Official rules

PREAMBLE

a. The Horizon Contemporary Prize (hereinafter referred to as "the Prize") is an art prize organized by Art Confidential, on behalf of Envie Gallery, a new contemporary art and design gallery that aims to create a cultural bridge between France and South Africa.

b. Envie is a contemporary gallery project blending art, design, and contemporary objects. It will initially take shape through a series of pop-up exhibitions along the Garden Route (Knysna, Mossel Bay, Wilderness) in 2026, before the opening of a permanent space in South Africa in 2027.

c. The Horizon Contemporary Prize is open to both amateur and professional contemporary artists and creators, regardless of age, nationality, or place of residence. It is open to all legally competent adults, as well as creative structures (brands, studios, etc.), in accordance with the categories defined herein.

d. The aim of the Prize is to support and launch artistic careers internationally, offering:

  • Jury review of submitted portfolios by French and South African professionals from the art and design fields;

  • Selection of winners (2 per category) to be featured in Envie's programming in South Africa (launch dinner in July 2026, pop-up exhibitions along the Garden Route, related events).

e. The only selection criteria used by the jury are the artistic, aesthetic, and creative quality of the submitted works and their relevance to the Envie Gallery context. Diplomas, past awards, previous exhibitions, media fame, or schools attended are not taken into consideration.

f. Selected artists and creators do not automatically become winners of the Prize. Two winners per category will be chosen by the jury according to the procedures described below.

g. Artists already represented or supported by Art Confidential under agency offers (notably the Allure and Privilege offers) do not need to apply to the Horizon Contemporary Prize to be considered for Envie programming. They are reviewed via a separate selection process already communicated by Art Confidential.

h. In this document, the terms "artist," "creator," or "applicant" refer interchangeably to any individual or structure submitting an application, regardless of gender or status.

1. CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

1.1 Publication and Deadlines

1.1.1 A call for applications is published on the official Horizon Contemporary Prize website and promoted through various online channels (social media, partners, etc.).

1.1.2 To apply, artists and creators must complete the online application form on the Website, following the instructions provided and uploading the required documents.

1.1.3 The call for applications is open to all until February 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (Paris time).

1.1.4 No extensions will be granted. Incomplete applications or those submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

1.2 Application Fee

1.2.1 Participation in the Horizon Contemporary Prize requires the payment of a €14 application fee, to be paid online via the Website using the available payment methods.

1.2.2 An application is only considered valid if the following three conditions are met:

  • The online application form is fully completed;

  • The application portfolio is uploaded in the required format;

  • The €14 application fee has been successfully processed.

1.2.3 The application fee contributes to the overall funding of the Horizon Contemporary Prize. It helps cover:

  • Administrative and technical costs associated with organizing the Prize (application platform, processing, etc.);

  • The time spent by the team reviewing and pre-selecting applications;

  • Communication and visibility efforts for the Prize and selected artists;

  • And for the winners, part of the costs related to production and exhibition of the works (insurance, transport, framing, logistics).

1.2.4 Applicants are free to withdraw their application at any time before the winners are publicly announced, and within a maximum of 90 days following the payment of the application fee. In that case, a full refund will be issued, with no justification required, upon simple request by email to: contact@art-confidential.com

1.2.5 Once the winners are announced (during the first week of March 2026), or once the 90-day withdrawal period has passed, the application is considered final and non-refundable.

1.3 Application File

1.3.1 Applications must be submitted exclusively online via the form provided on the Website. No physical submissions will be accepted (postal mail, packages, books, original works, printed catalogues, etc.).

1.3.2 The application file must be a single PDF document in either French or English and must include at minimum:

  • A statement outlining the artistic or creative approach (artistic profile): intent, universe, materials, influences, etc.

  • A general portfolio showing an overview of the applicant’s work (selection of relevant images);

  • A presentation of 4 to 10 works or objects submitted to the Horizon Contemporary Prize (in the chosen category), including for each:

    • Title

    • Medium / materials

    • Dimensions

    • Weight

    • Year of production

    • Desired public price (incl. VAT)

  • Optionally, links to a website or social media profiles.

CVs are optional and not taken into account in the selection process.

1.3.3 Applicants must choose only one main category that best represents the nature of their work (see Section 2).

1.3.4 Any application for which the €14 fee has not been paid by February 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. will not be considered.

1.3.5 Any applicant who provides false information, is not the author of the submitted works, makes a fraudulent payment, or behaves disrespectfully toward other applicants, the organization, or the jury, may have their application canceled and may be permanently excluded from future editions of the Horizon Contemporary Prize.

1.3.6 Special Case: Artists Already Represented by Art Confidential

Artists already represented by Art Confidential through its “Allure” or “Privilège” offers, and whose membership is active before January 1, 2026, do not need to apply to the Horizon Contemporary Prize.

As their portfolios have already undergone in-depth review by Art Confidential, these artists are automatically considered for the Envie gallery programme, independently of the competition.

This provision does not guarantee selection or exhibition, as the final curation for Envie remains subject to curatorial decisions, artistic coherence, logistical feasibility, and the specific constraints of each exhibition project.

2. CATEGORIES

Applicants must choose one of the following categories:

2.1 Category 1 — Wall-Based Works and Images

  • Painting

  • Drawing

  • Collage

  • Mixed media

  • Photography

  • Digital works

  • Illustration

2.2 Category 2 — Sculptural Works & Small Installations

  • Sculpture

  • Small installations (reasonable-sized installations)
    All works must be transportable and not require complex mounting or heavy technical equipment. The organizer reserves the right to refuse works that are too fragile, too large, or technically incompatible with the exhibition venues.

2.3 Category 3 — Materials, Ceramics, Art & Design Objects

  • Ceramics

  • Art objects

  • Design objects (one-off pieces or small series)
    This category is for objects with strong artistic value, a high quality of form, material, and finish.

2.4 Category 4 — Emerging Brands & New Creators (under 5 years of existence)

This category is open to:

  • Brands

  • Studios

  • Independent designers

With fewer than 5 years of existence in fields such as:

  • Fashion

  • Interior design / decor

  • Tableware

  • Wellness

  • Accessories and lifestyle objects, etc.

The submitted items must be original creative productions (design, art, craft), not simple resale products.

Entries can be submitted by:

  • An individual creator

  • A company or collective (brand, studio, association, etc.), provided the creator(s) behind the submitted works are clearly identified.
    Companies must confirm they hold all necessary rights and are authorized to represent the creators of the submitted works.

The jury will assess all entries based on artistic and creative quality, regardless of legal or structural format.

3. LAUREATES & EXHIBITIONS

3.1. For each category, the jury will select 2 winners — a total of 8 laureates.

3.2. The laureates will be included in the official programming of Envie in South Africa, as part of:

  • the launch dinner in Knysna in July 2026 (2 to 4 works or objects selected per laureate for this event),

  • one or more pop-up exhibitions along the Garden Route (Knysna, Mossel Bay, Wilderness) between late 2026 and 2027,

  • an event linked to the Knysna French Festival in March 2027.

3.3. Depending on the audience response, venue capacity, and curatorial direction, additional works may be requested from the laureates, provided that transport and exhibition logistics allow.

3.4. The transportation of selected artworks (round trip) will be fully covered by the organization (Art Confidential / Envie), under the terms to be defined in a future agreement or contract with the laureates.

3.5. Insurance of the artworks during transit and throughout the exhibitions in South Africa will also be managed by Envie, within the limits and conditions set forth in the agreement. Artists are free to subscribe to additional insurance at their own expense if desired.

3.6. Sales conditions (including the gallery commission, fixed at 50% of the sale price, and payment terms) will be covered in a separate agreement between Envie and each selected artist or creator.

3.7. Transport, Curation & Support for Laureates

Once the final selection is confirmed, the international transport of laureates’ works will be coordinated by Hortense d’Hardemare — founder of Art Confidential and curator of Galerie Envie — or carried out under her direct supervision.

Hortense d’Hardemare will also curate the exhibitions and oversee the installation and management of the artworks throughout all events and exhibitions related to the Horizon Contemporary Prize and the Envie gallery program in South Africa.

No additional fees will be requested from the laureates beyond the initial submission fee. All costs related to the international transport of selected works, insurance, potential framing, and exhibition setup will be covered by the organization, according to the terms established by Art Confidential and Envie.

Artworks may be received in France — primarily in Paris, and in some cases in Nantes or Bordeaux. Practical arrangements for drop-off, shipping, or collection will be coordinated directly with each laureate, who agrees to make the works available to the Art Confidential team within the required timeframe.

4. JURY & SELECTION PROCESS

4.1 Role of the Selection Committee (Jury)

4.1.1. The selection of laureates is made by an independent jury composed of professionals in the fields of art, design, and creative industries, both from France and South Africa.

4.1.2. The jury is appointed by the organizer (Art Confidential). It is composed of Marine Hardy, Nkuli Mlangeni-Berg, Emmanuelle Callerame, Caroline Canon, Shamyra Moodley, and Wanda Lephoto.

4.1.3. Each jury member commits to carefully reviewing the submitted applications and evaluating the works and projects based on their artistic and aesthetic quality, coherence, and potential within the curatorial context of Envie.

4.1.4. Jury members must refrain from favoring any applicant for reasons other than artistic merit, and must declare that they are not in a situation of conflict of interest with any candidate (e.g., close personal or professional relationships, contractual ties, etc.).

4.1.5. Internal voting procedures (ranking, scoring systems, deliberations) are determined by the organizer and will not be made public. The decisions of the jury are final, sovereign, and not subject to appeal.

4.1.6. Applicants agree not to contact jury members directly regarding the Horizon Contemporary Prize. All questions must be addressed exclusively to the organizing team via the contact email provided on the website. Failure to comply with this rule may result in disqualification.

4.2 Announcement of Results

4.2.1. The results of the Horizon Contemporary Prize (list of laureates per category) will be announced on the official website during the first week of March 2026.

4.2.2. Laureates will also be contacted individually by email at the address provided during their application.

4.2.3. The organizers are under no obligation to justify the jury’s decisions or to provide individual rankings, scores, or comments.

5. COPYRIGHT & IMAGE RIGHTS

5.1. Applicants retain full copyright ownership of all works and images submitted as part of their application.

5.2. By applying, artists and creators guarantee that they are the original creators of the submitted works, or that they hold all necessary rights to submit and exhibit the works.

5.3. Laureates grant Art Confidential and Envie a non-exclusive, royalty-free, unlimited license to reproduce images of the submitted works for the sole purposes of:

  • communication and promotion related to the Horizon Contemporary Prize,

  • promotion of Envie exhibitions and events,

  • publication on websites, social media, press materials, and exhibition catalogues.

5.4. No other commercial use of the images will be made without the artist’s or creator’s prior written consent.

6. PERSONAL DATA

6.1. The organizer ensures that no unnecessary personal information is requested from applicants.

6.2. Applicants agree that their personal data may be processed digitally by Art Confidential and Envie, in accordance with applicable data protection laws (including the GDPR for data collected in Europe).

6.3. Applicants have the right to access, correct, or delete their data. These rights can be exercised by contacting the organizer through the details provided on the official website.

6.4. Applicants’ data may only be shared with third parties when necessary for:

  • the normal operation of the prize,

  • the implementation of the exhibitions,

  • legal obligations of the organizer.

6.5. Applicants may request the deletion of their account or personal data at any time, with the understanding that this will result in the cancellation or non-consideration of their application.

7. POSTPONEMENT, CANCELLATION, FORCE MAJEURE

7.1. Art Confidential and Envie reserve the right to postpone or cancel the Horizon Contemporary Prize if required by circumstances (e.g., insufficient number of applications, logistical issues, international context, etc.).

7.2. Art Confidential, Envie, and the applicants (hereinafter referred to as “the Parties”) cannot be held liable for any failure to fulfill their obligations in the event of force majeure, defined as any unforeseeable, unavoidable, and external event (such as natural disasters, war, pandemics, administrative decisions, etc.).

7.3. In the event the prize is canceled for a reason other than force majeure, the application fee paid for the current year will be refunded to the applicants.

7.4. The organizer cannot be held liable for any consequences resulting from the postponement or cancellation of the competition or exhibitions.

7.5. The organizer reserves the right to cancel an individual application and refund the registration fee, without being required to justify this decision.

8. APPLICABLE LAW

8.1. These rules are governed by French law.

8.2. Any dispute relating to the Horizon Contemporary Prize will, in the absence of an amicable resolution, be submitted to the competent courts of the jurisdiction where Art Confidential is headquartered, without prejudice to mandatory consumer protection laws that may apply.

9. ACCEPTANCE OF THE RULES

9.1. By participating in the Horizon Contemporary Prize, the applicant acknowledges having read and fully accepted these rules without reservation.

9.2. No application will be considered unless the rules have been explicitly accepted during the online submission process.

Dépôt des candidatures jusqu’au 15 février 2026

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