Organizer Information
The COMEL Award – Vanna Migliorin Contemporary Art is an international contemporary art prize established in 2012 in memory of Vanna Migliorin, whose lifelong dedication to culture and artistic experimentation inspired the creation of this initiative. The award is promoted by COMEL Industrie, an Italian company founded in 1968 (formerly CO.ME.L. Commercio Metalli Latina), specialising in the trade and transformation of aluminium semi-finished products.
Beyond its industrial identity, COMEL has developed a strong cultural mission: to support contemporary artistic research and foster dialogue between art and industry. Through the Spazio COMEL Contemporary Art Gallery in Latina, Italy, the organization has built a recognized platform for exhibitions, critical discourse, and intercultural exchange across Europe. Over the years, the award has become one of the most distinctive European competitions focused on material-based artistic experimentation, particularly with aluminium as both medium and conceptual framework.
The initiative also reflects a broader curatorial vision: to explore how industrial materials can be reinterpreted through artistic practice, generating new aesthetic, symbolic, and social meanings. The award thus positions itself at the intersection of innovation, material research, and cultural dialogue.
Title & Description
13th COMEL Award 2026: Aluminium, Future Intertwinings
This international open call encourages artists to explore aluminium as both a physical material and a conceptual language capable of expressing transformation, connection, and futurity. Historically associated with modernity, technological progress, and industrial evolution, aluminium is presented here as a metaphor for contemporary existence—fluid, interconnected, and continuously reshaped by scientific, social, and cultural forces.
Artists are invited to reflect on the idea of the “future” not as a fixed destination, but as an evolving network of relationships, uncertainties, and possibilities. The theme emphasizes interconnection—between disciplines, between human experience and technology, and between material and imagination.
Selected works will be exhibited at Spazio COMEL Contemporary Art Gallery in Latina, where a final group exhibition will present 13 finalist works chosen by an international jury. The exhibition will serve as a public platform for dialogue between artists, curators, and audiences. One work will be awarded the Jury Prize, while another will be selected through public voting for the Audience Prize.
The award emphasizes artistic experimentation with aluminium, encouraging innovative approaches that highlight its malleability, reflective qualities, structural strength, and symbolic associations with sustainability, transformation, and industrial aesthetics.
Categories
- Visual Art
- Sculpture
- Installation Art
- Painting (with aluminium integration)
- Photography
- Design
- Mixed Media
- Contemporary Material-Based Practices
Eligibility
- Open to artists aged 18 and over
- Open to international artists residing or working in Europe
- Both emerging and established artists may apply
- Each applicant may submit only one artwork
- Works must be materially and conceptually centred on aluminium as the primary component
- Collaborative works are not explicitly excluded, but must comply with authorship rules
- Previous winners of the COMEL Award are not eligible
- Employees of the organizing company and collaborators are excluded
Program Benefits & Awards
Jury Prize
- €3,500 cash prize (subject to legal tax deductions)
- Solo exhibition at Spazio COMEL Contemporary Art (within one year)
- Publication of a dedicated exhibition catalogue
- Acquisition of the winning artwork into the COMEL permanent collection (including transfer of ownership and related rights)
Audience Prize
- Solo exhibition at Spazio COMEL Contemporary Art (within one year)
- No monetary award
- Artwork remains the property of the artist
Additional Benefits
- Inclusion in a curated group exhibition (13 finalists)
- Professional catalogue featuring critical essays and artist bios (Italian & English)
- Post-exhibition artist interview published online
- International visibility within a European art-industry network
- Institutional exhibition production and curatorial support
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Completed online application form
- Personal information (name, nationality, birth date, residence)
- Contact details (email and phone)
- Optional website or social media links
- 3–5 images of the submitted artwork (max 5 MB total, showing all angles and aluminium details)
- Technical specifications (dimensions, materials, year, title)
- Short description of the artwork
- Artist CV and biography
- Artist statement
- Consent to data processing
- Confirmation of full acceptance of competition rules
The artwork must be fully completed at the time of submission; sketches, proposals, or digital simulations are not accepted.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 21 June 2026
- Finalists Announcement: by 31 August 2026
- Artwork Shipping Deadline (selected artists): 18 September 2026
- Exhibition Opening: 17 October 2026
- Award Ceremony: 7 November 2026
- Exhibition Period: 17 October – 7 November 2026
- Artwork Return Collection Deadline: by 18 December 2026
Location
Via Neghelli 68, Latina, Italy
Additional Details
- Each year, 13 finalist works are selected, symbolically linked to aluminium’s atomic number (13).
- Selection is based on artistic quality, originality, research depth, and material innovation.
- A professional jury evaluates submissions based on documentation and imagery.
- The jury’s decision is final and non-appealable.
- Selected works must be shipped ready for installation and appropriately packaged for return transport.
- The organization covers insurance only while works are inside the exhibition venue; artists are responsible for transit insurance.
- A printed bilingual catalogue (Italian/English) is produced for all finalists.
- The award emphasizes the relationship between contemporary art, industry, and material innovation, particularly in relation to sustainable and recyclable materials like aluminium.