Contest rules 2024
The Bembel competition is a so-called “open” competition with different categories and levels. “Open” means that more than one bronze, silver and gold medal can be awarded in each category (“Technique”, “Expression” & “Gaming”) and in each level (“Standard” & “Master”). The jury evaluates all displays (all entries by a single participant in category) in a category and level and decides which entries meet the requirements for gold, silver and bronze and which may not receive a medal but a special commendation (“highly commended”).
We are firmly convinced that miniature and figure painting is an art form and that the standard of “comparative evaluation” and the awarding of only one first, second and third place each does not do justice to the artistic work of the participants.
Terms and conditions of participation
By registering for the competition, each participant agrees to the following conditions of participation:
By submitting entries under their name, participants declare that it is their own work(s). Violation of this rule will result in disqualification and withdrawal of any prizes won. After consultation with the event management (e.g. by e-mail to orga@bembelminiaturecup.com), it is permissible to submit entries for other participants, e.g. absent participants, under their names.
Resubmitting entries that have won medals in previous Bembel Miniature Cup competitions is considered unsportsmanlike. Should the jury determine this, they will ignore the entry when judging the display.
The entry fee is due upon registration and is non-refundable, even in the event of non-participation, as it is used to pay for prizes, display materials and software, and is directly dependent on the number of entries.
The organisers of the Bembel Miniature Cup take no liability for damage to entries during the exhibition. We make every effort to avoid damage by means of orderlies and distancing rules, as well as careful handling of entries, but cannot guarantee or absolutely ensure this.
The submission of works is at the exhibitor’s own risk.
Submitted works must be assembled and firmly attached to stands / plinths so that they can be safely transported and judged by the jury without the works being damaged.
Registration
Exhibition entries are registered electronically via the cloud software “Emperor” either in the pre-registration, or at the on-site registration during the show. Emperor generates a list of entries and in which category / level they are submitted.
- Each participant must select a level for each category in which they exhibit. It is not possible to exhibit in both levels “Standard” and “Master” in one category.
- Each participant may exhibit any number of entries in all categories.
- All of a participant’s entries within a category add up to one display.
Physical submission of entries into the competition
Entries can then be entered into the competition from 10:00 am on Saturday until around 01:00 pm on Saturday. Participants will need a sticker with a unique code for each registered entry, so that the judges can identify the entries later. At the registration desk on Saturday morning, each pre-registered participant will receive an envelope with a list of their registered entries and a sticker for each entry. These must be collected and affixed before putting the exhibit entries into the competition area. If it is not possible to affix the sticker to the entry itself, the sticker can be affixed to a piece of paper provided by the organiser.
The contest area will have signs for each combination of category and level. All entries in a display must be set up together and separated from other displays by dividers (available when picking up the stickers with the registration number). All displays must be set up completely in the marked area belonging to the category and level. Each participant sets up their own entries. Touching or moving other participants’ entries is not permitted. Any violation of this rule will result in immediate exclusion from the competition. Only stewards and orderlies, designated by the organiser, as well as the jury, may touch entries during the exhibition.
Entries are submitted anonymously via the participation stickers, so that the judges do not receive any information about the authors of the works. This guarantees, as far as possible, a fair and unbiased evaluation. All participants are free to sign their works themselves or otherwise make them identifiable.
Entries and displays that exceed a footprint of 25 x 40 cm must be registered separately at contest@bembelminiaturecup.com.
Competition levels
Standard
- If you have not yet won or placed in major competitions.
- If you are not sure where to start, or are just painting for fun.
- The judges are a little less strict, the exhibits are judged mainly on the standards of the category and the competition is less intense than in Master.
Master
- If you are a professional painter.
- If you have already won prizes and awards.
- If you regularly place highly in Standard, it’s time to enter Master.
- The competition is certainly tougher, but only here will you find the best of the best and be able to compete against them!
Judges have the right to move submitted work from Standard to Master if the display clearly belongs to a higher level, and has a chance of competing at that higher level.
The decision as to which class and category participants submit their entries to is entirely up to them and depends solely on their assessment of the level and quality of their own work.
Competition Categories
Painting / Sculpting / Technical (Standard / Master)
- All entries are primarily judged according to technical painting aspects. If you want to show how well you can paint, this is the right category.
- Any kind of contribution can be submitted (figures, busts, dioramas, …).
Expression / Storytelling (Standard / Master)
- All posts are primarily judged according to expressive criteria: do they tell a story, do they evoke an emotion, do they create a mood in the viewer, etc.? If you want to communicate through your entries, this is the category of choice.
- Any kind of contribution can be submitted (figures, busts, dioramas, …).
Gaming (Standard / Master)
- Items that are painted for playing: A squad of your army, a faction of a board game, a group of heroes. This category is not intended for special individual figures – this is about groups.
- Technical quality and visual coherence will be judged. An entry usually contains several models, a display can contain several entries that are ideally already visually recognizable as a group. It is the sum of an entry that counts, not the individual parts.
- Smaller and larger groups of models can be entered, accompanied by large models.
- Please register displays that exceed a size of 25 x 40 cm in advance at contest@bembelminiaturecup.com, otherwise there may be space problems.
Out-of-Competition / Judges
- Entries that are excluded from the evaluation by the jury and entries by the jurors that are not in competition.
- If you want to show your miniatures without participating in the competition.
- Out-of-competition has no levels.
Jury
The group of jurors consists of renowned figure painters with many years of experience who have won prizes for their works in national and international competitions. We aim to maintain a diverse group of judges so that different styles, approaches and perspectives are represented in order to enable a more objective assessment of the works.
The work of the jurors is supported, supervised and guided by a senior head juror.
The evaluation of the jurors is final and cannot be contested.
Evaluation criteria
The organisers are aware that all manifestations of artistic activity are subject to subjective interpretation by the viewer and cannot be “divided” into point scales. However, in order to ensure the best possible objectivity and to enable the jurors to work systematically, entries are evaluated as follows:
- Painting / Sculpting / Technique
- Standard
- 90% technical realisation
- 10% overall impression / expression
- Master
- higher level than standard
- 70% technical realisation
- 30% overall impression / expression
- Standard
- Expression / Storytelling
- Standard
- 80% expression and communication
- 20% technical realisation
- Master
- higher level than standard
- 75% expression and communication
- 25% technical realisation
- Standard
- Gaming
- Standard
- 75% coherence and overall impression
- 25% technical realisation
- Master
- higher level than standard
- 60% coherence and overall impression
- 40% technical realisation
- Standard
These are general guidelines, and are defined independently of personal preferences, styles or trends.
If a participant submits more than one work in the same category, these works will be considered and judged as a “display” (all the works submitted). This means that a participant can only receive one prize in this category, either for the best model, or for the entire “display” (if all works are at a consistently good level).
Awards & special awards
Due to the open medal classification, there can be more than one bronze, silver and gold medal in each category / class.
The jury will select one entry from all gold medal winners of the “Standard” categories for the special “Best of Standard” award. This special prize is awarded in addition to the gold medal.
Should the jury decide that a display is “too good for standard”, the special prize “Out of class” will be awarded. The display is excluded from “Best of Standard” and eligible for “Best of Show“, as it actually belongs in “Masters”.
The jury will select one entry for the special “Best of Show” award from all gold medal winners of the “Masters” categories. This special prize is awarded in addition to the gold medal.
Possible non-cash and sponsor prizes will be raffled off among all participants in the competition.
Associations and clubs with special prizes can inform the organisers of the winners in advance so that additional time can be scheduled for the awards ceremony after the official prize-giving.
The organisers reserve the right to make changes to the rules at any time.