Call for Entries – 13th Edition

ALUMINIUM, FUTURE INTERTWININGS

The COMEL Award – Vanna Migliorin Contemporary Art (hereafter “COMEL Award”) was established in 2012 in memory of Mrs. Vanna Migliorin—her passion for art and her enthusiasm for supporting innovative projects. In 1968, together with her husband Mazzola Alfonso, she founded CO.ME.L. Commercio Metalli Latina (today COMEL Industrie), a leading company in the trade and processing of aluminium semi-finished products, which promotes and supports the COMEL Award as a remarkable example of synergy between art and industry.

Now a well-established presence in the contemporary art landscape, the Award is among the most innovative European competitions. Reaching its thirteenth edition, it continues to foster intercultural exchange among European countries and to create opportunities for dialogue and encounter among artists, scholars, and the public.

Participation is free of charge and open to artists aged 18 and over who use aluminium as the primary material in the work they intend to submit.

Each year, a distinguished jury selects 13 finalist works from all submissions. These works will be exhibited in Latina at Spazio COMEL Contemporary Art Gallery, the exclusive venue of the event. The Jury Prize will be awarded to one artist, while visitors to the exhibition will vote to determine the winner of the Audience Prize.

This edition marks a particularly meaningful milestone: the number 13 is a recurring symbol for the Award. It is the atomic number of aluminium, the number of finalists selected each year, and now the number of this edition—an important threshold that anticipates future developments for the competition.

Why Aluminium

As stated in the document, “L’alluminio può essere forgiato, modellato, laminato, come cera calda nelle mani di un artista…”—aluminium can be forged, shaped, and laminated like warm wax in the hands of an artist. Light (weighing one-third of steel), bright, malleable yet resistant, with excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, 100% recyclable at a fraction of the energy required for its initial production, visually compelling—aluminium, with its unique characteristics, is truly the material of contemporaneity.

Why 13 Artists

Because in the periodic table of elements, aluminium has atomic number 13.

ART. 1 – OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSE OF THE COMEL AWARD 2026

The COMEL Award 2026 aims to:
• promote contemporary art and intercultural exchange among European countries;
• strengthen the relationship between art and industry;
• highlight aluminium and its expressive, aesthetic, communicative, and structural potential;
• foster a meaningful and dynamic relationship between artists and the public

ART. 2 – THEME OF THE COMEL AWARD 2026
ALUMINIUM, FUTURE INTERTWININGS

“Beauty will save the world”

Fëdor Dostoevskij, The Idiot (1869)

Aluminium has long been regarded as the material of the future. The artistic avant-gardes of the twentieth century embraced it as a symbol of modernity, speed, and transformation. Today it is ubiquitous—present in everyday life, in advanced industrial sectors, and even in space technologies. Light yet strong, adaptable and capable of taking on countless forms and reuses, aluminium embodies a time in constant evolution, suspended between tradition and innovation, research, experimentation, and interdisciplinary dialogue.

In a complex and unstable present, aluminium becomes a symbol of transformation itself. The future—intertwined and built day by day—may appear fragile or unpredictable; yet it is precisely this openness that makes it a space of possibility. It is not only what we fear, but what we can imagine, improve, and build together: a shared path in which uncertainty becomes research, encounter, and the creation of new worlds.

For the thirteenth edition, artists are invited to engage with the theme “Future Intertwinings”, interpreting aluminium as both material and language capable of narrating connections, transformations, and unexpected possibilities. Works may explore the present and the future as spaces of growth and encounter, as open trajectories where art becomes a tool for dialogue, imagination, and shared construction.

ART. 3 – TERMS OF PARTICIPATION

Participation is free. There is no upper age limit and the call is open to all contemporary artists aged 18 and over, who live or work in any European country, who use aluminium as the primary and significant element of the work submitted.

Each artist may submit only one work (see Art. 5 – REGISTRATION).

The deadline for submitting entries to the COMEL Award 2026 is 21 June 2026.

Employees of the promoting company and their relatives are excluded from participation, as are third parties and their employees who collaborate in any capacity with the organisation of the competition. Winners of previous editions are also excluded.

ART. 4 – WORKS

Eligible works may be published or unpublished and may be created using any technique: painting, sculpture, design, photography, or installation, provided that aluminium is the primary and significant material. Selection criteria include quality, research, originality, and contemporaneity. Maximum dimensions allowed: 150 × 150 × 150 cm.

The work must be fully completed at the time of submission; projects, sketches, or 3D simulations will not be accepted. Submitted works must be the physical and intellectual property of the artist. Selected works must arrive ready for installation, accompanied by all necessary materials and detailed instructions. Works must not have won other competitions of a similar nature.

ART. 5 – REGISTRATION

To register for the COMEL Award 2026, artists must complete the online application form available at www.premiocomel.it.

The following information is required (failure to provide it will result in exclusion):

• full name

• nationality, place and date of birth

• place of residence (country, city, province)

• email address

• telephone contacts

• optional website or relevant social media links

• 3–5 images of the work (full view and different angles, total max. 5 MB), clearly showing the aluminium component, with technical details, materials, dimensions, title, and year

• a brief description of the work

• short CV, biography, and artist statement

• consent to personal data processing

• full acceptance of the regulations of this call

ART. 6 – SELECTION AND JURY

A committee of art professionals will select 13 works from all submissions. These will be exhibited from 17 October to 7 November 2026 at Spazio COMEL Contemporary Art in Via Neghelli 68, Latina, in an exhibition dedicated to the finalists. The jury will also select two reserve works, to be included only in case of withdrawal or exclusion of previously selected works. The jury may also assign special mentions or additional awards.

Selection will be based on photographic documentation; artists are therefore encouraged to submit the most complete and accurate material possible.

The jury’s decision is final and not subject to appeal.

The names of the jury members, chaired by art critic and writer Giorgio Agnisola, will be announced in the coming weeks.

ART. 7 – TIMELINE

• 21 June 2026 – deadline for registration

• By 31 August 2026 – finalists will be contacted by email and announced online

• By 18 September 2026 – selected artists must ship their work (see Art. 11 – TRANSPORT, INSURANCE, INSTALLATION). Failure to meet the deadline will result in exclusion. Works must be shipped in reusable packaging suitable for return transport

• 17 October 2026 – exhibition opening

• 7 November 2026 – announcement and award ceremony

ART. 8 – AWARDS

(A) The Jury Prize consists of:

• €3,500 *

• a solo exhibition at Spazio COMEL Contemporary Art (date and terms to be agreed with the organisation, within one year of the award)

• publication of a dedicated catalogue

* A withholding tax will be applied as required by law.

The winning work will become part of the COMEL permanent collection. By accepting the prize, the artist transfers the work and all related rights to COMEL, including publication rights (while retaining authorship).

(B) COMEL Award – Audience award 2026

The Audience award consists of:

• a solo exhibition at Spazio COMEL Contemporary Art (date and terms to be agreed within one year)

This prize does not include a monetary award, and the winning work remains the property of the artist.

The award ceremony will take place on 7 November 2026 during the exhibition. The presence of the winners is warmly encouraged.

ART. 9 – CATALOGUE AND INTERVIEWS

A catalogue will be produced for the exhibition, featuring photographs of the selected works, short biographies of the finalists, and critical texts by the jury, in Italian and English. Copies will be distributed free of charge to artists and visitors. All production costs are covered by the COMEL Award.

After the edition concludes, each of the 13 finalists will be featured in an interview published on the Award’s website.

ART. 10 – EXHIBITION OPENING

The exhibition will open on 17 October 2026 and remain on view until 7 November 2026, with the possibility of extension.

ART. 11 – TRANSPORT, INSURANCE, INSTALLATION

Transport (delivery and return) and insurance during transit are the responsibility of the artist. COMEL Industrie will insure the works only while they are inside the exhibition space.

Works must arrive no later than 18 September 2026 at COMEL Industrie, Via Congiunte Sinistre 398, 04100 Latina (LT), Monday–Friday, 8:30–13:00 / 15:00–18:00.

Works must be shipped in reusable packaging suitable for return.

Installation will be carried out by the organisers in agreement with the artists. All works must arrive ready for installation. Works (except the winning one) must be collected by 18 December 2026 at the same address. Uncollected works will be considered a donation to the Award.

ART. 12 – CONSENT

Each participant authorises the COMEL Award and its legal representative to process personal data in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

Participants grant the COMEL Award free reproduction rights for the submitted works and texts, for use in the catalogue, website, and promotional activities. Materials submitted for registration will not be returned. The organisers reserve the right to make final decisions on matters not specified in this call.

The organisation may amend the call if necessary, with notice published on www.premiocomel.it.

Participation implies full acceptance of all articles of this call.