The 4th edition of BOit! International Illustration Contest is open!

What stories can rivers and waterways tell? How are they intertwined with the fate of cities? What role will they play in shaping the future of our communities?

The fourth edition of the BOit! contest aims to explore the deep, visceral bond between water and the city—between water and civilization, and humanity itself.

Participants are invited to explore this connection through the lens of the urban landscape, drawing inspiration from their own city, an imagined one, or Bologna itself. But the perspective is broad, open to embracing the entire world—both real and imagined.

The visual identity of this edition takes inspiration from the Finestrella on Via Piella in Bologna — a small window overlooking the Moline Canal. This square frame invites us to focus our gaze and reflect on the relationship between city and water: water as a source of life, energy, and connection. A threshold between what we are, what we see, and what we imagine.

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Awards of the 4th edition

The prizes for the Fourth Edition will be awarded by an exceptional jury composed of illustrators and experts in illustration and visual storytelling.

The “WATER AND THE CITY” Prize
A cash prize of €800 awarded to the work that best embodies creativity and coherence with the proposed theme.

SOLO EXHIBITION Prize
The opportunity to present a solo exhibition of a personal creative project.

FINE ARTS Prize
A €200 voucher for the purchase of fine arts tools and materials.

BOit project

BOit! is an international illustration contest born in Bologna and open to a global audience. Its aim is to promote creative work, foster professional growth, and encourage international exchange among emerging illustrators and visual artists. Each edition challenges participants to engage with a specific shape and theme inspired by the city of Bologna, sparking a broader conversation on topics of universal relevance. BOit! celebrates the language of illustration through an open and inclusive competition, with a special focus on original, unpublished contributions by young creatives.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Civico32 Association as founder of the contest and personally thanks to Chiara Boschiero for the idea of BOit, to Renata Giannelli for the conception and realization of the first BOit logo with the two towers of Bologna, to Simona Boldini for the idea of the name BO it! and thanks to Neva Frau, president of That’s a Mole! Association for the inspiration.