The Illustrators Exhibition is a showcase for the latest trends in illustration and talent spotting new artists held during Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
Launched in 1967, the Exhibition displays a wide selection of artists from different countries offering young emerging talents tangible professional opportunities.
Gaining visibility:
- The work of all the artists is published in the well- known Illustrators Annual: a large catalogue for publishers and professionals from all over the world, enriched with the contributions from members of the jury. The Annual is published in Italian and English and distributed to international specialist bookshops. It is also published in Japanese by JBBY - Japanese Board on Books for Young People, in Korea by CCOC, and in China by Dandelion Picture Book House.
- After the Fair, the Exhibition travels for over two years during a long international tour in museums, art galleries and important libraries in Japan, Korea, China and in other different countries every year.
- Meet the Jury! The five Jury members discuss how they went about choosing the illustrations for the Illustrators Exhibition. The “Ask the juror!” session gives the shortlisted illustrators a chance to talk directly with the jury members who assessed their artwork during the selection.
Professionals opportunities for emerging artists
- The International Award for Illustration Bologna Children's Book Fair – Fundación SM is dedicated to illustrators under 35 already selected for the Illustrators Exhibition. The winner receives a cheque of US $15,000 and is offered to illustrate a children’s book to be presented to the next edition of the Fair for a solo exhibition.
- Furthermore, since 2017, one of the emerging illustrators selected for the Illustrators Exhibition is chosen to create the trade show’s Visual Identity of the following year, in collaboration with Chialab Design: on the occasion of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Bologna Children's Book Fair, the illustrators selected from the Illustrators Exhibition of the last 10 years chosen by a special jury will be the protagonists of the visual identity 2023.
- Again for emerging talents, the Ars in Fabula School of Illustration with the Bologna Children’s Book Fair has been awarding the scholarship ARS IN FABULA – Grant Award, which is awarded annually to an artist aged under 30 at the Illustrators Exhibition.