IX VAF Foundation Prize at the Estense Castle

IX VAF Foundation Prize at the Estense Castle

After the German stage (Kiel, Stadtgalerie, 11 March - 22 May 2022), the works participating in the VAF award ceremony promoted by the foundation will be hosted from 5 March to 4 June on the first floor of Castello Estense. 

Learn about the history of the prize

It was founded in 2003 with the aim of promoting the artistic and creative potential of artists under 40. Over the years, the competition organisation has boasted numerous collaborations with important national and German exhibition venues, such as the Mart in Rovereto, the Museo della Permanente in Milan, the MACRO Testaccio in Rome, the Museo civico di Palazzo della Penna in Perugia, the Institut Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt, the Künstlerhaus in Graz and the Stadtgalerie in Kiel.

The protagonists of the 9th VAF Awards

Nine talents of the contemporary scene were exhibited: Luca Azzurro, Renata and Cristina Cosi, Silvia Inselvini, KEM Collective, L'orMa, Enrico Minguzzi, Sebastiano Raimondo, Dario Tironi, Valeria Vaccaro.

The winner of this edition was L'orMA (Lorenzo Mariani) because of the reinterpretation of sculpture materials with intentions of ironic lightness; Valeria Vaccaro was awarded second prize for her ability to metamorphose plastic materials; Enrico Minguzzi was awarded third prize for his research into the pictorial and sign texture of the composition. A special mention was awarded to the KEM collective for their promising research in the field of new media art.

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In addition to the creations of the nine artists, the works of Paolo Baratella, who was born in Bologna in 1935 and has always been linked to Ferrara, and who passed away yesterday (3 March) at the age of 87, are also on display.

A chance to break into the contemporary art scene

This exhibition is an extraordinary opportunity to reach the centre of the most current art scene through the works of talented Italian artists. The proposed reflection includes a special focus on contemporaneity, giving space to all visual languages and expressions.

A visit to the exhibition is accompanied by a bilingual Italian-English edition catalogue published by Manfredi Edizioni.