Recontemporary Prize 2026

Recontemporary launches the third edition of the Recontemporary Prize with the aim of building—through the support of an international jury and special mentions—a network of collaborations and exchanges that can enable the selected artists to amplify the resonance of their work and move closer to the contemporary art system.
The third edition of the Recontemporary Prize seeks to support the emerging Italian art scene and is open exclusively to artists (individuals or collectives) whose practice focuses on moving image, video, and new media. Applicants must be based in Italy (including individuals with non-Italian citizenship) or based abroad with Italian citizenship, be under 35 years of age (for further details, see the “Who can apply” section), and must not yet have had the opportunity to exhibit their work in solo exhibitions within an art organization or institution such as foundations, museums, independent spaces, festivals, or art fairs.

THE PRIZE

The Recontemporary Prize has a total value of €3,000 (three thousand), divided as follows:

• The organization of a solo exhibition at Recontemporary (Via Gaudenzio Ferrari 12/b, Turin) in June 2026 (dates subject to change);
• A prize of €1,000 (one thousand) to support the acquisition of a work from the exhibition, which will become part of Recontemporary’s video collection;
• A budget of €500 (five hundred) to support travel and installation costs;
• A mentoring and educational program throughout the year curated by Recontemporary, designed to support the career development of the winning artist(s), with a contribution of €1,500 (one thousand five hundred). The financial support will be provided by Recontemporary over the course of the year to support a program of professional consultancy and is intended for participation in international art fairs, exhibition openings, projects, or festivals, with the aim of facilitating the artist’s integration into the contemporary art market.

Each application will be evaluated individually, and each applicant will receive feedback if their application is not selected. With the artist’s consent, Recontemporary reserves the right to retain the portfolio in its database for future opportunities or potential collaborations.

WHO CAN APPLY

This open call is intended for artists whose final output is in a digital format, in line with the languages of new media in contemporary art. This includes but is not limited to:
– Video art
– VR / AR (Virtual and Augmented Reality)
– Video installations
– Analog technologies used within digital contexts
– AI-generated works (only if the final output is a digital artwork)
Excluded: Traditional artworks such as painting or sculpture—even if partially created using AI or digital tools—are not considered eligible unless the final work exists in a digital format.

Participation in the open call is free of charge and open to artists (individuals or collectives) whose practice focuses on moving image, video, and new media. Eligible applicants are artists based in Italy (including individuals with non-Italian citizenship) or based abroad with Italian citizenship, under the age of 35 (i.e. who will not have turned 35 by 30 October 2025), and who have not yet had the opportunity to present their work in solo exhibitions within an art organization or institution such as foundations, museums, independent spaces, festivals, or art fairs.

Applicants must not have a solo exhibition scheduled in the current year at the time of applying for the Prize; in any case, any solo exhibitions must be scheduled after the dates of the exhibition hosted by Recontemporary. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in exclusion from the Prize.

 

SPECIAL MENTIONS

In addition to the first prize, Recontemporary has established a network of collaborations with partner organizations with which the Foundation works, introducing—on the occasion of the REC Award—special mentions aimed at creating synergy between the participating organizations and the artists selected by them. Each special mention includes a free training program designed to strengthen professional skills and support entry into the art market, curated by the Recontemporary team.

Furthermore, each artist awarded a special mention will be paired with an emerging curator, with the aim of fostering dialogue and producing a critical text to accompany the artist’s portfolio. It should be noted that each partner organization will independently select one or more artists, regardless of the jury’s evaluations, with the sole condition that the first-prize winner cannot also receive a special mention.

Specifically, this year’s partners are: A Pick Gallery, Club Silencio, Ghëddo, Muta, and Osservatorio Maree.