ART. 1 – GOALS
The Cultural Association MoCA, organizes the 20th Edition of Arte Laguna Prize, International Award aimed at promoting and enhancing Contemporary Art.

The Prize is organized annually with the patronage of the the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Collaboration, the Ministry of Ecological Transition, the Veneto Region, the Municipality of Venice, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Ca’ Foscari University, Confcommercio Treviso, Confindustria Veneto Est; it obtained a medal from the President of the Italian Republic and recognition by important members of the Advisory Council.

The contest features collaborations with international art galleries, companies, art residencies and festivals with  inclusion into the web portal Arte Laguna World and the participation in the 120 finalists collective exhibition at the Arsenale Nord of Venice, Italy from 6 to 29 November, 2026.

ART. 2 – TECHNIQUES
The Prize is open to all, regardless of age, sex, nationality or other qualification. Each artist can participate by submitting a portfolio of artworks that may have been previously exhibited, giving priority to the entry of recently produced works. The theme is free. Below are the techniques admitted to the competition and the maximum dimensions to be respected:

Painting
works made with technical and stylistic freedom (oil, tempera, acrylic, ink, vinyl, watercolor, graphite, pencil, collage, aquatint, etching and prints of different kind, etc.) on any support (canvas, paper, wood, plastics, iron, etc.). The maximum size allowed is 175 cm per side.

Sculpture and Installation
works created with any organic or inorganic material, which may include sounds, lights, videos and mechanical or electrical movements. The maximum size allowed is: base 4 meters, depth 4 meters, height 8 meters and there is no weight limit. The exhibition space does not have dark spaces.

Photographic Art
photographs or series of photographs on analog or digital support, colored or black and white photographs. The maximum size allowed is 175 cm per side.

Video Art and Short films
Video, film, slow motion, time-lapse, and works created using all animation techniques on both digital and analog mediums, including short films, promotional videos, and computer graphics are accepted. Multi-channel works are not accepted. Maximum duration is 15 minutes. For submission, the video file must be uploaded online and not exceed 500 MB. All the finalists artworks will be presented on a single screen in loop.

Performance and Acting (Stage and video)
Performances realized by one or more artists using any technique and expressive form, with the assistance of any supporting material provided by the artist, are accepted. Finalist artists will perform during the inauguration evening or the following days, presenting a performance version not exceeding 10 minutes. The material necessary for the performance is charged to the finalists, must be removed at the end of the performance and should not occupy more than 4×4 m. Monologues or scenes up to 10 minutes in any language (with English translation) from any type of theatrical performance or audiovisual work by one or more artists, in any acting style, genre, or technique, are also accepted.

Virtual and Digital Art
works entirely created using the computer or digital applications and devices: videos, installations, performances in which the use of digital media plays a key role in the creative process and content; net art, software, interactive devices, videogames, augmented reality projects, rapid prototyping, etc. Additive Art, Bio Art, Data Art, Digital Communities, Digital Performances, Digital Poetry, Game Art, Generative art & Algorithmic Art, Mobile Art & App Art, Net Art, Electronic Art, Robotics Art, XR Art, Blockchain & NFT Art, Metaverse Art, GAN Art & OpenAI Art, Chrypto Art. The works which require an installation must be adaptable to the available exhibition space and must not exceed 4×4 m x 8 m in height.

Digital Graphics and Cartoon
Images and works generated or modified using a computer, tablet, smartphone, or applications including Digital Painting, GIF Art, Digital Animation, Infographic Art, Glitch Art, where technological intervention is predominant, are included. This encompasses digital painting, cartoons, comics, GIFs, and photographs where manipulation is predominant. Finalist works will be exhibited on a monitor or printed on a two-dimensional support with a maximum size of 175 cm per side.

Environmental / Land Art
Artworks or projects of environmental and landscape art where the artistic intervention interacts with the environment for which it was designed. There are no limitations on the choice of specific environment. The works and projects presented concern nature and its characteristics and more generally the environment or landscape in which they are located. Finalist works will be exhibited on explanatory panels.

Urban Art and Street Art
Works or projects of urban art, redevelopment, street art, graffiti, and stencil art where the artistic intervention relates to the urban fabric and public space in which it is conceived and may involve the use of any technique (spray cans, artistic stickers, normographic art, video projections, installations, etc.). There are no limitations on the choice of intervention location. Finalist works will be displayed on explanatory panels.

Art Design
Productions originating in the artistic sphere and finding application in the world of design. Works, products, projects where artistic influence and inspiration are evident. Finalists must present the product or a full-scale or scaled-down prototype based on the exhibition choices of the organization.

ART. 3 – JURY
The entries will be judged by an international jury. The jury will select the finalists who will exhibit at the Arsenale Nord of Venice.

Xiaoyu Weng, New York and Singapore
Independent Curator, Writer, Artistic Director of Tanoto Art Foundation

Anastasia Dawson, Dubai
Independent curator and Art Advisor

Jemima Kulumba, Belgium
Co-founder of Biennale of Women in Art (WIA), Independent Curator and Art Consultant

marionanni, Italy
Designer, Winner Of Compasso D’Oro 2024 And Founder Of Marionanni Studio With Museo Virgola Of Bologna, Italy

Michal Novotný, Czech Republic
Director of The Collection at the National Gallery of Prague and Commissioner of the Czech Pavillion at the Venice Biennale

Kostas Stasinopoulos, United Kingdom
Curator at the Serpentine Gallery, London and writer

Emiliano Valdes, Guatemala
Independent Curator and strategic Art Advisor

Discover more about the jury here →

ART. 4 – PRIZES

INSTITUTIONAL PRIZES

1 cash prize of 10.000 €*

*By law, on all the money prizes a withholding of 25% will be required.

Free publication on the web portal artelaguna.world

Each artist has free online visibility on the international portal Arte Laguna World, digital platform for the promotion, enhancement and sale of contemporary art works.

FINALISTS’ EXHIBITION
The finalists selected by the international jury will participate in the important collective exhibition that will be held in Venice, at the Arsenale Nord from November 6 to 29, 2026.

All submitted works remain the property of the artists. Any artist may propose to donate his or her work to MoCA, which may accept the donation, committing to display it, after Venice, in art centers, palaces and public places, for the purpose of the artist’s continued promotion and sale.

The exhibition will be organized by Arte Laguna srl and the MoCA Cultural Association. The costs of transport and return, materials necessary for the realization to the finalist work (including any digital media, hanging materials and any specific support of the work) and the insurance of the works is to be paid by the individual artist. At the end of the exhibition each artist must arrange for the collection of materials used, no material should be left at the exhibition space (for the disposal of bulky materials will be charged to the artists the corresponding fee).

SPECIAL PRIZES
The Special Prizes are made in collaboration with high-level international partners who will each choose a winner to offer new career opportunities and visibility to the participating artists. The Special Prizes include collaborations with art galleries, art residencies, collaboration with companies, participation in art festivals.

Participation in the Special Prizes is free for all artists registered to the 20th edition of Arte Laguna Prize but requires filling out a dedicated form. Further updates regarding the Special Prizes will be communicated shortly.
On cash prizes a withholding will be required if due.

➜ Art Residencies
To participate is required, for each of the residencies, a cover letter (file pdf) in which is possible to include some pictures of the artworks. The pdf file, max 4 mb, has to be uploaded in the dedicated form that you can find in the reserved area used to make the contest application.

MoCA Art Residency, Venice, Italy
Art Residency of 15 days in Venice and Treviso. The Prize offers to the winning artist the opportunity to experience the Venetian artistic and cultural scene. The Residency includes: accommodation, cultural visits.

BigCi, Bilpin, Australia
4 weeks residency. Included: accommodation, shared living facilities (bathroom, kitchen, internet, electricity, water), projection and video room, 8 acres of land for various activities, guided trekking in the Blue Mountains, Open Day Exhibition at the end of the residency, possibility to hold an art talk, make a performance, workshop or similar events, representation on the website and social of BigCi. The residency aims to help artists’ professional development and facilitating their projects.

Artorale, Remscheid Lennep, Germany
Art residency of 2 weeks at Artorale, respected centre for music, dance, performance and art.
The residency includes: free accomodation, prize for the artist of 1000 €, 1 year of membership in artorale.art, 6 weeks of exhibition following the 2 of residency.

LITIX, Carrara, Italy
Art residency of 14 days at LITIX, a company that combines art and advanced technologies; a sculpture, contemporary art and design laboratory specialized in the integration of multi-axis industrial robots for stone milling.
The residency includes room and board in a dedicated apartment in the heart of the Apuan Alps, the main area for the extraction of the famous Carrara marble, training in the company with in-depth studies on traditional techniques and new robotic technologies, creation of a work that will remain the property of the artist, prize for the artist of 1500 €.

NY20+, Chengdu, China
Art Residency of 31 days, at Nongyuan Culture in Chengdu, China.
The residency includes: accommodation in furnished and equipped private or shared bedrooms, standard breakfast, lunch and dinner and use of private or shared studios/workspaces. During the residency, the artists will participate in exhibitions organized by NY20+, meetings, seminars and talks to introduce them to collectors, art critics, the press, students and other local artists.

➜ Art Galleries

Galleries will select an artist, or an artwork, among the finalists to be exhibited in their spaces.

Al-Tiba9 Gallery, Barcelona, Spain

Ziegler Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland

➜ Business for Art

To participate is required a dedicated project for each partner, that reflects and follows the indications written below. The project has to be presented in a pdf file of max 4mb, can contain text, images and renders. the pdf file has to be attached in the dedicated form, available in the reserved area used to make the contest application.

La Ghisolana, Asolo, Italy
Cash prize of €1500 for the winning work/project.
The participation requests a proposal of a label for the new organic Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG bottle of the Ghisolana Winery. The label must embody the values of simplicity, authenticity of the family, adding a touch of freshness in colors and contents.
More info →

Ventana, California, USA
Cash prize of €3000 for the winning work/project.
Artists can experiment on innovation in digital art and how technology can expand the boundaries of creative media. Submissions can include video, animation, digital graphics, generative works, or immersive installations. The selected artist will have the work exhibited on a 1.5m x 1.5m, 0.8mm pixel pitch Ventana LED display during the exhibition in Arsenale Nord, Venice. The winner will also have the opportunity to collaborate with Ventana and present their work in select showrooms across its global network, including Milan, London and Los Angeles.
More info →

➜ Festivals & Exhbitions
International collaborations with Festivals in order to create a network connecting artists, visibility and new projects.

Venice Design Week, Venice Italy
Participation to the Venice Design Week in October 2026
The participation is open to designers of all fields. The selected artists will participate to the Design Week, the festival dedicated to design that has been held in the city of Venice, every October since 2010, with exhibitions, conferences and meetings, workshops and guided tours. The artist will also be listed in the design index for 6 months.

AKNEYE – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Participation in a Phygital Event + €3,000 cash prize.
The participation requests proposals for works to be featured on AKNEYE’S iconic eye-shaped canvases — symbolic portals into each artist’s unique creative universe. The selected artist will receive a €3,000 cash prize and take part in one of AKNEYE’s upcoming phygital events, blending physical and digital realms. This collaboration extends into the platform’s 2025/2026 programming, including NFT projects, immersive installations, and innovative digital showcases.

MAMAM, Recife, Brasil
Participation in a collective exhibition in Mamam, Brazil in August 2026.
The participation is open to photographers, video artists and digital artists. The selected ones will be exhibited for a month in the spaces of the Mamam contemporary museum for 30 days in 2026. The application requires the uploading of the artist’s portfolio in PDF.

➜ Sustainability & Solidarity

Creative projects to raise awareness in social themes, empathy and humanity. To participate, it is required to fill in a form with a dedicated project.

Il Cerchio Cooperativa Sociale Onlus, Venice
Presentation of works or projects that enhance human solidarity, the social integration of citizens, the general interest of the community and sustainable development in the environmental field. In particular, the works or projects presented must raise awareness and create consciousness on the importance of improving the economic, social and professional conditions of disadvantaged people.
The selected project will be promoted through the website of the Cooperativa Sociale Il Cerchio and will be exhibited within the spaces of the Food Area of Arsenale Nord in Venice as a testimony of the values ​​transmitted by the work itself.

ASEM Italy OdV, Mozambique
30 days at the ASEM centre in Vilankulo, Mozambique.
This includes: a prize for the artist of 1000 €, accommodation, work space, involvement with the local community, final event.
The artists can apply with a project/work realized with any technique, that enhances the locality and cultural heritage of Vilankulo and involves residents, in order to promote the cultural exchange, techniques, languages and ideas. Projects involving the use of recycled materials will be evaluated positively, thus also promoting sustainability. A final event or exhibition will be organised at the local theatre to increase the involvement and resonance of the project.

CiAl, Milan, Italy
Prize of €3000 for a project or work that adds value to Aluminum.
Artists may submit projects, works, products that valorise aluminium and the packaging that uses it in the context of RRR (Reuse, Recycle, Reduce) strategies. Proposals must envisage the valorisation of the material Aluminium, in particular, works are requested that valorise the theme of the transformation of materials into new resources for the activation of circular economies.

ART. 5 – CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
To apply to the competition it’s necessary to login to artelaguna.world web portal, create the reserved area, fill in the profile and pay the entry fee. The works to submit can be uploaded also later, until the final applications’ deadline July 31, 2025 September 10, 2025.

From the reserved area, artists can submit the works for Arte Laguna Prize 20 and publish and sell works on Arte Laguna World. On the welcome page, artists must check the summary of their works.

It is also possible to register by e-mail by sending the following form to info@artelagunaprize.com.
Application Form, 20th Edition 2025 →

ENTRY FEES

There is no age limit to apply to the contest.
The fees until September 10 are:

• €122 for artists under 35 (born after January 1, 1990);
• €146,4 for artists over 35 (born before December 31, 1989)

Artists under 35 must attach a copy of their ID when applying.
Prices indicated include tax. The fee allows to submit 5 works also in different sections. Each additional work, following the fifth, costs 24,40 € per work. Artists must keep a copy of the payment. The entry fee is not refundable.

The payment of the entry fee can be made:

• On-line
  Automatic connection from the reserved area. It also includes payments with: virtual pos, Alipay and WeChat.
• Paypal
  Automatic connection from the reserved area. The use of PayPal involves an additional transaction cost of 5€.
• Bank transfer
  BANCA POPOLARE DELL’EMILIA ROMAGNA – Fil. Mestre
  IBAN: IT52R0538702000000002950941 – BIC / BC NR / SWIFT: BPMOIT22XXX – addressed to Arte Laguna srl, with the reason “Application Prize 2025 – name, surname and telephone number of the artist”. Any transfer fee charges are not accepted, on penalty of the cancellation of your registration.
• At the Secretariat of Arte Laguna Prize Arte Laguna
  Via Roma 29/A – Mogliano Veneto (TV) Tel. 041 5937242 Monday to Friday 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 4.30 p.m. by appointment

Cheques are not accepted.

ART. 6 – SELECTION PROCESS
The works will be evaluated taking into consideration the characteristics of contemporary international art and various artistic trends, according to qualitative criteria, research, and technical capabilities. The jury reserves the right to evaluate all submitted material.

The selections results will be announced online on the website artelagunaprize.com

The proclamation of the winners will take place during the opening of the finalist artists exhibition at the Arsenale Nord of Venice.

The decisions of the Awarding Juries are irrevocable and unquestionable.

ART. 7 – RESPONSIBILITIES
Arte Laguna srl and the Cultural Association MoCA, while guaranteeing the greatest care and custody of the works, will not be liable for any thefts, fires or any damages to the artworks or people that could occur during all the stages of the event. Any insurance is responsibility of the artists.