Rules -BAT 2023

Botanical Art Thailand 2023

Exhibition Date: Tuesday 25 July to Sunday 6 August 2023

Opening Ceremony: Tuesday 25 July 2023 at 14.30 hr

Venue: Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre (and/or on-line: TBA)

2023 Theme: Tropical Plants of the World

Participant Qualifications: Thai citizens and foreigners

Artwork Qualifications:

1. Original 2-dimenional botanical painting or botanical illustration
2. Not partially or wholly photographic or computer-generated
3. Never been exhibited publicly and/or through social media
4. Painting/illustration of parts of plants, fungi, algae and lichens are accepted
5. Plants, fungi, algae and lichens from tropical areas globally are accepted

General guidelines:

          Botanical painting and illustration are different from other natural fine-art works in their styles. Live specimens are highly recommended. Do not paint vases, containers and backgrounds. Notably, a botanical painting/illustration should portray botanical accuracy traditionally for educational purposes. Artists should carefully study botanical characteristics of the subjects and, before starting to paint, establish well understanding from books and/or websites such as

https://www.dnp.go.th/botany/Herbarium/Archives/publications/Saranukrom_download.html

https://powo.science.kew.org/

https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb

          “Tropical plants” in this exhibition mean plants that grow naturally in a tropical climate around the world where the typical environment is hot and humid, with temperatures constantly exceeding 18 degrees Celsius and no frost days.

Artwork sizes:

• Portrait or landscape orientation, rectangular or square
• A2 to A4 (approximately not larger than 84 x 60 cm and not smaller than 29.7 x 21 cm; length does not exceed 84 cm and width is not less than 29.7 cm, approximately)
• Framed with appropriate width of mountboard
• Frame preferably be plain white and about 4-cm (1.5-inches) wide or any of the artist’s preferences
• Frame must have a cable attached in the back for hanging

Application and submission:

• Please study details of artwork qualifications before you start painting, apply and submit your artwork(s)
• 15 December 2022 – 31 January 2023: botanists and plant experts who are willing to offer information and/or specimens of the plants for the botanical artists are encouraged to propose names of the tropical plants of interests along with their names in the BAT2023 website, Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University https://plantscience.sc.mahidol.ac.th/bat2023/. These proposed plant names are suggestions, not obligation, for the artists. On the other hand, the artists may also propose the plant names they are interested in and looking for additional data support from the plant experts.
• 1 February – 15 30 April 2023: on-line application by filling out the form in the above website
• Along with artwork file, submit plant information, i.e., common name, scientific name, native distribution areas, botanical characteristics, other important details such as uses
• Artwork qualifying assessment in digital format:
  • The artwork should be professionally scanned or photographed in good quality (poor quality photograph is not accepted)
  • The artwork file should be proficiently retouched to get clean background if necessary (please consult an expert on proper file management)
  • .JPG file, CMYK format
  • File resolution of 200 dpi or above
  • Width and length of file is not less than 29.7 cm
  • Each file size does not exceed 35MB
  • Name artwork file in English as Artist’s last name–QA–Genus name.jpg for example, Chakkapak–QA–Mitrephora.jpg
  • Unqualified digital file as specified above will not be accepted
• Before sending the e-mail, all artwork files in .JPG should be uploaded to storage cloud such as Dropbox or Google Drive, then copy and paste the digital link onto the e-mail.
• Send the e-mail to sciartnetwork@gmail.com with the e-mail subject name format of BAT2023–QA–Artist’s last name; For example, BAT2023–QA–Chakkaphak
• Send only one email for each artist and the e-mail subject name should be BAT2023–QA–Artist’s last name; For example, BAT2023–QA–Chakkaphak
• The email should contain:
  • The artist full name in English and, if applicable, in Thai.
  • One digital link to all final artwork file(s)
• Each applicant can submit up to five artworks and the maximum of three, or subject to the judges’ consideration, will be chosen for the exhibit.

Artwork Quality and style:

According to international standard of botanical painting/illustration. Please see samples of qualified artworks in the following links.

https://www.botanicalartandartists.com/exhibitions.html

https://fsea.artcall.org/pages/web-gallery

Schedule (may subject to be changed):

15 December 2022 – 31 January 2023	Proposal for names of interested tropical plants (optional)
1 February – 15 30 April 2023	On-line application at https://plantscience.sc.mahidol.ac.th/ E-mail digital files for assessment to sciartnetwork@gmail.com
24 April 7 May 2023	Announcement of qualified artworks at https://plantscience.sc.mahidol.ac.th/
24 April – 10 7-15 May 2023	Artists confirm to participate in the exhibition, complete payment transfer and submit qualified digital files to sciartnetwork@gmail.com
4-5 May June 2023 (subjected to be changed)	Photograph of illustrations for digital file process if requested by the artists and by appointment (fee apply) at Mahidol University, Faculty of Science, Phayathai
24 July 2023 at 9:00 – 11:00 am	Original and framed artwork submission at BACC
25 July 2023 at 2:30 pm	Opening ceremony
25 July – 6 August 2023 at 10:00 am – 9:00 pm (closed on Monday)	Public access
6 August 2023 at 9:00 pm	Exhibition closure, artists collect own artworks

Participation Confirmation:

The artist of qualified artworks is required to confirm his/her participation by 10 15 May 2023 by sending an e-mail to sciartnetwork@gmail.com. Late confirmation will not be accepted.

1. File quality of the final artwork is the same as the first submission except that file resolution must be at 300 dpi or above.
2. Name the artwork file in English as Artist’s last name–Final–Genus name.jpg for example, Chakkapak–Final–Mitrephora.jpg
3. Before sending the e-mail, all artwork files in .JPG should be uploaded to storage cloud such as Dropbox or Google Drive, then copy and paste the digital link (article 5.3 below) in the e-mail.
4. Send only one email for each artist and the e-mail subject name should be BAT2023–Final–Artist’s last name; For example, BAT2023–Final–Chakkaphak
5. The email should contain:
   1. The artist full name in English and, if applicable, in Thai.
   1. A proof of payment to Siam Commercial Bank account number (to be confirmed) of participation fee: THB 2,000 per 1 artwork, maximum of 3 (three) artworks per a participant or under the judges’ consideration
   1. One digital link (article 3 above) to all final artwork file(s) for printed and/or on-line catalog

Publication & Promotion:

          By sending the e-mail to confirm the participation, the artist gives permission to the BAT2023 organizer to use the artwork files and information with the artist name and contact address for printed and/or online catalog for this BAT2023 exhibition. The committee reserves its right to physically and digitally use qualified artworks for advertising and promotional purposes, to educate and/or exhibit before, during and after the exhibition in relation to this specific exhibition.

The committee may consider an on-line exhibition in combination with the physical exhibition at BACC or only the on-line exhibition in accordance with the situation. However, the committee shall notify artists prior to making their payments.

Display Right:

          Artist himself/herself must hand over and collect artworks at the specified schedule. The committee reserve its right to reject artwork displays in case of obvious quality discrepancies between the digital files and the original artworks or improper framing.

Scientific illustration samples:

• International botanical art exhibitions (https://botanicalartandartists.com/exhibitions.html)
• Sarakadee Magazine: 07 Scientific Illustration, True Plook Panya, True Visions 37 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5enjTGqeyjE&T=59s)
• Phuying Thung Phuying: Female Scientific Illustrator 08-01-58 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xh-g5XHVtE)
• Other Youtube and Google about botanical arts such as:
  • https://www.botanicalartandartists.com/news/how-to-become-a-botanical-illustrator
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niYq8QKdFDk