OPEN CALL – Exhibiton 6th International Ceramics Triennial UNICUM 2026, organized by the National Museum of Slovenia
The call
for application is international and public, the topic is not specified, and
there is no registration fee and no age limit. Any individual artist or group
of artists working in the field of ceramic art may participate in the VIth
International Ceramics Triennial UNICUM 2026. Ceramic artworks may include
other materials which must not predominate. Each participant is allowed to
submit up to two artworks or two projects consisting of several ceramic
elements. Due to the limitations of the exhibition space, objects must not
exceed the dimensions of 2×2×2 m, and two-dimensional artworks (suitable for
hanging on the wall) must not exceed 4×3 m. By applying, the artists assure
that these are their own works, created within the last five years and not
submitted to other competitions. If the organiser finds that the submitted work
does not meet these conditions, it reserves the right to withdraw the work from
the exhibition and, if this work has won any award, cancel it. Members of the
organizing committee, the international jury are not allowed to take part in
the competitive part of the Triennial. The works selected for the exhibition
will be chosen by the international jury on the basis of the received
documentation. The costs of sending and returning the artworks must be covered
by the author.
Application
Applications
for the competitive part of the triennial with all documentation required must
be sent by email: info@unicum.si.
Each author has to deliver:
- Correctly filled application
form.
- Two photographs of each ceramic
artwork from different angles in required format and
printing quality, labelled with the title and dimensions of artwork in
centimeters (e. g. Title of the Artwork_Dimensions_Picture1).
- Self-portrait photograph.
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All photos
should be in JPEG (.jpg); resolution of 300 dpi is required. Pictures are to be
taken in front of a neutral background. A photograph of the final artwork for
the exhibition must be submitted. With application, each author allows the
organiser to use all the information from the received documentation for
promotion and the catalogue of the triennial. The organiser of the triennial does not take any responsibility for published information, given by
the authors in the application. The author is taking full responsibility for
correctness of the information on him/her and his/her artwork. Received
applications will be kept in the archives of the triennial as a part of
documentation. Authors cannot exchange artworks selected on the basis of the
received photographs or otherwise replace them with other artworks. The organiser
reserves the right to use photographic and video material of selected works for
the exhibition.
Deadline for Application
The deadline
for application is on Monday, 1st December 2025.
The organiser will not consider incomplete applications. We advise you not to
submit your application just before the deadline to avoid delays or other
problems with our computer servers because we expect to receive many entries
just before the deadline.
Selection of Artworks and Notification
International
jury will select artworks on the basis of the received photographs.
List of selected authors will be announced on Tuesday, 9th
February 2026, on the website of the triennial. Selected authors will be notified via email.
Delivery of Selected Artworks
The costs of
sending and returning the artworks must be covered by the author. The authors must
use door-to-door service (e.g. International Express Shipping). The
participants must pay customs duty. Accepted artworks must be delivered in a
re-usable package no later than Tuesday, 24th April
2026 to: VIth International Ceramics Triennial
UNICUM 2026, National Museum of Slovenia, Prešernova 20, 1000 Ljubljana,
Slovenia.
Each artwork must be delivered in packaging, required by the established
standards and usable for storage and return. In case the packaging is unusable
for return, the author is responsible for collecting his work personally, or it
becomes the property of the organiser. After receiving the delivery,
notification emails will be sent to the authors. Artworks which will arrive
damaged or ruined will not be exhibited and will be returned to the author
together with a damage report. Damaged artworks can be restored by the
conservators and restorers of the National Museum of Slovenia if permission is
given by the author. In case the selected artworks consist of several pieces,
the author has to add a plan for setting up the artwork at the exhibition.
Return of Artworks
Authors
must reclaim displayed pieces within one month after the last day of the triennial exhibition (until 15th November 2026). They can reclaim their works in
person or cover the costs of returning their artworks by post.
The author can donate the exhibited work to the National Museum of Slovenia.
The National Museum of Slovenia reserves the right to accept or decline
donations. In the case of donation or waiver of the return of works, the
National Museum of Slovenia may dispose of them according to the exhibition and
promotional purposes.
Insurance of Artworks
Insurance
of artworks during the transport from the author to the organiser and back is
author's responsibility.
Insurance of artworks during the exhibition is made at
the expense of the organiser.
International Jury
Artworks for
the VIth International Ceramics Triennial UNICUM 2026 will be selected by an
international professional jury.
The jury consists of:
- Irene Biolchini (Italy), PhD, art historian,
curator, art critic;
- Alenka Gregorič (Slovenia), art historian,
curator, Artistic Director of the Gallery Cukrarna and Gallery Tobačna,
Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana;
- Danijela Pivašević (Serbia, Germany), professor of Ceramics at the
Universität der Künste Berlin.
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The international
jury will select the artworks based on the received photo documentation. The Jury
will make selection for 4 awards and 3 recognitions. The decision of the jury
is final.
Awards and Recognitions
Awards and
recognitions will be announced at the opening of the exhibition of the VIth
International Ceramics Triennial UNICUM 2026.
The Exhibition of the Triennal
The
opening of the VIth International Ceramics Triennial UNICUM 2026 will take
place on Friday, 15th May
2026 at the National Museum of Slovenia, Prešernova 20, Ljubljana,
Slovenia. The closing of the exhibition will be on 15th October 2026. Along
with the exhibition of the VI. International Ceramics Triennial UNICUM 2026, a
printed catalogue of the selected artworks and other promotion material will be
published. Authors of the selected artworks will receive the catalogue free of
charge.
The Organising Committee
- Prof. Dragica Čadež Lapajne (president
of the Organizing Committee UNICUM), professor emeritus, academic sculptor, a
member of the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC);
- Assistant Prof. Mateja Kos Zabel, umetnostna zgodovinarka, PhD, art historian, museum counsellor, Director of the National Museum of Slovenia;
- Anja Radović, artist, project manager at the Centre Rog;
- Renata Zamida, cultural manager, linguist, philosopher, journalist, Director of the Centre Rog;
- Zora Žbontar,
PhD, art historian, senior curator at the National Museum of Slovenia.
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Organization
National Museum of Slovenia
Prešernova 20
SI-1000 Ljubljana
Slovenija
Information