Third International Exlibris Competition Varna

To The Artworks

exhibition of the selected artworks

08 August – 08 October 2018 .

Official opening and award ceremony: 08 August 2018, 18:30 , Largo Art Gallery, Hall 1

The third edition of International Exlibris Competition Varna will be held from 08 August to 08 October 2018 in Largo Art Gallery. The winners of the competition will be officially announced at the opening of the exhibition with the selected works on 08 August 2018 at 18:30 in the gallery on 8 Han Krum Street.
As part of the accompanying program that night in Hall 2 of the gallery we will be opening a solo exhibition of the winner in the second edition of the competition, the Bulgarian artist Veselin Damyanov - Ves.

This edition was dedicated to classic graphic techniques.  770 works by 313 authors from 38 countries were received at the gallery's address. The top three countries with the most participating artists are Russia with 42 authors, China and Turkey with 31 authors each. There were a lot of artists – world - renowned names in the field of small graphics and bookplates, who sent their own artworks to participate in our competition for the first time, which shows that the International ExLibris Competition Varna is gaining popularity and is becoming a significant and important event in the calendar of similar competitions in the world.

WHO IS THE JURY

For the third time the Artistic Director of the competition is the famous Bulgarian artist and master of graphics- Julian Jordanov. The Chairman of the jury is Dimo ​​Kolibov, artist, lecturer at the Department of Graphics at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the National Academy of Fine Arts, Sofia. The members of the jury are Hristo Kerin (Bulgaria), artist, lecturer and head of the Department of Graphics at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Veliko Tarnovo University of Veliko Tarnovo, Anna Tihonova - Jordanova (Belarus) curator of the exlibris collection of the Museum of Modern Art in Minsk, Konstantin Antyukin (Ukraine), artist and Dimo ​​Milanov, (Bulgaria), artist.

9 AWARDS AND 17 CERTIFICATES WERE GIVEN IN THIS COMPETITION

The jury had a very difficult time evaluating the submissions, as there were extremely good artists and impressive and masterful  artworks. 
The traditional awards were: First prize of 500 €, Second prize of 300 €, Third prize of 100 €, and a Young Artist Award  of 100 €, but due to the many outstanding and worthwhile works, the organizers have endeavored to provide additional prizes. Thus for the first time in this edition two more prizes are awarded for a total value of 300 € each - an award in the name of Largo Gallery and one in the name of Architecture Studio "Dizarch" .

This edition is supported for the third time by the Association of Artists - Varna, which is awarding its prize, as well as the Istanbul ExLibris Society, which provides the third prize in the competition. An Award for Special Creative Achievement in the Name of our gone too soon Bulgarian ExLibris Artist Edward Penkov was given again. Special Prize of the International Jury was awarded and the winner will receive an ExLibris, dedicated to the third edition of the competition, specially created by Dimo Milanov.

The names of the awarded artists will be announced on August 8, the day of opening the exhibition with the selected works in Largo Art Gallery.

THE COMPETITION HAS A BIG ACCOMPANYING PROGRAM

This year the Competition has a rich accompanying program. We will start on August 6 at 19:00 with a meeting with the Artistic Director of the competition Julian Jordanov, which will be held at the Social Tea House in Varna. In Hall 2 of Largo Art Gallery will be opened the exhibition of Veselin Damyanov - Ves and two more exhibits. 

From September 5, people of Varna and the guests of the city will have the pleasure of seeing an extremely prestigious exhibition with exlibris from the collections of the Italian Exlibris Association, Art Forum Xotaris and the fund of the international ExLibris contest "Bodio Lomnago Libraries" in the Italian town of the same name. 

On September 20th in Hall 2 of the gallery we will exhibit a solo exhibition of graphic of the magnificent Ukrainian artist Konstantin Antioukhin, a member of the International jury of the competition.

After the closing of the exhibition at Largo Art Gallery, the exposition will be shown for one month at the Varna National Art School "Dobri Hristov" and then at the "Asparuhovo Art" Gallery of the Prosveta 1927 National Cultural Center, Varna.

WE ARE GRATEFUL TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED THE COMPETITION!

The organizers are grateful for the financial support of Varna Municipality through the Culture Fund. The support of the Varna Municipality is important not only because of the allocated funds, which are important for making and publishing this wonderful catalog of the competition, but also because it strengthens the importance of the International ExLibris Competition Varna as an event that fits well into the cultural calendar of the city and as an initiative that serves to preserve the image of Varna as a European festival city.

We are grateful for the support of the sponsors and partners of the competition - Largonet Ltd, the Instanbul ExLibris Society, the chain of resturants Godzila, Architectural Studio Dizarh, Varna Artists Association, Varna National Art School "Dobri Hristov", "Asparuhovo Art" Gallery of the Prosveta 1927 National Cultural Center, Varna and the media support of the Bulgarian National Radio - Radio Varna and Moreto.net. 

We hope to see you at the exhibitions. The entrance to all the events of the competition is free. More information about the competition can be found on its website.

                                                                            Nelly Valcheva, Executive Director

                                                                           International ExLibris Competition Varna