The application deadline for the UniCredit Venice Award was Saturday April 30, 2011. 

The contest, dedicated to the pavilions of the Central Eastern European countries participating in this year's Venice Biennale, received eight applications and finalists will be announced during the second half of May. The award winner(s) will be presented by the International Scientific Commission of UniCredit for Art at a ceremony on June 3 at Venice's Palazzo Grassi.

The participating countries are:

Croatia - artist Antonio G. Lauer, also known as Tomislav Gotovac & BADco, at the Arsenale

Czech Republic - artist Dominik Lang at the Giardini Pavilion

Estonia - artist Liina Siib at Palazzo Malipiero (San Marco 3079)

Hungary - artist Hajnal Németh at the Giardini Pavilion

Latvia - artist Kristaps Gelzis at Palazzo Albricci (Canareggio 4118)

Serbia - artist Todosijevic Dragolhub Raša at the Giardini Pavilion

Slovenia - artist Mirko Bratuša at Galleria A+A

Turkey - artist Ayse Erkmen at the Arsenale

A prize of €150,000 will be awarded to the best artistic project submitted. The winning work(s) will become a part of the UniCredit Art Collection and will be loaned, free of charge, to a contemporary art museum in the home country of the winning artist(s).

UniCredit's engagement with culture has a long and distinguished history. For an international organization like ours, art is a language that seamlessly connects different places and cultures, providing valuable opportunities for engagement within the countries in which we live and work. Collaborating with young artists and tapping into their creativity generates the type of new energy and ideas that our group considers essential to the sustainable development ofour communities.