge from September 14 to December 1, 2024. They will also appear in an illustrated catalog.
RULES
GENERALITIES
1. Context of the competition
Since 1987, the City of Carouge (Geneva) has been organizing a biennial ceramics competition for the creation of works focusing on an imposed theme.
2. Theme of the competition
Festivities are present in all human societies, at all latitudes, yesterday as today, to celebrate happy or unfortunate events. Characterized by excesses, moments of explosion, and effervescence in contrast to an often monotonous daily routine, they set the pace for our lives.
Festivities – This is the theme chosen by the City of Carouge, a city with a festive reputation, known historically for its inns, cabarets, and openness in a formerly austere context. Whether collective or private, high-society or popular, antique or contemporary, festivities offer a subject for the most diverse reflections and forms, through an analysis both of its accessories and its constituent rites.
3. Organiser
The City of Carouge organizes this competition. All correspondence relating to the competition should be sent by e-mail to the following address: musee@carouge.ch
4. Objective
The International Ceramics Competition is intended to promote and encourage the creation of contemporary ceramics.
5. Exhibition
The City of Carouge will organize an exhibition presenting the works selected during the first round of the competition to the public and publish a catalog bringing them together. This exhibition will also be the opportunity to award the prizes attributed to the jury during the second round of the competition among the selected works. The exhibition forms part of the programme of the Parcours Céramique Carougeois (www.parcoursceramiquecarougeois.ch).
THE CONDITIONS AND SEQUENCE OF THE COMPETITION
6. Requirements relating to the works
6.1 The interpretation of the competition’s theme (see art.2) is free.
Candidates may, for example, present a design, functional object, or a decorative, sculptural and/or conceptual work, or an installation. The shape, decor, and technique are also free, but the work must be carried out predominantly in ceramics.
6.2 The maximum dimension (length, width, height or diameter) is 70 cm x 70 cm x 70 cm for single objects and 100 cm x 100 cm x 100 cm for an ensemble of multiple objects or installations.
6.3 Any work not meeting these requirements will be excluded from the competition.
7. Participation
7.1 The International Ceramics Competition of the City of Carouge is open to all creators who meet the following requirements:
∙ Participants have to be aged 16 or older;
∙ Each participant may only present one dossier comprising a single work, which may consist of several complementary pieces;
∙ Candidates must be able to demonstrate professional artistic practice (diploma, training, experience, etc.);
∙ Participants must have created the work themselves;
∙ In order to guarantee anonymity in the judging for the first selection round, the work must not be signed in any obvious manner or bear any distinctive mark.
7.2 Collaboration between several artists (ceramists and/or designers, for example) is permitted. In this case, the fact must be clearly indicated on the entry form, as must the names of all those who have worked on the piece. Each collaborator must fill out a separate entry form.
7.3 All correspondence in connection with the competition must be in French, English, or German.
7.4 The candidates and/or the works not satisfying the conditions above will be excluded from the competition.
8. Contents of the registration file
8.1 Registration requires completing an online form which contains the following information:
∙ The details of the artist;
∙ A brief biography of a maximum of 4,000 characters, including spaces. It should mention the artist’s career and his/her references, as well as describe his/her artistic statement;
∙ Information on the work proposed (title, techniques, dimensions, etc.);
∙ A brief explanation of a maximum of 800 characters, including spaces. This should allow the artist to develop his/her concept and explain how the work submitted relates to the theme of the competition;
∙ Two good-quality digital photographs in color (300 dpi, jpg format) showing the work from two different angles against a neutral background. The total size of the images enclosed is limited to 16 Mo maximum. The quality of the photographs is important, as the selection of the works in the first round will be exclusively made on the basis of these photographs. Furthermore, these photos may be displayed in the exhibition;
8.2 The online form can be accessed via the City of Carouge website: https://www.carouge.ch/concours-ceramique
The online registration deadline is 1 March 2024 at 23:59 (local time). Candidates may only register via the online form.
8.3 Entries that are incomplete or arrive after the deadline will not be taken into consideration.
8.4 The jury will decide the first round of the competition on the basis of the dossier. Any candidates sending directly only the work itself will be automatically excluded from the competition, and the work will be returned to them at their cost.
9. Jury
The dossiers presented will be judged by a selection jury composed of a representative of the City of Carouge and personalities and experts from the world of ceramics. This jury selects the works to be exhibited (1st round of the competition) and awards the City of Carouge Prize as well as the two other prizes put at its disposal (2nd round of the competition).
10. Selection
10.1 First round
The first round is based exclusively on examining the two photographs and the brief explanation as mentioned in article 8.1.
The assessment criteria are:
∙ Relation with the theme and the work’s pertinence and/or concept.
∙ The formal and/or aesthetic quality,
∙ Originality of the work, creativity,
∙ The technical qualities of the production,
The City of Carouge reminds candidates that both functional and non-functional works are accepted.
At the end of the first round, candidates will be advised of the jury’s decision in writing during May 2024.
Candidates whose work has been selected must send it in by 30th June 2024 at the latest (the postmark will be considered as proof of the date sent). They will be provided with the relevant address by e-mail. No work other than the one presented for the first round may be submitted. The submitted piece must correspond to the object visible in the photographs.
In case of non-conformity, the City of Carouge may decide to exhibit the work, but it will not be presented to the jury and will thus be excluded from the 2nd round of the competition.
10.2 Second round
The jury examines the works selected during the 1st round and duly received by the City of Carouge. It awards the City of Carouge Prize and the other prizes mentioned below (see art.11).
The assessment criteria are those enumerated in art.10.1 of the present rules.
The sending of the work for the fixed deadline and its effective reception by the City of Carouge are imperative conditions for participation in the 2nd round.
The jury’s decisions are final and do not have to be justified.
11. Awards
11.1 The jury awards the following prizes in the present competition:
∙ The City of Carouge Prize, in the amount of CHF 10,000.-;
∙ The Bruckner Foundation Prize for the promotion of ceramics, in the amount of CHF 2,000.-;
∙ The prize offered by swissceramics – Swiss Ceramics Association, in the amount of CHF 1,000.-.
11.2 The jury may freely refrain from attributing any of the prizes mentioned in these rules.
11.3 Participation in the competition (1st and 2nd rounds) gives rise to no other remuneration than that offered by the three prizes mentioned above.
12. Modalities of the exhibition
12.1 The works of competitors selected in the 1st round will be exhibited in the Museum of Carouge (Switzerland) from 14 September to 1 December 2024.
The City of Carouge reserves the right to modify unilaterally the dates and/or place of the exhibition above. In this case, it will inform the artists whose works were selected during the first round.
12.2 The positioning of the works, communication materials, and staging are handled exclusively by the Museum of Carouge and are the sole preserve of the organizing committee.
A catalogue of the exhibition will be published on this occasion.
12.3 The City of Carouge reserves the right not to exhibit specific preselected works.
12.4 The awards will be announced on the day of the exhibition’s inauguration, in principle, on Saturday, 14 September 2024.
COPYRIGHT, TRANSPORTATION AND INSURANCE OF THE WORKS
13. Copyright
13.1 Each artist participating in the competition, whether selected or not, cedes his/her copyright on the images of the work presented. The photographs and registration file become the property of the City of Carouge.
13.2 The City of Carouge reserves the right to photograph the works in order to promote the exhibition, document the city archives, publish postcards, publications on the internet and on social networks, or for any other purpose. As the catalog is published in French, the City also reserves the right to rewrite and translate the texts provided by the candidates into another language.
13.3 The granting of reproduction and representation rights is made free of charge.
13.4 A work awarded a prize by the City of Carouge becomes the full property of the collections of the Museum of Carouge.
Transportation of the works
14.1 Transport to the Museum of Carouge
Candidates whose work is selected in the 1st round undertake to send in their work in accordance with the following conditions:
∙ the works are to be sent to the address given in the e-mail informing them of their selection and participation in the exhibition, without fail by 30th June 2024 at the latest (see art.10.1);
∙ the works must be packaged and protected. They are despatched carriage paid. The candidate pays all costs for packaging, transport and customs clearance. N.B.: the weight and dimensions of the object have a significant impact on postal costs;
∙ for works sent from abroad, none can be accepted without a copy of the forms for temporary export/import;
When informed of their selection, an e-mail explaining all the steps and procedures required for despatch and delivery will be sent to the candidates.
The City of Carouge can under no circumstances be held responsible for damage occurring during transport.
14.2 Return transport
At the end of the exhibition, works will be returned to candidates under the following conditions:
∙ the cases and protective material used for sending in an entry will be re-used for the return transport;
∙ the cost of returning the work will be borne by the City of Carouge (postal charges only);
∙ the works will be returned to the address shown on the entry form. They will not be returned to any other person than the artist.
15. Insurance of the works
15.1 The City of Carouge declines all responsibility for any damage or deterioration occurring during the transport of works to or from the exhibition. It is up to the candidates to insure their works during transport.
15.2 The City of Carouge will insure the works for the duration of the exhibition as from the time of their reception.
FINAL CLAUSES
16. Acceptance of the rules
16.1 In submitting an entry form each candidate accepts the terms of the present rules.
16.2 The candidates undertake, among other things, to guarantee the accuracy of the information transmitted and to meet the requirements of the competition (conditions of participation, respect for the deadline fixed for each stage of the competition, etc.).
16.3 By registering, participants confirm that they created the work they presented. The jury may disqualify a work that does not comply with the conditions imposed, as well as withdraw or reclaim a prize already awarded.
16.4 By their registration, candidates confirm that no third-party (in particular personality rights or copyright) are prejudiced due to the use which will be made of the images or works in the publications of the City of Carouge. They undertake to contest any claims by third parties immediately and to fully release the City of Carouge from any responsibility it might incur in this respect.
17. Modifications of circumstances
The City of Carouge reserves the right to modify the present rules, and even to postpone or to cancel the holding of the competition or/and the exhibition if circumstances justify it.
18. Applicable law and jurisdiction
The present rules are subject to Swiss law. In the event of a dispute about the interpretation or implementation of the present rules, the exclusive jurisdiction is the Court of First Instance of the Canton of Geneva (Switzerland).
CALENDAR
October 2023: Launching of the International Ceramics Competition of the City of Carouge
March 1, 2024: Deadline for sending in complete competition entry dossiers
End of April 2024: 1st round of the judging: selection based on the dossiers
Mid-May 2024: Despatch of replies to candidates (priority will be given to candidates selected)
June 30, 2024: Deadline for receipt of works selected during the first round of the judging
September 13, 2024: 2nd round of judging: awarding of prizes
September 14, 2024: Announcement of the results and inauguration of the exhibition
December 1, 2024: End of the exhibition
