O.R.A. is an open call for proposals. Italian and foreign artists can apply with no restrictions on age, thinking, technique or any other factor. The prize encourages the participation of artists of all levels.
The jury of O.R.A. is composed by 16 professional galleries, art spaces and art centers interested in discovering new projects to be exhibited. They take part of the jury also five curators: the president of the jury Alberto Zanchetta, director of Museo di Lissone in Milan, and four other curators among the most active in Italy for the promotion of emerging art.
Each of the 16 galleries in jury, located in the most important Italian areas for contemporary art, will choose one artist to realize a solo show. The exhibition can be a prelude to a long-lasting collaboration (many of the artists who won the prize in past editions, now work permanently with the galleries that rewarded them). The galleries choose freely and autonomously their own winners and are just required to select artists with whom they had never had previous work relationships. All the exhibitions will open within the 2015-2016 exhibition season.
O.R.A. undertakes to put in contact artists and gallery owners without interfering or claiming anything into their professional relationships. O.R.A. leaves the greatest freedom of management between the artist and the gallery. All the exhibitions will be managed directly between the gallery and the artist in every respect (period, duration, works selection, etc). The staff of O.R.A. will just oversee the following simple rules: (1) galleries must choose their winning artists complete freedomly, but (2) thet can not choose artists with whom they had some form of previous collaborations; (3) galleries can not ask artists for economic contributions or fees. The communication of the exhibition will be organized by each gallery according to its own general policy. All commercial transactions regarding sales are handled directly between the gallery and the winning artist.Transports costs are meant to be covered by the artist, but O.R.A. offers a little reimbursement.
Besides communicating each exhibition through its own channels, ORA will offer a refund of 100 Euros to the winning artists to partially cover transport costs.
The commission of five curators, headed by Alberto Zanchetta, will select a group of artists as deserving. The curators will vote freely for an unlimited number of artists. All the names of the artists who score at least 3 points will be published on our website. The vote of the President of Jury counts as 2 points, while the vote of the other curators counts as 1 point each.
Applying for these opportunity is possible up until, and including January 30, 2015.
