Article 1 – Purpose of the Call
The A-HEAD Project, promoted by Angelo Azzurro ONLUS, announces the third edition of
the International Award “Giovan Battista Calapai and Theodora van Mierlo Benedetti”,
dedicated to the memory of Giovan Battista Calapai and Theodora van Mierlo Benedetti,
two key figures who significantly contributed to the connection between the non-profit
organization dedicated to fighting the stigma of mental disorders and the art sector,
ultimately leading to the creation of the A-HEAD project. Through this initiative, Angelo
Azzurro ONLUS promotes contemporary art by fostering awareness of mental illness and
supporting artistic research in all its forms.
This third edition also includes the “Piero Gagliardi Award”, in recognition of the curator
of A-HEAD for his commendable work over the years.
The International Award “Giovan Battista Calapai and Theodora van Mierlo Benedetti”
aims to support emerging artists, specifically addressing under-35 artists. The selection
will not be based on a single artwork but on the artist’s entire body of work from the last
five years.
Participation is free and open to individuals residing in Italy or abroad, aged between 18
and 35 years (as of the publication date of this call), regardless of nationality, gender,
ethnicity, or religion.
The award includes:
“Giovan Battista Calapai Award” – €1,200 (net), along with a publication by A-HEAD
Edizioni.
“Special Mention Theodora van Mierlo Benedetti” – €800 (net), along with a publication
by A-HEAD Edizioni.
“Piero Gagliardi Award” – €500 (net), with the inclusion of an unpublished artwork in the
permanent collection of MUSMA, which will be donated by A-HEAD and dedicated to Piero
Gagliardi.
The winners will also be included in the “3500 cm²” project, an initiative curated by
Lorenzo Benedetti, which promotes the dissemination of contemporary artworks. Each
selected artist will be assigned 3500 cm² (a 50×70 cm poster format) to create a work
aimed at reaching a wider and more diverse audience than traditional exhibitions.
Article 2 – Timeline
Opening of the call: January 18, 2025
Deadline for questions: April 10, 2025
Deadline for applications: April 15, 2025
Winners announcement: June 30, 2025
Award ceremony: Date to be defined
Article 3 – Eligibility Criteria
Participation is open to individuals residing in Italy or abroad, aged between 18 and 35
years (as of the publication date of this call), regardless of nationality, gender, ethnicity, or
religion.
Article 4 – Application Process
Participation in the Award is free of charge. Each applicant may submit their artistic
research covering the last five years. The required documents may be submitted in Italian
or English, except for the application form, which must be in Italian only.
Applicants must submit the following documents:
1. 2. 3. website links.
4. Completed and signed application form.
Copy of a valid identity document.
Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 pages), including main activities and relevant
Portfolio (maximum 10 pages) showcasing professional and artistic work
from the last five years.
The total file size of the submitted documents must not exceed 20 MB. Files sent via
WeTransfer or similar services (e.g., Jumbo Mail) will not be accepted.
Applications must be submitted by April 15, 2025, at 11:59 PM (CET) via email to:
premiocalapai@gmail.com
Email subject: “Application for the International Award Giovan Battista Calapai and
Theodora van Mierlo Benedetti – Third Edition.”
Article 5 – Questions and Clarifications
Any questions or requests for clarification must be sent via email to:
premiocalapai@gmail.com
Email subject: “Questions – International Award Giovan Battista Calapai and Theodora van
Mierlo Benedetti – Third Edition.”
Questions must include the applicant’s personal information and must be submitted by
April 10, 2025. Queries may be in Italian or English.
Article 6 – Selection Process
Only applicants who have properly submitted their applications will be considered. The
submitted works will be evaluated by a Jury of experts from various fields. Only selected
winners will receive an official communication from the Award staff within the established
timeframe. However, the Award results will be publicly announced through press releases.
Article 7 – The Jury
The Jury consists of:
Lorenzo Benedetti – Curator and Art Historian
Dora Stiefelmeier – RAM radioartemobile
Mario Pieroni – RAM radioartemobile
Gianfranco Grosso – Artist
Francesco Nucci – President of Fondazione VOLUME!
Davide Sebastian – Artist
Simona Spinella – Curator and Art Historian
Teresa Macrì – Art Critic and Writer
Paolo Grassino – Artist
Raffaella De Chirico – Gallerist
Coordinators: Stefania Calapai and Roberta Melasecca.
The Jury’s decisions are final and not subject to appeal.
Article 8 – Prizes
The Jury will award the following:
“Giovan Battista Calapai Award” – €1,200 (net), along with a publication by A-HEAD
Edizioni.
“Special Mention Theodora van Mierlo Benedetti” – €800 (net), along with a publication by
A-HEAD Edizioni.
“Piero Gagliardi Award” – €500 (net), with the inclusion of an unpublished artwork in the
permanent collection of MUSMA, donated by A-HEAD and dedicated to Piero Gagliardi.
Additionally, each winner will receive an artwork created by artists Luca Centola and
Barbara Salvucci.
Article 9 – Award Ceremony
The award ceremony and presentation of the cash prizes will take place at a date and
location to be announced.
The publications related to the “Giovan Battista Calapai Award” and “Special Mention
Theodora van Mierlo Benedetti” will be scheduled after the ceremony in agreement with
the winners.
The inclusion of the selected work in the MUSMA Collection and participation in the 3500
cm² project will be defined following the Award Ceremony.
Article 10 – General Rules
Applications that do not comply with the specified procedures (Article 4) will not be
considered. Participation implies full acceptance of these regulations.
The Award organizers reserve the right to modify the call if necessary.
Article 11 – Liability
The International Award “Giovan Battista Calapai and Theodora van Mierlo Benedetti”,
together with Angelo Azzurro ONLUS, disclaims any liability for:
Use of copyrighted or otherwise protected materials.
Data or files sent but not received.
By submitting an application, candidates accept all terms and conditions outlined in these
regulations and consent to the processing of personal data in accordance with applicable
laws.
Applicants assume full responsibility for the submitted images and declare that the works
comply with legal regulations, free of third-party rights violations.
Article 12 – Attachments
Attachment 1: Application form
All related documents are available at the following link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FWgvKUWp1L7q84ToRfA-Ukrm1n5L0GfB?
usp=sharing
Article 13 – Governing Law and Jurisdiction
This call and any subsequent relationship between the applicants and the Award are
governed by Italian law. Any disputes arising from this call shall be submitted exclusively to
the Court of Rome.
