Participation is restricted to artisan candidates who are residents and regularly work in the national country.
1. INTRODUCTION
Starhotels S.p.A. (hereinafter the “Promoter”), leading company with a longstanding presence in Italy and abroad in the luxury hotel sector and always committed to sharing the secret of “Italian living” with its clientele, has launched “La Grande Bellezza” (The Great Beauty), a project whose fundamental objective is to highlight the creativity and rich heritage of Italian craftsmanship (hereinafter the “Project”).
Partners in the Project are Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d'Arte, OMA - Osservatorio dei Mestieri d'Arte di Firenze, and Gruppo Editoriale, hereinafter the Partners.
Within the scope of the Project and given the success of the previous editions, the Promoter has decided to launch a third edition of the Contest which, like the others, has the primary objective of enhancing the repertoire of Italian artistic crafts and master craftspeople.
Each edition focuses on a specific theme on which entries are based. Candidates must present an artistic handicraft product they have made that relates to the given theme. The works can be created ad hoc or be part of pre-existing collections, already in the artist's catalogue. The work does not have to be created from scratch. The themes selected will always be linked to the hospitality industry and may refer to settings (bar, lounge area, guest rooms, etc.) or to specific product categories (lighting, interior decor, etc.).
2. AIMS OF THE CONTEST
Through the La Grande Bellezza Contest, the Promoter aims to reward the talent, expertise, design, and skill in the creation of works, and to foster the communication and promotion of the art of craftspeople working in Italy.
3. CONTEST THEME
For the third edition of the Contest, candidates are invited to submit works on the theme of Souvenirs of the Grand Tour. Historically, Italy was a favorite destination for the Grand Tour and it remains the dream destination of tourists from all over the world, owing to its varied beauty and to its inimitable lifestyle. Visitors fall in love with its locations and want to take objects that keep memories alive and witness the journey away with them.
The theme of the designer souvenir is of great interest and charm today also in the world of design and planning.
Many outstanding Italian artisanal workshops create souvenir items that take inspiration from local traditions and interpret them in a new way with contemporary techniques and tastes.
Among the best-known examples are the cachepots in the shape of decorated heads typical of southern Italy, the Roman micromosaics that tourists have loved since the 18th century, the whistles widespread in southern Italy and Veneto, the blown glass figures of the Murano repertoire, the typical rowlocks of Venetian gondolas, the Sardinian lucky horse charms, the little good-luck horns, the nativity scenes, the typical ceramics of the various artisanal areas, the coffee cups, the snow globes, the miniatures of Italian monuments, and all the many souvenirs and lucky charms in every region of Italy in their thousand different forms... There are many different types of objects linked to regional traditions, which can inspire evocative and interesting contemporary reworkings.
4. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WORK, TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS
The work must be freely created, contemporary, and original. The works can be created ad hoc or be part of pre-existing collections, already in the artist's catalogue. The work does not have to be created from scratch.
A work created by several artisan companies or in collaboration with designers, artists, architects, etc. may also be submitted. The official participant in the Contest and owner of any subsequent prize will exclusively be the applicant i.e. an artisan company regularly registered with the Chamber of Commerce (ongoing registration with the Chamber of Commerce) or a freelancer working in the creative sector who fills in and sends the application for the work.
Participants must declare in writing that their entries are original works of creative ingenuity, have been created by them, and are their sole property.
All techniques and materials are allowed, provided that the workmanship is strictly or predominantly manual, according to the criteria and methods of artisanal excellence, and that the theme is observed, though this may be interpreted freely and personally.
5. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS AND MAXIMUM NUMBER OF CONTEST PARTICIPANTS
Participation is free of charge and reserved to craftspeople resident and regularly working in Italy.
The organizers, promoters, and sponsors of the Contest, as well as the members of the panel and their relatives, are not eligible to participate in the contest.
The ranking will not be published and will remain confidential. Only the ten finalist works will be made public.
No more than 50 applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, to allow the Panel and the President to make an informed and considered assessment. Applications received after the fiftieth will not be considered.
Candidates who won or were among the ten finalists in the two previous editions are not eligible for this edition of the Contest.
Works may be submitted even if they have already been featured in other exhibitions. If a work has been entered in previous contests or competitions, it can be entered as long as it did not win.
6. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
From December 1, 2023, until March 22, 2024, those wishing to enter the Prize can do so by accessing the website and completing the relevant form provided for nominations. Within the form, the candidate will be required to fill in all the mandatory fields of the Technical Sheet and then upload the necessary documentation.
Here is the complete list of fields to fill out in the FORM:
- Company name or candidate's name
- Brief personal presentation of the owner (max 2500 characters)
- Brief company presentation (max 2500 characters)
- Title of the nominated work
- Category of the nominated work
- Weight of the nominated work
- Measurements of the work in cm
- Materials used
- Technical presentation of the work: realization, techniques, and inspiration (max 2500 characters)
Once the form is completed and submitted, the candidate will be automatically redirected to a new landing page where they will need to upload a folder containing the following documentation, mandatory to complete the registration:
- Completed and signed Registration Form with the owner's details in PDF format (downloadable from the landing page)
- Owner's resume in PDF format
- Certificate proving regular activity in PDF format
Eligible professional categories are:
o Craft company duly registered in the Chamber of Commerce (valid chamber registration)
o Self-employed worker with a VAT number operating in the artistic craftsmanship sector (subject to jury evaluation)
- 5 (five) high-resolution photos (minimum 300 dpi): a portrait of the candidate and photos of the work and the making of it
The Promoter is indemnified from any liability for incomplete registrations or those received after the Prize closing date. Each participant may register only once, so any additional submissions made by the same person will not be considered for participation in the Prize.
The Promoter, at its sole discretion, may reject registrations that are incomplete or contrary to what is provided for in these Regulations. The Promoter disclaims any liability arising from the failure to comply with the Regulations to the extent that such non-compliance is caused by circumstances beyond its control.
Due to exceptional circumstances beyond its reasonable control and only if such circumstances make it unavoidable, the Promoter reserves the right, at any time, to cancel or modify the Prize. The Promoter is indemnified from any liability for any damages, losses, or injuries suffered by the participant as a result of participating in the Prize or accepting the prize. Each participant agrees to indemnify and hold the Promoter harmless from any claims and/or legal actions arising from participation in the Prize.
The finalists and the winner of the Prize, by accepting these Regulations, agree to lend the work on the occasion of the presentation events and exhibitions organized by the Promoter.
7. MEMBERS OF THE PANEL
The Panel comprises the President of the Starhotels Group and the Partners of the Project: Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d'Arte, OMA - Associazione Osservatorio dei Mestieri d'Arte, Gruppo Editoriale; experts in applied arts, design, lifestyle, art and culture, and the Art Director of the collections under the Starhotels “La Grande Bellezza” brand.
- Elisabetta Fabri, President and CEO of Starhotels;
- Alberto Cavalli, General Manager of Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d'Arte;
- Matteo Parigi Bini, Publisher "Gruppo Editoriale";
- Maria Pilar Lebole, Head of Associazione Osservatorio dei Mestieri d’Arte;
- Stefano Boeri, Chairman of Triennale Milano;
- Marva Griffin Wilshire, founder and curator of SaloneSatellite;
- Barnaba Fornasetti, Creative Director of Fornasetti;
- Ugo La Pietra, artist, architect and designer;
- Livia Peraldo Matton, Editor-in-Chief of Elle Decor;
- Ippolita Rostagno, founder of Artemest;
- Sara Ricciardi, designer;
- Maurizio di Robilant, Founder and President of RobilantAssociati
The Panel as described above will select the winner, at its sole discretion.
8. EVALUATION CRITERIA
Based on the material received with the entries, the Panel will select 10 (ten) finalist works, on the theme Souvenirs of the Grand Tour. The Panel will judge most favorably those works that reinforce the overall theme of Italian beauty and which demonstrate the happy union of manual work and creativity, with a contemporary reworking of obsolete and complex traditional techniques.
The evaluation parameters are:
- Conceptual and aesthetic content
- Innovation and originality
- Market entry potential
A score of 1 to 10 will be awarded for each parameter and the ranking of the finalist works will be drawn up based on the total score awarded to each, based on the above criteria.
The Promoter will select the winning work at their sole discretion. The finalist works must be loaned to the Promoter to be exhibited during the final award ceremony at a place and date to be decided. They will subsequently be returned at the care and expense of the Promoter.
If interested, the Promoter reserves the right to consider the purchase of individual works entered in the Contest, after signing a separate agreement with the craftspeople.
9. PRIZE
The winner will receive a cash prize of €10,000 from the Promoter, to be paid via bank transfer.
Without prejudice to the Promoter’s obligations regarding taxes, the winner will be responsible for any duties and/or charges, including taxes, that may arise from winning the prize.
The finalists and the winner will be notified by email (with a read receipt) no later than June 2024. If the selection of the winner is postponed due to technical problems or for any other reason, the Promoter will resume normal running of the Contest as soon as reasonably feasible and declines any responsibility for such delay.
The winner must confirm acceptance of the prize via email within 5 business days from receiving notification from the Promoter.
If the winner does not accept the assigned prize within the designated deadline, the Promoter reserves the right to withdraw the prize and award it to the next participant in the ranking.
By confirming their acceptance of the prize, the winner agrees to be willing to participate in promotional initiatives after the Contest and consents to the use of their name and photos of themselves and their work in all Starhotels communications relating to the Contest/Prize.
10. PARTICIPANTS' RESPONSIBILITIES AND COPYRIGHTS
Each participant, by confirming that they are the creator and owner of the work, exempts and fully indemnifies the Promoter and Partners from all and any liability arising from claims and/or legal action brought by third parties with regard to the originality and ownership of the work or part of it, which must be declared under the conditions of admission to the Contest.
The intellectual property rights relating to works submitted for the Contest shall continue to be held by the respective participants.
11. PRIVACY
With regard to the privacy policy, we refer to Regulation (EU) no. 679/2016 and to Legislative Decree 196/2006 “Privacy Code”, as updated by Legislative Decree 101/2018. Consequently, the Promoter will manage the data of participants for the activities relating to the business or promotional objectives of the Contest, in full compliance with the above-mentioned legislation. In particular, participation in the Contest requires each participant to read the disclosure on processing of personal data pursuant to Art. 13 of Regulation (EU) no. 679/2016, available on the Promoter’s website.
12. DISPUTES
The parties agree to find an amicable resolution to any disputes arising in relation to or in the implementation of these Rules. If this is not possible, the Court of Florence will have jurisdiction.
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