Apollo Dionisiaco International Academic Prize for Poetry and Contemporary Art

A prize dedicated to the sense of beauty

The Apollo Dionisiaco International Academic Prize for Poetry and Contemporary Art is an annual recognition that brings together poets and artists of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities to celebrate, as its spirit dictates, the sense of beauty. Established by the International Academy of Signification for Poetry and Contemporary Art in Rome, in educational partnership with Roma Tre University, the prize has established itself as one of the most refined events that the Capital's cultural scene dedicates to the encounter between writing and visual arts.

Two languages in dialogue: poetry and visual art

The competition is divided into two sections. The poetry section welcomes free-themed compositions, published or unpublished, no longer than thirty-six lines; the visual art section is open to painting, sculpture, graphics, and photography. Selected works are evaluated by a jury of semioticians, critics, and university professors, and each awarded author receives an aesthetic semiotic critique signed by the president, Prof. Fulvia Minetti, which explores the layered languages of the works.

The awards: the Apollo Dionisiaco Trophies

Winners are awarded the First, Second, and Third Prizes, which grant the Golden Trophy, the Silver Trophy, and the Burnished Silver Trophy respectively: an original medal about five centimeters in diameter, designed by architect and goldsmith Marco Rocchi based on Fulvia Minetti's sketches, and hand-cast by the Laboratorio Orafo of Via Margutta 51 in Rome. The awards are completed by the Academy's Diploma and recognitions for Special Jury Merit, Merit, and Distinguished Participation reserved for the youngest entrants.

The ceremony at the National Central Library

The highlight is the public awards ceremony, which takes place in the Auditorium of the National Central Library of Rome, an institution of the Ministry of Culture, in the Castro Pretorio district. Here, the winning works do not remain on paper: paintings, sculptures, and photographs are exhibited, while poems are read live by the authors themselves, in an interweaving of art on display, spoken poetry, and critical reflection that gives the prize its Apollonian and Dionysian name.

An event in the heart of Rome

Hosted in one of the most prestigious cultural institutions of the City of Rome, in the Lazio region, the Apollo Dionisiaco Prize offers emerging and established poets and artists a showcase of great symbolic value, in the spirit of international dialogue between the arts. The academic dimension, aesthetic care, and the solemnity of the venue make this day an experience that goes beyond simple competition, becoming a shared celebration of contemporary creativity.