The 28th UBE Biennale – International Sculpture Competition – Open Call

Submission Guidelines

UBE Biennale (International Sculpture Competition) is the nation’s first, large-scale outdoor sculpture exhibition launched in 1961 at the initiative of citizens in search for an improved post-war cityscape and richness of mind. Since its inception, the project played a significant role as the “experimental ground for outdoor sculptures and a gateway for young artists” and as the frontier of “urban revitalization through art.” Having Japan’s leading sculptors and art critics in the screening committee, today’s biennale grew to one of the oldest international outdoor sculpture competitions where artists from around thirty countries take part in. In its pursuit to attract further attention from the world, the 28th UBE Biennale invites works from a wide range of categories. The City of Ube is very much looking forward to your ambitious works.

ubebiennale.com

Organized by Ube City, UBE Biennale Committee, Mainichi Newspapers
Sponsored by Ube Industries, Ltd.
Supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs Government of Japan in the fiscal 2018

Applicant Eligibility

The competition is open to all individuals and groups, and amateurs and professionals for all types of sculptures. Each applicant can only submit one work.

Work Specifications

A) Entries must be original works, which have not been exhibited to the public elsewhere.
B) Maximum size of the actual work is 900cm (Total dimension of height +width +depth, including pedestal should be less than 900cm). Maximum weight of the actual work is 10-ton. The actual work must be able to be transported with a 10ton truck.
C) The sculpture should take into consideration the safety of the viewers. The materials and the structure must be suitable for an outdoor environment, be able to withstand wind pressure and earthquakes and be safe to touch. Works that need frequent repairs or maintenance are not desirable.
D) The work should not infringe upon the rights of third parties.
E) Works that do not meet the above terms will not be presented to the judges.

Judges

SAKAI Tadayasu (Chairperson) – Art Critic, Director of Setagaya Art Museum
SUMIKAWA Kiichi – Sculptor, Director of Iwami Art Museum
MIZUSAWA Tsutomu – Art Critic, Director of the Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama
KAWAGUCHI Tatsuo – Contemporary Artist, Professor, Kanazawa College of Art
SAITO Ikuo – Deputy Director of Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum
FUDO Misato – Deputy Director of Himeji City Museum of Art
FUJIWARA Teppei – Architect, Associate Professor, Yokohama Graduate School of Architecture
HINUMA Teiko – Professor, Joshibi University of Art and Design
NAGATA Akiko – Editor of Arts and Cultural News Department, Tokyo Headquarter of Mainichi Newspapers
KUBOTA Kimiko – Director of UBE Tokiwa Museum

Installation Committee

FUJIWARA Teppei – Architect, Associate Professor of Yokohama Graduate School of Architecture

Awards

Grand Prize (Ube City Prize) 5,000,000JPY (Sculpture Purchase and Model or Drawing Purchase Prize)
UBE Group Prize 4,000,000JPY (Sculpture Purchase and Model or Drawing Purchase Prize)
Mainichi Newspapers Prize 1,500,000JPY (Model or Drawing Purchase Prize)
Yamaguchi Bank Prize 1,000,000JPY
Ube Chamber of Commerce and Industry Prize 500,000JPY
Shimane Yoshika Town Prize 200,000JPY
Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum Prize 200,000JPY
Iwami Art Museum Prize 200,000JPY
Ube Citizens Prize (UBE Tokiwa Museum Prize) 2,000,000JPY (Sculpture Purchase and Model or Drawing Purchase Prize)

*The full-scale works and sculpture models or drawings selected for the top two prizes and the Citizens’ Prize, and the sculpture model or drawings selected for The Mainichi Newspapers Prize, will be bought by Ube City and will belong to the City. *Ube Citizens Prize will be voted on by the citizens of Ube. *The details and amounts of the prizes are subject to change.

Application Procedure

1. Entry (Open until August 31, 2018)
↓
2. Carrying- in of models and drawings (From September 10 to September 26, 2018)
↓
3. Preliminary Screening (September 30, 2018)
↓
Model and Drawing Exhibition (From October 1 to November 4, 2018)
↓
4. Installation of sculptures by selected applicants (July 22 to August 2 or August 13 to August 23, 2019)
↓
5. Secondary Screening (September 28, 2019)
↓
Open-Air Sculpture Exhibition (From September 29 to November 24, 2019)
↓
6. Works on display after the exhibition (Until November 30, 2020)

Entry

Application form Submit the completed application forms 1 and 2 to UBE Biennale Secretariat.

Address

UBE Biennale Secretariat Tokiwa Lake Hall, 254, Ooaza, Okiube, Ube City, Yamaguchi Pref., 7550001, Japan

Application Deadline

Application must be post-marked by Friday, August 31, 2018

Entry fee

Please transfer the following entry fee into the bank account below. Entry from inside Japan: 10,000yen *Applicant shall be liable for the relevant bank fees. Entry from Students: Free Entry from overseas: Free

Bank account is as below.

Swift code: YMBKJPJT Bank code: 0170 Branch code: 029 Account number: ordinary account 6374281 Corporate principal: Yoshie TAKEHARA Corporate name: UBE Biennale Secretariat Name of the bank: THE YAMAGUCHI BANK, Ltd. Ube branch Address of the bank: 1-1-11, Shintencho, Ube City, Yamaguchi Pref., 7550029, JAPAN

*Entry fees are not refundable. *If the entry fee is not fully received, your application will not be valid *Transfer money into the bank account above and send a copy of your bank slip with the application form.

Carrying-in/out of sculpture models and drawings

Models and Drawings The Preliminary Screening will be conducted for sculpture models and drawings prepared in accordance with the following specifications. Please submit either a model or drawing of your sculpture. Upon confirming the Entry Number issued by the Secretariat, please bring in your model or drawings in accordance with the following instructions.

For Sculpture Model Entry

A sculpture model at 1/10 in size of the full-scale work (the total length of the three sides must be 90cm or shorter) or images of the model shot from three directions (front and two other directions of your choice), printed out in the size specified as below. (Size specifications: JIS A3 paper <297mm x 420 mm> per image; we accept both vertical and horizontal images)

On the box containing the work, please make sure to paste Attachment Form and a printed image of the work indicating the top, bottom, and front of the work.

Applicants may submit a description of up to 2 pages, on A3 paper (no CD-R or DVDs). Be sure to put your name on the back of each piece of paper to keep the judgment fair. If the applicant’s name is written on the front, the secretariat will not present the documents to the judges.

For Drawing Entry

Three drawings of the work, seen from three directions (front and two other directions of your choice). Size specifications are as below. Please do not include signature or the name of the applicant in the drawings. (Size specifications: JIS A3 paper <297mm x 420 mm> per drawing; we accept both vertical and horizontal drawings)

Applicants may submit a description of up to 2 pages, on A3 paper (no CD-R or DVDs). Be sure to put your name on the back of each piece of paper to keep the judgment fair. If the applicant’s name is written on the front, the secretariat will not present the documents to the judges.

Place of Delivery

Tokiwa Lake Hall, Tokiwa Park, 254, Okiube, Ooaza, Ube City, Yamaguchi Pref., 7550001, Japan Tel. +81-836-51-7282

Period of Delivery

Applicants delivering models or drawings in person
Sunday, September 23 ~ Wednesday, September 26, 2018 10am to 4pm
*The model must be placed in a box.

Delivery by Courier
Monday, September 10 ~ Wednesday, September 26, 2018
*Please designate the arrival date to make sure the model or drawing will arrive until September 26.
*We will not accept liability for damage caused in shipping.

Return of model or drawing

After the Models and drawings Exhibition, all applicants’ models or drawings excluding the winning pieces should be collected as follows. Models and drawings shipped from overseas are non-returnable. Models and drawings will be kept at the secretariat until Friday, 29 March 2019. After that all models and drawings will be disposed of. *We will not return any models during the models and drawings exhibition period. * Insurance coverage for each model and a set of drawings: 100,000 yen

Direct pick-up (Collection in person)

Applicants who wish to collect their models or drawings in person, please pick up at Tokiwa Lake Hall, between Monday, November 5 and Thursday, November 8, 2018, from 10am to 4pm. Tokiwa Park, 254, Okiube, Ooaza, Ube City, Yamaguchi, 7550001, Japan Tel. +81-836-51-7282

Pick-up by Courier Company

Special arrangements for the return of your model or drawings must be written on the application form. Shipping costs must be pre-paid by the applicant. Note A) The shipping costs should be pre-paid by the applicant, including insurance. B) The secretariat will handle submitted models and drawings with care, but not be responsible for damage to work because of its materials, structural defects or force majeure.

Preliminary Screening

Judging day Sunday, September 30, 2018

*The selection process will be open to the public.

Process 40 pieces will be selected as models or drawings to be accepted. A) The selected 40 pieces will be kept at the secretariat’s office until the end of the Biennale and used for planned exhibitions or education activities. After that, the secretariat will return the models of each artist. The shipping fee will be paid by the Secretariat. B) 15 pieces will be selected from among the 40 sculpture models or drawings as works for full size production.

Publication Monday, October 1, 2018. All winners will be notified and names of winners will be published in The Mainichi Newspaper and on the UBE Biennale website. We will notify all the winners in writing.

Models and Drawings Exhibition

All submitted works will be exhibited.

The 28th UBE Biennale Sculpture Models and Drawings Exhibition
Period: Monday, October 1 ? Sunday, November 4, 2018
10am-5pm (Last entry 4:30pm)
Venue: Tokiwa Lake Hall
Tokiwa Park, 254, Okiube, Ooaza, Ube City, Yamaguchi Pref., Japan

Open-Air Sculpture Exhibition

15 sculptures and 40 selected models and drawings will be exhibited.

The 28th UBE Biennale
Sunday, September 29 – Sunday, November 24, 2019 9am-5pm
Venue: UBE Biennale Sculpture Hill in Tokiwa park
UBE Tokiwa Museum, 3-4-29, Nonaka, Ube City, Yamaguchi Pref., Japan

Download

• The 28th UBE Biennale – Sculpture Competition – Guidelines
• Guidelines – Spanish
• Guideliens – Chinese
• Guidelines – Korean
• Application form
• Summary of the 28th UBE Biennale

Address and Inquiry

UBE Biennale Secretariat
Tokiwa Lake Hall, 254, Ooaza, Okiube, Ube City, Yamaguchi Pref., 7550001, Japan
E-MAIL: ubebiennale@city.ube.yamaguchi.jp
URL. http://ubebiennale.com
TEL: 81-836-51-7282
FAX: 81-836-51-7205
9am-5pm（except weekends and holidays）

If you have any questions regarding the competition, please E-mail us.