BOit – International Illustration Contest was founded in Bologna in 2019, born from a shared vision among professionals in the artistic, social, and creative fields. They were united by the desire to give space to a form of art capable of telling stories and evoking imagery with immediacy and depth: illustration!

In this brief introduction we would like to thank Chiara Boschiero and Eleonora Casetta, who sparked the initial idea of the contest, Simona Boldini, who came up with the name BOit!, and Civico32, which made it possible to turn the initial idea into reality.

From the beginning, BOit chose to intertwine the language of images with the urgencies of the present, with a particular focus on social inclusion, active participation, and the enhancement of local heritage.
Each edition of the contest revolves around a specific theme, inspired by the city of Bologna and its cultural, urban, and human heritage.
Today, BOit is a project that brings to life exhibitions, workshops, and ever-evolving initiatives that involve illustrators and diverse audiences, in Italy and abroad.

1st Edition – Illustrating Welcoming: the Towers

The first edition of BOit took place in 2019, promoted by the associations Carte Diem and Civico32. The founding board included Chiara Boschiero, Renata Giannelli, Marco Ottolenghi, Francesca Rametta, Sara Bernardi, and Annalisa Rosati. The first BOit! logo was designed and created by Renata Giannelli.
The chosen theme was welcoming—a foundational value for a city like Bologna, historically open to dialogue and the movement of people and cultures.
The visual symbol selected for this first edition was the pair of medieval towers inside a square.
From the outset, BOit stood out for its social commitment: workshops and support activities were organized to ensure the participation of both individuals from protected categories and emerging illustrators.
Among the educational activities of the first edition were:

• A masterclass led by Renata Giannelli in collaboration with Cooperativa Sociale Nazareno at Casa Mantovani
• Two free open masterclasses on “How to develop a graphic illustration project,” led by Annamaria Stanghellini and Valentina Lasagni at the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna

The jury was composed of professionals from the publishing and art sectors: Elena Pasoli, Otto Gabos, Chiara Boschiero, Eleonora Casetta, Sara Bernardi, Omraam Tatcheda, Marianna Balducci, Emanuela Candini, and Emanuela Ciroldi.
The three winners of the first edition were Enrico Lugli, Daniela Masia, and Marta Viviani. The exhibition of the selected works was hosted at the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna.

👉 Discover all selected works from the 1st edition

2nd Edition – Rethinking Bologna: the Porticoes

In a time marked by the pandemic and social distancing, the idea for the second edition took shape around the theme “Rethinking Bologna”: an invitation to imagine new forms of relationships, public space, and collective life, starting from the city’s post-pandemic rebirth.
The symbolic outline chosen to represent the edition was that of the porticoes, evoking a visual suggestion of an embrace in the form of two adjacent arches. Moreover, in 2021, Bologna’s porticoes became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The contest’s working group was renewed for this second edition: alongside the association Civico32, MENOPERMENO joined, with a new board formed by Renata Giannelli, Francesca Rametta, Sara Bernardi, Marco Ottolenghi, Annalisa Rosati, and Chiara Mazzoni.
New activities were designed to suit the hybrid context:

• An online masterclass led by Irene Penazzi to help participants prepare for an illustration contest
• This is not a marketing class: a webinar on marketing strategies and self-funding for creatives by Annalisa Rosati and Alessia Mocci
• An online masterclass with guest Alessandro Diele, curated by Annalisa Rosati, on how to promote illustration work through social media
• An in-person masterclass by Renata Giannelli at Casa Mantovani, in collaboration with Banco Artigiano and Cooperativa Sociale Nazareno
• An in-person illustration workshop at the Civic Archaeological Museum of Bologna, led by Sara Bernardi and Marta Viviani

The jury for this edition included Ilaria Zanellato, Chiara Mazzoni, Emanuela Ciroldi, Elena Pasoli, Federica Legnani, Luigi Raffaelli, and Stella di Meo.
The winners were Carlotta Artioli, Zhang Siqi, and Ema Malyauka.
The exhibition of selected works was installed in the city’s urban space, so as to be in direct dialogue with the porticoes, thanks to the support of the Municipality of Bologna.

👉 Discover all selected works from the 2nd edition

3rd Edition – City, Climate, Change: the Outline of the Walls

The third edition marked a consolidation of BOit’s format and identity. A new curatorial team—Sara Bernardi, Marta Viviani, Carlotta Artioli, and Costanza Rosa—led an edition with an international scope, centered around the theme “Climate Change and Ecological Transition”.
The symbolic outline chosen was that of Bologna’s ancient walls, the polygonal circle that defines the city’s shape: a visual element reminiscent of a beehive cell structure.
In this edition, significant effort was put into promoting the contest and disseminating its theme—timely and open to collective reflection. The activities were rich and diverse:

• Participation with our stand at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF)
• Free creative workshops curated by Sara Bernardi with Gruppo Nuovi Orizzonti of Cooperativa Dolce, Astronave Lab in Finale Emilia, and Campi d’Arte in San Pietro in Casale
• A webinar curated by Sara Bernardi titled “Science and Illustration: The Endless Possibilities of Non-Fiction Illustration”, featuring Marta Galloni, Marta Barberis, Nicolò Pesce, Matteo Pompili, and Chiara Vercesi
• A webinar curated by Carlotta Artioli and Costanza Rosa titled “Cities and Illustration: Exploring New Ways of Living”, featuring Jannik Pra Levis, Chiara Ciambellotti, Pennelli Ribelli, and Martina Tonello
• Illustrated Interviews, a series of three conversations with professional illustrators: Assia Ieradi, Giulia Sollai, and Diari di Brodo (soon to be published online)

The jury for this edition included Marzia Corraini, Marica Fasoli, Alessandro Manzella, Elena Pasoli, Della Passarelli, Nicolò Pesce, Victoria Semykina, and Marta Viviani.
The winners were Silvia Baccanti, Elena Arévalo Melville, and Chiara Gaffuri.
Silvia Baccanti, as first prize winner, had the opportunity to present her work in a solo exhibition at Millennium Gallery in Bologna, in collaboration with BOit.
The awards ceremony and final exhibition of the 30 selected works were held at Salaborsa Library, Bologna’s cultural heart, with the patronage of the Municipality of Bologna.
In this edition, we introduced something new: the exhibition became a travelling show, stopping at museums and bookstores across Italy—from MuMa in Milazzo, to the Piccolo Museo Radici in Palermo, the Civic Library Enzo Marioni in Santena, and the Inchiostro Festival in Alessandria. In collaboration with host institutions, illustration workshops were also organized for young audiences.

👉 Discover all selected works from the 3rd edition

And the story… goes on!

BOit’s journey doesn’t stop here.
The 4th edition of the contest is currently open, with new collaborations, a new theme—The City and Water—and the same unwavering commitment to inclusion, culture, and the visual power of illustration.