CONTEMPORARY ART AND OPEN CALL IN VENICE ARTE LAGUNA PRIZE CONTINUES TO WELCOME AND CALL DIGITAL ARTISTS
After 20 years of history, Arte Laguna Prize has launched a new Open Call for 2026, aimed at emerging Italian and international artists to participate in the 21st edition of Arte Laguna Prize, the Venice-based International Contemporary Art Competition that welcomes and exhibits emerging artists of all ages, countries, genres, and artistic backgrounds, without thematic restrictions.
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Arte Laguna Prize
For years, it has been promoting the participation of digital artworks, which also include videos, new AI experiments and graphics.
Arte Laguna Prize is one of the most influential international contemporary art competitions, offering numerous opportunities to exhibit, expand one's network, gain global visibility, and access resources for professional development.
The award encompasses a wide range of artistic expressions: from the more traditional ones such as Painting, Sculpture, and Photography, to more contemporary languages such as Video Art, Short Films, and Performance.
Proposals in Virtual and Digital Art, Digital Graphics and Cartoons, Environmental Art (Land Art), Urban Art and Street Art, as well as a section dedicated to Design, are also accepted.
Open Call
Arte Laguna Prize has undoubtedly the intention to give voice to artists working with new digital media
Among the key features of the Open Call launched by Arte Laguna Prize is undoubtedly the intention to give voice to artists working with new digital media (AI, virtual graphics, video, etc.) and to provide them with a space to express themselves freely, unconstrained by themes or media. Over the years, the Venetian prize's approach has always been one of openness: both toward nationalities—thus creating a borderless circuit—and toward artistic media, allowing those experimenting with new technologies to fully express themselves.
Among the 120 artists already selected for the Venice exhibition (Arsenale Nord, November 6-29, 2026), the finalists who presented works related to the digital world stand out. Discover them here.
The exhibition will also feature the work of Beatriz Finkielsztejn, winner of a 2025 special prize created with Ventana, an American company producing high-quality screens and LED walls.With the international exhibition of finalists in Venice, the Arte Laguna Prize confirms its role as a catalyst, shining a spotlight on the best emerging artists from whom the Italian and international art world draws for future exhibitions.
A network of opportunities
The Arte Laguna Prize is more than a competition; it is a network of opportunities realized through Special Prizes, collaborations with international partners who seek to discover new talent among the competition's entrants, and reward them with prestigious opportunities such as art residencies, gallery exhibitions, participation in festivals, and cash prizes for new artistic creations.
The Deadline for the applications is June 30th, 2026
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