Wake Up! 12^ed.

Valcellina Award

Premio Valcellina

What is the Valcellina Award

The Valcellina Award, now in its 12th edition, is the International Contemporary Textile Art Competition dedicated to young fiber-artists under 35 from all over the world. A point of reference in the international panorama of Fiber Art, which offers an important opportunity for young talents to express their creative vision; and this through the infinite possibilities offered by materials and techniques similar to textiles, in dialogue with potential contemporary contaminations. From traditional techniques to more daring experiments, the Valcellina Award is a platform that stands between past and present, between tradition and innovation, between art, society and activism. A Competition that is not just a mere contest, but a space of comparison, a celebration of creativity, of the encounter between cultures from all over the world, in the awareness that art is able to shake consciences.

The Award is the most important event conceived and promoted by Le Arti Tessili, an association based in Maniago (Pordenone - Italy) which has been involved in the dissemination of textile culture since 1987. To this end, it organises significant initiatives such as the publication of books, the activation at its own facility of artist residencies, workshops, courses and training seminars. It also curates and coordinates the exhibitions in the Gallery of Contemporary Textile Art "Gina Morandini" inaugurated in 2022 next to the headquarters, a museum that already offers many temporary international exhibitions.

The theme of the 12th edition

Wake up! is the theme that Le Arti Tessili has identified for the 12th edition of the Valcellina Award.

An urgent, powerful and stimulating invitation to wake up, to become aware, to react, to take a stand in the face of the great challenges of our time. The world is changing rapidly and issues related to environmental sustainability, climate crisis, human rights and socio-political transformations can no longer be ignored. Art has the merit and power to shake consciences, generate awareness and stimulate change.

Wake up! is a call to action, a warning to look at the present with new eyes, to give voice to new narratives, to weave the future with awareness and commitment. An appeal to artists, through the language of Fiber Art, to explore change and take action.

The image of the 12th edition

To represent the theme of the call for proposals of the 12th edition, Le Arti Tessili has chosen the image of a work that became part of the Valcellina Collection thanks to the donation by the artist Eusun An, finalist of the previous edition of the Competition. With this work entitled "The organic life, weaving", the author from South Korea wanted to represent the complex paths and intricate processes of nature that well symbolize the articulated challenges of our time.

Terms for participation in brief

Aperto a tutti i giovani artisti nati dal 1 gennaio 1990
Participation open to individuals or groups
Only one submission per individual or group, to be represented by 5 photos
Works may be flat/two-dimensional, three-dimensional or video
Total prize-money € 5.000,00
Deadline for participation: 31 December 2025
Entry fee: € 20,00
Registration is valid upon completion of online application form

Register to partecipate in the Valcellina Avard

Timeline

June 2025

Opening of the call

31 December 2025

Closing date

by January 2026

First selection of works

by March 2026

Submission of selected works

by April 2026

Awarding of prizes

by May 2026

Award ceremony and Opening of the exhibition

by June 2026

Closing of the exhibition

Regulation

Conditions for participation

The competition is open to all young artists born on or after 1 January 1990. Participants may take part individually or in groups. Each participant or group can compete with a single work of Fiber Art that needs to be flat, three-dimensional or video size not exceeding 5 square metres, recently produced and related to the theme of the competition: Wake up!.

Registration and deadline for the call

The registration for the competition is considered valid by filling in all its parts and clearly the online entry form on the site www.premiovalcellina.it , by 31st December 2025 (23:59 CET).

Participants are required to pay a participation fee of € 20.00.

Prizes up for grabs

The total prize pool is € 5,000.00

First prize free attendance of a course/residency at a partner school/institution with a scholarship of € 2.000,00
Second prize free attendance of a course/residence at a partner school/institution with a scholarship of € 1,500.00
Third prize free attendance of a course/residency at a partner school/institution with a scholarship of € 1,000.00
Fourth prize free attendance of a course/residency at a partner school/institution with € 500.00 scholarship
Fifth prize participation in an artist’s residency of 2 weeks at the Gallery of Contemporary Textile Art "Gina Morandini" with free accommodation
Calimala DHG Gift Card prize worth € 250,00 www.dhgshop.it

Selection of works, awarding of prizes, juries, catalogue and communications to artists

The first selection of works that will be included in the competition and exhibited in the showcase that will be set up between May and June 2026, will be made by a jury composed of 3 specialists in the field who will view the material submitted by the contestants through filling out the on-line form. A second jury, composed of 5 specialists in the field, will evaluate live the selected works that will be received within the deadlines set and communicated to the finalists. The awarding of prizes will be at the unquestionable judgment of the jury that will justify the choices made. The results of the competition will be made public during the award ceremony and opening of the exhibition. Only the winners will be notified in advance.
The composition of the two juries will be made official on www.premiovalcellina.it, through press releases and during the award ceremony.
The selected works will be part of the exhibition and will be published in the printed catalogue that will be published in two languages (Italian and English) and presented at the opening event. Three copies of the catalogue will be given to selected artists free of charge.
All official communications to the artists will be by email with confirmation of reading.

Shipment of works

All transport/shipping costs of the work (return) and any customs fees are to be borne by the contestant. The works will be returned at the end of the exhibition. The artists who will not collect the work personally or through courier directly appointed, can ask the Association for the support of a local shipper. The Association disclaims any responsibility for damage or loss of works during transport/ shipment. If the artist decides not to withdraw and therefore donate the work, it will become part of the Valcellina Collection participating over the years in events and exhibitions curated by Le Arti Tessili.

More information, updates and support

e-mail: valcellinaaward@leartitessili.it IG/FB: @valcellinaward