Oskár Čepan Award – Statute of the Award
Conditions for participation:
1.
The Oskár Čepan Award is intended for visual artists born or working in Slovakia. Slovak citizenship is not a requirement if the applicant demonstrably lives, creates, and works here. Authors who were born in Slovakia but live or work abroad can also apply.
2.
The age of applicants must not exceed 40 years by December 31 of the calendar year.
3.
The award is not intended for students. Applicants must have completed their university studies (an art school degree is not required) by December 31 of the previous year. However, ongoing doctoral studies are not an obstacle.
4.
Participation in the project is not limited to a specific visual medium and applies to outputs in any area of contemporary visual art.
5.
Authors can apply to the project through the website www.oskarcepan.sk. The application must include all mandatory attachments in both Slovak and English languages: - a portfolio with sufficient documentation of work - CV - a brief artistic statement.
6.
The jury has the right to request additional documentation from the authors. The application must be submitted by the date specified in the annual official call and press release. In exceptional cases, the method of submitting the application can be discussed with the organizers.
7.
An independent international expert jury, composed of relevant theorists, curators, educators, and artists working in the field of contemporary visual arts, decides on the awarding of the Oskár Čepan Award. The jury is appointed by the Centre for Contemporary Art Foundation. To ensure continuity, its members are appointed for a period of two years. The Foundation - Center for Contemporary Art does not influence the jury's decision-making or participate in voting. The final composition of the Oskár Čepan Award jury is published on the project's website after the close of the open call.
8.
After the closure of applications for the open call, the jury meeting will be held to select four award laureates. They will be contacted by the organizers no later than one week after the commission's decision. Their names will be published on the project's website, through social media, and in a press release distributed to the media.
9.
The laureates of the Oskár Čepan Award 2024 will have the opportunity to present their works at a joint exhibition with a financial contribution of 4000 euros each, intended for the realization of a new piece, reimbursement of travel expenses, and accommodation arrangements if the finalist does not come from the city where the exhibition of the current year's edition is taking place. The Centre for Contemporary Art Foundation will provide a curator for the joint exhibition of laureates in an appropriate exhibition space. The exhibition will accept new works and projects. The venue and duration of the exhibition will be announced by the Centre for Contemporary Art Foundation in the call for entries for the current year's edition. Authors are aware that if they are nominated for the award, they are contractually obligated to participate in the preparation of the exhibition and in accompanying activities aimed at presenting and informing both the professional and general public about the project's progress (such as guided tours, discussions, accompanying programs, presentations, etc.).
10.
One selected laureate of the Oskár Čepan Award 2024 will receive a two-month residency at Residency Unlimited (RU) in New York City in October and November of this year through a lottery draw. During the residency, the participant will receive financial support for their stay, a stipend, airfare, transportation to/from the airport, shared workspaces, and accommodation in a shared apartment. RU does not offer a traditional studio space as the main purpose of the residency is networking and professional development for the artist. RU provides presentations to gallery owners and curators, organizes studio visits, and private gallery tours, and helps acquaint with the New York cultural scene. At the end of the residency, the artist may be expected to give a public presentation of their work. Through the residency, the laureate gains valuable international contacts. To fully utilize these opportunities, they must have at least a basic knowledge of English. In the case of artistic duos, groups, or collectives, due to limited financial resources and space at the partner institution, only one member chosen by the duo or group may participate in the New York residency.
11.
Registration of artistic duos, groups, or collectives is accepted. In these cases, however, the Oskár Čepan Award cannot guarantee different financial conditions for participation than those set for individuals.
12.
Authors can apply for the award repeatedly, provided they have not been its laureate in the past. The award is a one-time grant.
Statute updated in Bratislava on February 10, 2024
Centre for Contemporary Art Foundation