A new unmissable Mostrami call! Artists for the Umberto Cesari Art Contest!

This time we are calling on many forms of creativity… photographers, graphic designers, illustrators, painters, and digital artists — this one’s for you! Our partner is the Umberto Cesari, a renowned winery based in Castel San Pietro (BO), in Emilia-Romagna, whose agronomic philosophy stands on three pillars: heritage, sustainability, and innovation. Our goal? Creating an exclusive artwork developed into three labels for the wines of the MOMA line, solely for the Umberto Cesari.

MOMA is a collection dedicated to the world of art, and its name is the acronym for My Own Masterpiece. After the first edition, which paid homage to Giorgio Morandi, the idea of a competition was born: the Umberto Cesari Art Contest, launched in 2011 to promote young talents, reinforce the connection between wine and art, and periodically renew the labels of the line.

Here’s a little more about this extraordinary company: in the early 1960s, Umberto Cesari purchased 20 hectares of vineyard and set out on the challenge of a lifetime — turning Sangiovese into an outstanding, world-renowned wine. Umberto Cesari was one of the first in Emilia-Romagna to believe in this grape variety, as well as in other native vines capable of producing extraordinary wines such as Albana di Romagna, Trebbiano, and Pignoletto, later enriched by major international varieties like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.

We are thrilled to bring art into the world of wine through this contest and through a partnership with such an excellent brand.

Today, the company consists of 12 estates in the hills between Castel San Pietro Terme and Montecatone di Imola, all managed according to the principles of sustainable viticulture. Currently, 30% of the vineyards have been converted to organic farming.

The Umberto Cesari has shaped a production process that combines the value of human experience with the most innovative techniques: every phase of the winemaking journey is handled within its own vineyards and cellars — a fully integrated supply chain managed by highly experienced staff, using cutting-edge technologies while respecting traditions. This approach ensures control over every production stage and guarantees the exceptional quality of their wines.

The tireless pursuit of quality, meticulous attention to detail, passion for research, and drive for innovation are the cornerstones of the Umberto Cesari’s daily work and an enduring source of inspiration.

The company’s founder, Umberto Cesari, used to describe their products with these words: “each of our bottles contains the best of our knowledge and know how.”

Artistic call for the Umberto Cesari Art Contest: ELIGIBLE CREATIVES

All artists residing in Italy and abroad, of any gender, who work in one of the following artistic forms — photography, graphic design, illustration, painting, and digital art — are eligible to apply.
As with all Mostrami projects, we primarily address very young artists, but also — following suggestions and requests received on previous occasions (we always take them into account!) — we have not imposed any age limits to participate.

Artistic call for the Umberto Cesari Art Contest: THEME – ART AND WINE

We invite you to reinterpret the world of the Umberto Cesari in a new visual representation… its story is rooted in land, passion, knowledge, innovation, and sustainability. We want to involve all artists capable of applying the aforementioned artistic forms in the creation of the artwork for three labels. Each artist may submit multiple proposals, which will be used on the three MOMA wine line labels: white wine, red wine, and sparkling wine (here the MOMA wine technical data sheet). The winning proposal will be used exclusively by the Umberto Cesari and may be used in any communication medium — print, digital, and social — for 8 years.
How can these concepts be artistically translated into a creative work?
We have chosen a guiding mantra: “the culture of wine at the center of a convivial moment in our lives, between right timing and responsible consumption.”
How would you interpret this phrase creatively? That’s the question all participating artists must answer!
We suggest developing your proposal by visiting the company’s official website.

The 4 core values your proposals should revolve around are:

• heritage, sustainability, and innovation;
• responsible consumption and well-being;
• sociability and conviviality: quality and time required to live in a “convivium”;
• interpretation of how wine is part of our food tradition.

Wondering how the winning creative work will be used from a communication standpoint? Here are some examples: social media posts, press conferences, illustrations, corporate documents, office interior decoration, greeting cards, internal communications, the Umberto Cesari website, etc.

As for the submission: to apply, all you need is a low-resolution JPG version of your artwork. Six proposals will be shortlisted from all submissions, and these will be voted on online by the public and by a technical jury composed of members from the Umberto Cesari and Mostrami to determine a single final winner. Please note: the selected artwork will need to be adapted by the author to best fit the vertical layout of the wine labels.

Looking for more inspiration? Here’s a selection of photos representing the 4 key values of this art call: responsible consumption, wellness (both personal and collective), sociability and conviviality, and the quality and time needed to achieve and enjoy them.

Artistic call for the Umberto Cesari Art Contest: PRIZES

The winning artist will receive a gross prize of €2,500, which will be awarded by Mostrami upon receipt of an invoice or a one-time payment receipt. The other 5 artists whose works are shortlisted will each receive a non-cash prize consisting of three cases of wine (MOMA white, MOMA red, and MOMA sparkling), sent by Umberto Cesari, with a commercial value of €200.

Art contest for Umberto Cesari: RULES

Interested participants must register for the dedicated mailing list (look at the form below) to receive all application instructions, full details of the call, and the form where they can enter their biographical information, an image of their submitted work (or series of three works), and a brief description (minimum 200 characters) of the project related to the contest theme.
As always, all Mostrami applications are completely free of charge. It is also possible to submit your own non-unpublished work, reworked for the call.
Artists may submit up to 10 proposals. Only the winning artist will be required to adapt the winning artwork for optimal vertical graphic rendering according to the shape of the wine label, and will also need to submit a high-resolution (vector-graphics format) file.
Who selects the winners? As mentioned, the Mostrami team will define an initial shortlist, but the final winner — whose work will appear on the wine bottles — will be selected in collaboration with the Umberto Cesari’s representatives and through public voting.

So don’t wait until the last minute to submit your projects — the longer your proposal is visible, the more it will win the team’s hearts!

Contest DEADLINES

The call closes on Sunday, June 15th at 11:59 PM (CET).
Even those who have already submitted their application and wish to modify, expand, or change it may do so freely until the closing date.
The results of the selection will be published on our website and on the dedicated website.The 6 shortlisted artists will be contacted directly via email by September 10th, 2025.
We’re here to help! For any questions or issues filling out the application form, please contact info@mostra-mi.it.

What’s next? Hurry up and start developing your proposals… we can’t wait to see your work!
Good luck!

SUBSCRIBE TO THE MAILING LIST TO RECEIVE THE APPLICATION FORM. ONCE YOU CONFIRM YOUR SUBSCRIPTION TO THE MAILING LIST, YOU WILL NEED TO CONFIRM YOUR INTENT TO PARTICIPATE (SO DON’T FORGET TO CHECK YOUR “SPAM” OR “PROMOTIONS” FOLDER FOR OUR AUTOMATED EMAIL). YOU WILL THEN BE DIRECTLY TAKEN TO THE APPLICATION FORM (IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS, FEEL FREE TO WRITE TO INFO@MOSTRA-MI.IT).

THE ORGANIZER OF THE CALL

Mostrami Srl Impresa Sociale is committed to promoting young contemporary art as a driver for social development. Founded in 2014, the project brings together a collective of over 1,400 young artists and a community of more than 36,000 contemporary art enthusiasts, and collaborates with over 80 institutional and corporate partners.