Smartup Optima 2017: call for under-40 artists with four prizes and residencies

Optima Italia, an energy and telecommunications company, has launched the third edition of Smartup Optima, a competition for artists under 40 curated by Marzo Izzolino. The deadline for submissions is November 19, 2017. The theme is "Semplificare la Complessità" (Simplify Complexity), reflecting the company's philosophy. Artists of any nationality who have not turned 41 by the deadline are eligible. Entry is free. Prizes include €5,000 awarded by a jury of experts (Martijn Verhoeven, Giovanna Cassese, Massimiliano Tonelli, Melania Rossi, Valeriya Klets, Lorenza Bosco), a residency at Fondazione Bevilacqua la Masa in Venice selected by curator Stefano Coletto, a residency at Optima Italia's offices in Naples ("Residenza Aziendale"), and a "Premio Visibilità" chosen by public online vote. The top twenty artists selected by the jury, plus winners of the Bevilacqua la Masa and Visibilità prizes, will be featured in an exhibition at Optima Italia's offices. Additionally, five artists under 35 will become finalists for the "Premio Pezzuti per l'Arte". The overall winner will install a permanent work at the Vanvitelli metro station in Naples. This edition also introduces Smartgallery, an online platform (E-Smartgallery) for purchasing competition artworks, and a network of corporate spaces across Italy transformed into temporary galleries.