Press release

La Colomba International Art Prize

Edition 2008-2009

This year the Prize Giving Ceremony of the International Art Prize 2008-2009 is even more exciting, as it coincides with the closure of the 53rd Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art.

The choice is stemmed from the desire to celebrate the strong historical and cultural bond that unites these two Venetian realities to the same passion: contemporary art.

If the Venetian landscapes, still-lives and the fantasies were the driving forces of the first edition of the Award “Un Menu per La Colomba”, born in 1953, the vivacity of artistic techniques and contemporary visual arts draw through painting, photography, graphics and video new signs and paths. Today the award is interwined with the history of this city and of the Biennale as it was at its very first edition.

The Restaurant La Colomba, already known at the beginning of the century as a historic meeting place for artists, collectors, critics and art historians, has for decades supported Italian art -from the postwar to the present.

Thanks to the culinary skills and the aesthetic taste of the original restaurant owner, Arturo Deana, in the space of just a few years the rooms of La Colomba began to house an inspirational collection of works by the likes of Tosi, Guidi, Morandi, De Pisis, Cesetti, Martini, Sironi, De Chirico, Campigli, Chagall, Kokoschka, Picasso and many others.

The art competition held by La Colomba restaurant was originally referred to as the "Little International Biennale". However, since the restaurant's art competition was already established in 1946 as "Paintings Award La Colomba”, it actually anticipated by two years the inaugural 1948 Venetian Biennale, directed by Rodolfo Palucchini.

The Award “A Menu for La Colomba” was born only a few years later, in 1953, under the direction of Carlo Cardazzo, the owner and artistic director of the Galleria Cavallino. It was followed by a further edition in 1960, as well as by a new award in 1962 called "Banner for La Colomba”.

Thanks to Dr. Lino Cazzavillan, Venetian entrepreneur and major patron of young artistic and sporting endeavors, in 2006 the Colomba Art prize was reborn - under the curatorship of Galleria3D. The decision by Dr. Cazzavillan to reinstate the Colomba Prize marks, once again, the importance and enduring relationship of this award to the city of Venice. The initiative is completely privately promoted and funded.

A menu created and presented by artists is the simple and original idea of the award “Un Menu per La Colomba”.

Thanks to the tenacity of Dr. Cazzavillan, the reborn Award breaks nowdays as then the loop through each chronological and artistic order and opens up to the public as the new interpretation of changes in society today.

Thanks to him the Award 2008-2009 is enriched by surprises. It has a new definition and new prizes: a dedicated prize for the best video and two solo shows.

An important role is also played by the jury who will decide the 50 finalists and the winners of the different sections.

Everyone is directly and actively involved in the national and international art and culture business, and has a personal, artistic or business relationship with Venice: Janet Bellotto, Stefano Coletto, Roberta Di Camerino, Marco Ferraris, Enrico

Gusella, Marianna Hodgson, Lorella Pagnucco Salvemini, Luigi Zappala, Lino Cazzavillan and Guido Cazzavillan.

The above personalities have the difficult task to do the selection between 2301 works of art conbined of paintings, photographies, graphics and videos, produced by 1043 artists.

The 2008-2009 edition of La Colomba Art Prize wants therefore propose a new definition of the Venetian culture, capable to broaden the boundaries overlapping history to contemporary, through the natural synergy between art, cooking and through the colours and the forms of works, which are very different to each other.

Analysis:

The 2008-2009 edition has had the participation of 1043 artists:

651 Italian artists

392 artists from 34 different countries:

Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, UAE, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Japan, India, Iran,

Israel, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Syria, Slovenia, Spain,

Thailand, Ukraine, UK, Hungary, USA, Venezuela.

2301 artworks were submitted.

The selection of the finalists will be made by the jury on October 5 2009. The jury is composed by prestigious figures of the contemporary art scene:

Janet Bellotto (Head of Department “Art and Design” Zayed University - Dubai), Stefano Coletto (Curator at Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa), Roberta Di Camerino (Stylist), Marco Ferraris (Exhibitions Head Office at Palazzo Grassi and "Punta della Dogana" Contemporary Art Center), Enrico Gusella (Founder and Director of The International Center of photography), Marianna Hodgson (Director SBBC), Lorella Pagnucco Salvemini (Writer and Director of ArteIn magazine), Luigi Zappalà (Editorial Consultant), owners Ristorante La Colomba: Lino Cazzavillan and Guido Cazzavillan.

Two Guests of honor will be present at the Prize Giving Ceremony and opening of the collective exhibition:

Antonio Arevalo ( Independent Art Curator )

Marco Muller ( Director of the Cinema section of the Venice Biennale Foundation and Director of the Venice International Film Festival )

Total monetary Prize: 22.000,00 Euro.

This is divided as follows:

First Prize 10.000,00 Euro

Second Prize 6.000,00 Euro

Third Prize 3.000,00 Euro

Video Award 3.000,00 Euro

Solo show planned for two artists

The Price Giving Ceremony, the opening of the collective exhibition and the presentation of the catalogue will be held on November 20 , 2009 from 18.30 to 19.30 (by invitation only)

The opening of the collective exhibition to the general public will be on November 20th from 19:30 to 21:30

All of the artworks by the selected finalists will be displayed in the Ex Casino di Commercio from November 20th to December 18 , 2009.

Opening times: Monday to Friday 9.30 - 17:30. *

Marika Vicari
Press Office
Premio La Colomba

For further information:

presspremiocolomba@gmail.com

www.premiocolomba.com

*with prior compatibility with the business' requirements.