Rules & Regulations
The NÉA TÉCHNI Award is an international platform established to recognise and support contemporary artists, curators, and writers worldwide. The Award welcomes submissions from both emerging and established practitioners working across a wide range of artistic disciplines.
By submitting an application, participants agree to comply with the following rules:
1. Eligibility
The Award is open internationally to:
contemporary artists
interdisciplinary practitioners
curators
writers and researchers in contemporary art
Applicants must be at least 18 years old at the time of submission.
Submissions must represent original work created by the applicant.
2. Categories
Applicants may submit work in one of the following categories:
VISUAL ART
Painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, installation, and other forms of visual artistic practice.
MULTIMEDIA ARTWORK
Video art, digital art, experimental film, sound-based works, immersive and hybrid media projects.
SCIENCE ART
Artistic projects engaging with scientific research, technology, ecology, innovation, or speculative futures.
CURATORIAL PROJECT
Curatorial concepts, exhibition proposals, research-based curating, and innovative presentation formats.
ART IN PUBLIC SPACE
Projects designed for outdoor, architectural, or socially engaged public environments.
TEXT ON CONTEMPORARY ART
Critical essays, theoretical writing, reviews, and other written contributions exploring contemporary art practices.
3. Submission Rules
Applicants may submit one artwork, project, or work per category. Multiple submissions within the same category are not permitted.
However, applicants may participate in multiple categories simultaneously. For example, an artist may submit one work to Best Visual Art, one work to Multimedia Object, and one work to Art in Public Space, provided that each submission is entered into a different category and complies with the category requirements.
Each submission is evaluated independently within the category to which it has been assigned.
Anonymous Review Process
To ensure fairness, impartiality, and equal opportunities for all participants, the Award operates a blind review system.
All personal and identifying information is removed from jury materials prior to evaluation. Jury members do not receive access to information that could influence the assessment of a submission based on the applicant's reputation, nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, age, educational background, or professional network.
The juries receive only the materials necessary for artistic evaluation, including:
artwork images and documentation;
video and audio materials where applicable;
project descriptions;
artist statements;
medium and technical information;
dimensions and production details;
conceptual texts and supporting materials relevant to the submitted work.
The identity of applicants remains confidential throughout the evaluation process and is disclosed only after the final scoring and selection process has been completed.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications are assessed through a structured scoring system designed to balance artistic innovation, technical quality, and professional presentation.
Each jury member evaluates every submission according to three primary criteria:
Technical Skills
This criterion evaluates the level of artistic execution and professional competence demonstrated in the submitted work.
The jury may consider:
craftsmanship and technical mastery;
understanding of materials and processes;
quality of execution;
formal resolution;
technical innovation;
professional development of the artistic practice.
Concept and Artistic Vision
This criterion focuses on the intellectual and creative foundations of the work.
The jury may consider:
originality and innovation;
conceptual clarity;
artistic research;
critical engagement;
relevance to contemporary discourse;
strength of artistic vision;
coherence between concept and realization.
Material and Presentation
This criterion evaluates the quality of the submitted application materials.
The jury may consider:
quality of visual documentation;
effectiveness of supporting texts;
clarity of presentation;
completeness of submission materials;
professional preparation of the application.
Each criterion is scored independently by every jury member. The final score of a submission is calculated through the aggregation of all scores awarded by the juries.
In addition to numerical scoring, jurors may provide qualitative assessments and recommendations during the review process.
Jury Structure
The Award is evaluated by two to four independent international juries, depending on the scale and structure of the edition.
Juries are composed of professionals from various fields of contemporary culture, including:
curators;
artists;
museum professionals;
writers and critics;
researchers;
educators;
independent practitioners.
Jury composition may change from year to year in order to ensure diversity of perspectives, professional expertise, geographical representation, and disciplinary balance.
All jury members are required to declare any potential conflicts of interest before the evaluation process begins.
Category Evaluation Process
All submissions compete exclusively within the category to which they are submitted.
A submission entered into Best Visual Art will be evaluated only against other submissions in the Best Visual Art category. Likewise, projects submitted to Multimedia Object, Science Art Project, Curatorial Project, Public Art, or other categories are reviewed exclusively within their respective categories.
There is no direct competition between categories.
This structure ensures that projects are assessed within an appropriate professional context and according to category-specific standards.
Where necessary, juries may establish longlists or shortlists before determining final award recipients.
Award Structure
The Award recognizes excellence across multiple disciplines of contemporary art and cultural practice.
The principal competitive category is Best Visual Art, which includes three ranked awards:
First Prize
Awarded to the highest-scoring submission in the Best Visual Art category.
Second Prize
Awarded to the second highest-scoring submission in the Best Visual Art category.
Third Prize
Awarded to the third highest-scoring submission in the Best Visual Art category.
In addition to the main prizes, the Award recognizes outstanding achievements through category awards.
Examples of category distinctions include:
Best Multimedia Object
Awarded to the highest-scoring submission in the Multimedia Object category.
Science Art Project
Awarded to the highest-scoring submission in the Science Art category.
Best Curatorial Project
Awarded to the highest-scoring curatorial proposal or realized curatorial initiative.
Art in Public Space
Awarded to the highest-scoring public art project.
Best Text on Contemporary Art
Awarded to the strongest submission in the field of art criticism, research, theory, or contemporary art writing.
Additional categories may be introduced, merged, modified, or discontinued in future editions according to the development of the Award.
Special Jury Award
The Special Jury Award is an honorary distinction granted to submissions that achieve exceptionally high evaluation scores but do not receive a First Prize, Second Prize, Third Prize, or category award.
Following the completion of the scoring process, the organizing committee reviews the overall ranking of submissions across all categories.
Projects that demonstrate outstanding artistic quality, conceptual excellence, innovation, or professional achievement may be selected for a Special Jury Award based on the recommendation of the juries.
The purpose of the Special Jury Award is to recognize remarkable submissions that rank among the strongest entries of the edition but fall outside the primary prize structure due to category limitations.
The number of Special Jury Awards may vary each year depending on the quality and quantity of submissions received.
Publication of Results
Following the completion of jury deliberations and score verification, the Award publishes the official results.
Results are announced according to the Award structure and category system.
A typical announcement format may appear as follows:
Best Visual Art
First Prize
Second Prize
Third Prize
Best Multimedia Object
Category Winner
Science Art Project
Category Winner
Best Curatorial Project
Category Winner
Art in Public Space
Category Winner
Best Text on Contemporary Art
Category Winner
Special Jury Award
Recipients selected from among the highest-scoring submissions that were not awarded within the main prize structure.
The organizers reserve the right not to award a category if the jury determines that no submission meets the required level of artistic excellence.
Final Decisions
The Award is committed to maintaining an independent, transparent, and professionally administered evaluation process.
All decisions made by the juries are final.
By submitting an application, participants acknowledge and accept the evaluation procedures, scoring methodology, jury structure, and award regulations.
The results of the jury process cannot be appealed, challenged, or reconsidered after their official publication.
5. Finalists & Exhibition Opportunities
Selected artists and projects may be invited to participate in:
online exhibitions
offline final exhibitions
festival screenings or presentations
artist talks and public programs
6. Communication & Announcements
Applicants will be notified of results via email.
Selected works may also be announced publicly through:
the NÉA TÉCHNI website
social media channels
press and partner platforms
7. Agreement to Terms
By submitting an application, the applicant confirms acceptance of the official Terms & Conditions of the NÉA TÉCHNI Award, including authorship, promotional use, and data processing policies.