Virtuosos 18 Under 18
XVIII/V
The Virtuosos Under 18 (XVIII/V) Visual Arts Competition encourages young people to develop their artistic skills through carefully designed prompts that inspire and challenge their creativity and technical excellence.
Museum of Grotesque Nonexistent Objects, Scott Liu, 2021, multi-media
Entering The Virtuosos Under 18 (XVIII/V) Visual Arts Competition can build knowledge, exercise creativity and hone technical skills by tackling its challenge prompts. It also allows young artists to have their work assessed by experts. All artworks will be judged by a diverse panel of student and professional artists from prestigious institutions, while the winners will also be part of an exhibition.
Step 1 - March 1st to September 1st 2024
Apply to The Virtuosos Under 18 (XVIII/V) Visual Arts Competition
Entries in The 2024 Virtuosos Under 18 (XVIII/V) Visual Arts Competition must be submitted within the timeframe. See below for details.
Step 2 - October 1st 2024
Winners are chosen
The works are reviewed by a panel through multiple rounds by a panel of judges comprised of artists from all over the world.
Step 3 - TBA 2025
A formal exhibition for the winners
Eighteen of the most outstanding artworks will be formally exhibitied in Shanghai.
2024 Virtuosos Under 18 (XVIII/V) Prompt
"Visions of Equality: From Struggle to Solidarity"
In a world rife with divisions, the pursuit of equality remains a beacon of hope for a brighter, more inclusive future. This year's XVIII/V competition seeks young artists who can wield their creative tools to dissect, confront, and heal the respective chasms that divide gender, race, and class. We call upon you to explore the truths of discrimination's impact and to craft visions of a world reimagined through the lens of equality.
Potential Sub-Themes:
Gender Equality: Address the ongoing battle for gender parity. Artworks might challenge stereotypes, highlight the achievements and struggles of women and non-binary individuals, or critique the societal constructs that perpetuate gender discrimination.
Racial Equality: Reflect on the historical and contemporary issues of race. Works could portray the stories of resilience in the face of racial injustice, celebrate cultural diversity, or condemn systemic racism still prevalent in many societies.
Economic Equality: Examine the chasm between wealth and poverty. Your art could spotlight the harsh realities of economic disparity, and the dignity of labor, or propose a critique of capitalist structures that widen the gap between the rich and the poor.
Intersectionality: Recognize that social inequalities often intersect and amplify each other. Art could represent personal narratives that grapple with multiple, overlapping forms of discrimination.
The Spectrum of Equality: Encourage a broader interpretation of equality, including sexual orientation, disability, age, and beyond. Artworks may advocate for the rights of LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, the elderly, or the youth.
Historical Context: Draw parallels between past and present struggles for equality. Art might depict significant historical events, figures, or movements that have shaped the fight for equal rights.
Utopian Dreams: Envision the ideal of a fully egalitarian society. Submissions may create utopian scenes where equality is woven into the fabric of everyday life, imagining the societal structures and interpersonal relations in such a world.
General Guidelines for Participation:
- Entrants are encouraged to use their chosen medium to provoke, inspire, and ignite discussion. From painting to sculpture, digital art to performance, we welcome diverse forms of expression.
- We seek pieces that not only diagnose the ills of inequality but also offer a prognosis filled with hope and unity. Artists should aim to move viewers to both reflection and action.
- Submissions can be deeply personal or broadly societal, but they should strive to connect with a wider audience on an emotional and intellectual level.
Reviewers are looking for works that:
Showcases thorough research and understanding of the prompt.
Reflects the artist's personal understanding and connection to the subject matter.
Reflects the intentional use of the chosen artistic medium.
Originality, emotional impact, and technical skill will also be essential factors of consideration.
Details
Entry Requirements:
- All Entrants must be between the ages of 15 to 18 during the year of the competition.
- The entry should demonstrate originality and creativity while properly addressing and showcasing an in-depth understanding of the prompt.
- The entry must include a high-resolution image of the entire artwork and a maximum of ten details that show different angles and under appropriate settings, if applicable.
- Each contestant can submit multiple pieces but must pay for each entry and have unique written responses for each individual piece.
Written Response:
- As part of your submission to the competition, please include a response that provides insight into your creative intentions, artistic process, and the conceptual framework of your work. Your statement should offer a clear and concise articulation of the ideas, themes, and inspirations behind your artwork, allowing the judges and viewers to engage with your creative vision.
- The response should address the following key points:
- Concept: Describe the central concept or theme of your artwork and how it responds to the prompt.
- Creative Process: Provide an overview of your artistic process, including the techniques, materials, and methods used to realize your artistic vision. How does your creative process contribute to the overall meaning of the artwork?
- Artistic Goals: Share the goals and intentions that underpin your work. What do you hope to communicate or evoke through your art, and what impact do you aim to achieve with your audience?
- Personal Perspective: Offer a glimpse into your perspective as an artist. What drives your artistic practice, and how does your work reflect your unique voice and worldview?
- Your response should be thoughtful, engaging, and reflective of the depth and creativity of your artistic practice. It is an opportunity to provide context and meaning to your artwork, allowing the viewers and judges to connect with your creative process and the ideas that drive your artistic expression.
- The response must be over 200 words and below 500 words in length.
Submission guideline:
- Do not place your name, a watermark, or any identifying information in or on your media submissions aside from the file name, which must be named "First Name Last Name Title of Work" (Example: Jane Doe Sunshine).
- Entries must be properly formatted and submitted as a PDF file under 20 MB online. For video submissions, the videos must be sent via a public link on a video-sharing platform. Pick an ideal frame of the video as the cover picture of the work and embed the link to the video in the PDF file following the format guide.
Format Requirements:
- The first page of the PDF should be the artwork.
- The second page of the PDF should include the name of the artist, the country from which the artist is from, the school which the artist is from, and the written response.
Technical Specification:
- The contest is open to artists working in a variety of art media, two-dimensional and three-dimensional, and time-based media.
- Two-dimensional mediums include but are not limited to painting, illustration, 2D mixed media and mixed-media collage, printmaking, and digital art. Except for minor elements incorporated in a collage, photography will NOT be considered unless it's a coherent series comprising at least three images appropriately addressing the prompt. Entries under the two-dimensional category mean that a mixed media cannot exceed two inches in depth not counting the framing.
- 3D mediums include but are not limited to sculpture, installation, clay modeling, pottery, wood carving, 3D Papercrafts, and 3D mixed media. Entries under the three-dimensional category have to exhibit all the dimensions of height, width, and depth and can be viewed and interpreted from all sides and angles.
- Film, performance, or other time-based media will be considered only in video form not exceeding 30 minutes.
- Other forms of art, such as sound or atmospheric art, will not be considered, as we do not accept these types of entries due to how award-winning pieces will be curated.
Intellectual Property and Copyright Requirements
- All submitted work must be wholly original and may not infringe upon any other person or entity's copyright, intellectual property, or other legal or moral rights.
- Keep in mind that your application is being judged as a whole. This includes all images as well as your written responses.
Entry Fee
- There's an entry fee of ￥300 (RMB) for each individual piece of artwork submitted. Each contestant is not limited to how many submissions they can make, but no more than two could be chosen for the winning exhibition.
The 2024 Virtuosos Under 18 (XVIII/V) Competition will be open soon:
