Salamander International Art Prize 2026 - 4th Edition
Created by Monteoliveto Gallery
After the great success for its first three editions in 2023 (Paris), 2024-2025 (Naples), the Salamander International Art Prize comes back for its fourth edition in 2026! The application are open until the 3rd of May 2026 and the Awards Event will take place the 30th of May 2026 again in our home city, the artistically vibrant: Napoli!
What is the Salamander International Art Prize:
Monteoliveto Gallery, in search of new artistic adventures, has decided to set out towards a new appointment dedicated to contemporary art which, as always, highlights and enhances its interpreters. With this in mind, the Salamander International Art Prize was born, a prize dedicated to contemporary art.We chose the Salamander to represent our prize, as it was one of the animals that fascinated our beloved director, Chantal Lora, who sadly left us in 2022. Chantal Lora was also Monteoliveto Gallery's co-founder and in the last 20 years she has carried out, with a smile, an energetic and passionate work, to make the gallery’s artists, coming from all over the world, known, throughout Europe with always original events. For this reason and for many others, from the first moment we thought of dedicating this Prize to her memory. In this way her positive spirit will always be linked to the Art world. Starting with this 4th edition, we welcome in the organization of the Salamander International Art Prize, our local partners in Naples: Piccola Galleria Resistente and Associazione VerginiSanità.
Application
To apply click here to pay your participation fee (Regular or under 25) and then send us your artwork, the category in which you choose to participate (see below) and a quick biography with your website and social accounts at the following e-mail: gilbert.monteolivetogallery@gmail.com
How it is organized:
As per last edition, this year too, we will have some major changes in the prize’s organization:
- First of all we will have a non-mandatory theme for this year's edition that will be soon presented
- There will be again three categories in which you can inscribe your artworks.
- All artworks will “compete” for the Salamander International Art Prize but we will have also: three Category Awards, one Award of the Public and the LY Award for the artworks that participate to the theme.
- The artworks participating in the award will all be presented in three times: 15 finalists physically, the rest virtually: 1 exhibition in Naples organized with the partners Associazione VerginiSanità and Piccola Galleria Resistente / 1 exhibition during the Awards Event on May 30th in Napoli / 1 exhibition in the end of 2026 in the scenic city of Cisternino (Puglia) - home of last edition's winner: Mariantonietta D'Errico.
These are the three artworks categories:
- Graphic arts: painting, mixed media, drawing, illustration and engraving techniques
- Sculpture and installation
- Photography, video-art and performance
These are the Awards:
An award to one artwork for each category chosen by experts jury (related to the category) The winners receive: an Award certification, their artworks exhibited during the Awards Event in Napoli, exhibition show in Cisternino in the end of 2026 and 1 year representation, with 1 artwork, in Monteoliveto Gallery’s events (if already Artist of the Gallery subscriber, they win an ulterior year).
An award from the Public on social medias The winner receive: an Award certification, their artworks exhibited during the Awards Event in Napoli, exhibition show in Cisternino in the end of 2026 and 1 year representation, with 1 artwork, in Monteoliveto Gallery’s events (if already Artist of the Gallery subscriber, they win an ulterior year).
The new LY award for the best thematic artwork The winner receive: an Award certification, their artworks exhibited during the Awards Event in Napoli, exhibition show in Cisternino in the end of 2026 and 1 year representation, with 1 artwork, in Monteoliveto Gallery’s events (if already Artist of the Gallery subscriber, they win an ulterior year).
One Winner of the Salamander International Art Prize selected by the full jury The winner receive: The Salamander International Art Prize certification and trophy, created by last edition's winner Mariantonietta D'Errico, their artworks exhibited during the Awards Event in Napoli, exhibition show in Cisternino in the end of 2026, 1 year representation, with 1 artwork, in Monteoliveto Gallery’s events (if already Artist of the Gallery subscriber, they win an ulterior year) and the creation of a monography dedicated to his/her artworks curated by the gallery and published as ISBN.
A new typology of catalog is now on development, the 15 finalists of the will be presented on it and we will soon present it to you!
Calendar
3rd of May 2026
Last day to apply to the Salamander International Art Prize
All the participating artworks, will be presented on the gallery’s and Salamander International Art Prize’s social channels and website.
For the LY Award a jury of under-18 will be formed that will decide the winner of this particular award.
The Award of the Public will be given to the Artwork that receives most votes on gallery's Instagram and Facebook accounts combined.
Each category award will be evaluated by a jury of experts that will decide, the 3 nominees for each category and among them the winner of the award.
The three jury will then regroup to form the full jury and decide the 15 finalists of the Salamander International Art Prize.
Among these 15 artworks, the full jury will declare the winner of the 4t edition of the Salamander International Art Prize.
19th of May 2026
The 15 finalists of the Salamander Art Prize, along the 3 nominees for each category award are announced in a special event by the Monteoliveto Itinerant Gallery in the heart of Naples.
4th - 25th of May 2025
Votes are open for the Award of the Public on the Gallery's social medias
30th of May 2026
Awards Event in Napoli - Location to be determined
End of 2026
Salamander Event in Cisternino di Puglia with the announcement of the winner of the LY Award
