Trakai will celebrate its 700th anniversary in 2021, in accordance with Motiejus Strijkovskis’ statement in his work “Kronika Polska, Litewska, Żmódzka y wszystkiej Rusi”. To commemorate this anniversary, the Trakai History Museum is organizing an international ex-libris competition “Trakai 700. In Search of Identity: Trakai Resident’s DNA”.
The competition aims to promote the bookplate and the city of Trakai. Its goal is to depict the identity of Trakai through a historical prism and to search for the face of Trakai as a multicultural city in the historical context where all ethnic groups and communities – Jews, Karaites, Tatars, Polish and Russians – are of equal importance. An exhibition of the winners of the competition will be organized and a catalog of the exhibition will be published. The international ex-libris competition is being held for the fifth time.
Alvyga Zmejevskienė, director of the Trakai History Museum, is inviting artists and creators of small graphics from around the world to create ex-libris for the Trakai architectural complex, personalities associated with this area, and to search for identity - the DNA of the Trakai resident.
Originally, the name of Trakai most probably did not belong to the current city, but Old Trakai - an area located 4 km southeast of Trakai. The most spread hypothesis about the establishment of the Old Trakai is based on an excerpt from the Lithuanian Chronicle. It states that Old Trakai was founded by Grand Duke Gediminas himself, who once left Kernavė to hunt on the opposite bank of the Neris river. In the woods five miles away, the duke has found a beautiful mountain surrounded by oak groves and plains. He liked the place so dearly that he built a castle and founded the city of Trakai in the surroundings of Old Trakai and moved the capital from Kernavė. Motiejus Strijkovskis, the author of Lithuanian history, stated in his work “Kronika Polska, Litewska, Żmódzka y wszystkiej Rusi” that it happened in 1321.
As with many historical dates, this one is also not so simple. Opinions differ. The description of the history of Trakai Old Town in the Register of Cultural Values indicates that Old Trakai was the capital of the Lithuanian state between 1316 and 1323 (according to other sources, in 1321 and 1322).

TERMS OF COMPETITION.

The competition will take place from March 25, 2021 until July 2, 2021 (inclusive, date of postal registration). The works submitted to the competition will be evaluated by the Jury on July 29-30, 2021.
Ex-libris can be dedicated to a specific person or an institution. Each ex-libris must bear the inscription “EX LIBRIS. TRAKAI 700” or “EX LIBRIS. TRAKAI 1321–2021” and the name of the institution or the name and surname of the chosen person to whom the bookplate is dedicated. If only initials of the person are provided, the full name of the person must be written on the other side of the paper. Recommended ex-libris topics are as follows:

• Trakų Švč. Mergelės Marijos Apsilankymo bazilika
• Trakų Švč. Mergelės Marijos Apsilankymo bazilikos lobynas
• Trakų Švč. Mergelės Marijos Apsilankymo parapijos emeritas monsinjoras Vytautas Pranciškus Rūkas
• Trakų Šv. Dievo Motinos gimimo stačiatikių cerkvė
• Trakų kenesa
• Trakų mečetė
• Trakų žydų sinagoga
• Trakų Salos pilis
• Trakų Pusiasalio pilis
• Buvęs Trakų dominikonų vienuolynas (XVII–XIX a.)
• Buvęs Trakų bernardinų vienuolynas
• Buvusi Trakų parapijos mokykla (XIX a.)
• Trakų krašto dvarai
Ex-libris not bearing the necessary inscription, the owner of the bookplate or institution will not be accepted for the competition and exhibition. The edge of the ex-libris imprint must not exceed 150 mm and the size of the paper sheet must not exceed A4 format. Ex-libris can be created using traditional graphic techniques and new technologies, computer graphics.
Ex-libris will only be accepted together with the completed participant application form, available for download here:
https://trakaimuziejus.lt/en/renginiai/2021-m-ekslibrisu-konkursas/
Two copies of the created, printed and autographed ex-libris must be submitted for the competition. The number of works is unlimited. Author’s surname, name, country it was sent from, year of creation of the ex-libris, graphic technique and dimensions must be written on the back of the bookplate.

Ex-libris must be sent by July 2, 2021 (inclusive, date of postal registration) to the following address:
International Ex-libris Competition
Trakai History Museum
Kęstučio g. 4
LT-21104 Trakai
Lithuania

EVALUATION
The works will be evaluated by the Jury formed and approved by the director of the Trakai History Museum Alvyga Zmejevskienė.
Ex-libris that meet the regulations of the competition will be selected for the exhibition, catalogue, and awards. Evaluation criteria:
• kūrinio originalumas;
• temos atskleidimas;
• kūrybiškumas;
• pasirinktos atlikimo technikos įvaldymas;
• sutepti, sulamdyti, suplyšę arba perlenkti per pusę, taip pat pavėluotai pateikti darbai nebus vertinami.

The works will be evaluated and awarded in two groups:
• ekslibrisai, sukurti tradicinėmis grafikos technikomis;
• ekslibriai, sukurti naudojant naujas technologijas, autorines technikas, kompiuterinę grafiką.


AWARDS FOR EX-LIBRIS CREATED BY TRADITIONAL GRAPHIC TECHNIQUES:
▪ I premija – 300,00 EUR
▪ II premija – 200,00 EUR
▪ III premija – 100,00 EUR
▪ I–III VIETŲ DIPLOMAI
AWARDS FOR EX-LIBRIS CREATED USING NEW TECHNOLOGIES, COPYRIGHT TECHNIQUES, COMPUTER GRAPHICS
▪ I–III VIETŲ DIPLOMAI
The Jury will select the 144 best works and inform their authors accordingly. Selected works will be exhibited in the exhibition and included in the exhibition catalog. The winners of the competition will receive a printed or digital catalog free of charge.
Authors of nominated and other artistic ex-libris may be additionally awarded prizes, gifts and diplomas established by the organizers or sponsors upon decision of the Jury. The specific time and venue of the awards, as well as the opening of the winning artists’ exhibition will be announced separately.
The submitted ex-libris will remain with the organizer of the competition, i.e. Trakai History Museum. The organizer has the right to photograph, copy and use the submitted works for competition publicity purposes without separate consent of the author and without paying royalties. By specifying the authorship of the works submitted, the organizer acquires the rights for publication, use in advertising and publishing, The works submitted are not returned to the authors. Participation in this competition implies the author's consent to the entire procedure and conditions of the competition.
The results of the competition will be published on the website of the Trakai Museum in August 2021.
https://trakaimuziejus.lt/en/renginiai/2021-m-ekslibrisu-konkursas/
COMPETITION ORGANIZER
Trakai History Museum
Kęstučio g. 4
LT-21104 Trakai
Lithuania
COMPETITION CURATOR
Renata Mečkovskienė
el. p. renata.meckovskiene@trakaimuziejus.lt
tel. + 370 616 55113

https://trakaimuziejus.lt/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Invitation_EXLIBRIS-2021_en.pdf