Event: 6th International Biennal of Engraving - Acqui Terme.
(with the help of the press release and of the catalogue).


The International Biennal of Engraving is now among the most important exhibitions in the graphics context, in Italy as well as in Europe. This year more than 1.200 works took part, from all over the world.

Grand Opening has been held the last 17th May; promoters were Rotary Club Acqui Terme-Ovada with the patronage of Regione Piemonte, Provincia di Alessandria and Acqui Terme town council.
Were able to participate to the Biennal only calcography and xilography works, made before the 1st January 2001, with no regular printing and not previously displayed anywhere else.

There was an interesting initiative undertaken by the Italian ambassador in Namibia, dott. Massimo Baistrocchi, that was able to bring to the Prize an exhibition of engravigs by local artists, works done with "poor techniques".
(As explained in a presentation billboard next to the works, printing output is limited to a maximum of... five copies.)

A Selecting Jury exhamined and selected the participating works; Jury members were:
Prof. Rossana Bossaglia, art critic of the daily newspaper 'Corriere della Sera';
Prof. Adriano Calavalle, teacher of engravin techniques in the book school of Urbino;
Prof. Silvia Cuppini, teacher of contemporary art in the Università of Urbino;
Dott. Nicole Minder, director, Jenich Vevey museum (Switzerland);
Prof. Paolo Bellini, teacher of engraving history, iconology and iconography, Catholic University in Milano;
Dott. Giuseppe Avignolo, president of the Biennale, Rotary Club Acqui Terme-Ovada;

A Popular Jury, made by 29 members, out of the ten works selected by the Selecting Jury, awarded the first prize to Livio Ceschin, winner with the work "Nel sottobosco tra betulle e foglie (Omaggio all'amico Carlo Linati)".
Chen Chao-Liang won the special prize of the Jury, with the work "Otro Espacio";
Chen Xue Lun won the Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Acqui: Brachetto d'Acqui Prize, with the work "Case".


First Prize: Livio Ceschin, Nel sottobosco tra betulle e foglie (Omaggio all'amico Carlo Linati), 2002, acquaforte e puntasecca, 290x495 mm.

Special Prize of the Jury: Chen Chao-Liang, Otro espacio, 2002, acquaforte e puntasecca, 345x605 mm.

At the same time there was the exhibition-competition "ex libris" on the theme "Il sogno di Afrodite: bellezza..., fascino..., mistero..." (Afrodite's dream: beauty..., charme..., mistery...) patronaged by Rotary Club Acqui Terme-Ovada and by Associazione Italiana Ex Libris (AIE), open to all artists and with free participation.
First prize, of 500 euro, has been won by Vincenzo Gatti;
second prize, of 250 euro, has been won by Rea Simliková

First prize: Vincenzo Gatti, Ex libris anepigrafo, C3.

Second prize: Rea Simliková, Ex libris per P. Vlcek, bulino, C4, C7.

Other activities during the Biennale:
- history lesson on engraving, held by prof. Paolo Bellini;
- exhibition dedicated to the late Leonardo Castellani (1896-1984);
- historic ex libris exhibition;
- the "Exhibition of selected wines, XXIII wine competition City of Acqui Terme".


Works on display (until the 10th of June, 2003) are a lot, as said, of course it is impossible to show them all here; there are a few that we from Artifex particularly appreciated, here are them:



Robert Baramov, Ecology VII, C3, 290x386 mm.

Gian Francesco Febbraro, Passante Ferroviario, 2002, C3, 276x425 mm.

Catalogue, ISBN 88-202-1623-X, 142 pp., in Italian and English, it costs 15,00 €
For more infos get in touch with:
Segreteria "Premio Acqui"
Piazza Italia, 9
15011 Acqui Terme (AL)
Tel. 0039 - 0144 - 57937
Fax 0039 - 0144 - 57626
Internet site: Premio Acqui

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