Trieste Contemporanea is a committee created in June 1995 with the objective of bringing out the role of Trieste as a hinge between Western Europe, the countries of Eastern Europe and the countries of the Mediterranean area.

The focal points of the activity of the Committee is the Trieste Contemporanea International Design Contest, a biennial event that now attracts the interest of designers from 23 European countries, and the ’CEI Venice Forum for Contemporary Art Curators’, another biennial event that deals with the topics of cultural promotion and the exchange of curatorial experiences in occasion of the opening of the Venice Biennale.

This year the Trieste Contemporanea Committee announces the eleventh edition of its International Design Contest with the aim of showcasing the most original design offerings from the countries of Central Eastern Europe.

Contestants are to choose a subject (a physical or intangible cultural asset) which is an original and distinctive feature (whether a well-proven or potential value) of a place in one of the countries within the purview of the competition, with the aim of highlighting its cultural and touristic value.

Each contestant can enter only a single project, unless entering one for the general theme of the competition and a separate one for the Trieste Prize’s dedicated theme.

There is no entry fee.

Eligibility

The competition is open to all designers born in CEI member states (Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, Slovenia and Ukraine) in compliance with its stated purposes, and to designers born in Estonia, Germany, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania and Turkey as well.

Any groups competing should consist exclusively of members born in the countries listed above.

Prize

• BEBA Prize - for the youngest designer among those selected: 1000 Euros.
• TRIESTE Prize - for the best design on the set theme: 1000 Euros.
• CEI Prize 2014 - for the best design from one of the non-EU CEI countries: 3000 Euros.
• GILLO DORFLES PRIZE / First Prize Trieste Contemporanea 2014 - for the best design 2014: 4000 Euros.

Moreover, the works selected by the panel of judges will be shown in the competition’s final exhibition in Trieste and published in an online catalogue on the Trieste Contemporanea website.

The awards ceremony will take place in Trieste (Italy) at the opening of final exhibition. The winning designers will be invited to travel to Trieste at the organizing Committee’s expense in order to collect their prize.