Last year, the Trakai Historical Museum (Lithuania) announced an international bookplate competition. Trakai was declared Lithuanian Capital of Culture for 2020. Contributing to the city’s cultural initiatives, the Trakai History Museum organised an international bookplate competition - “Trakai Peninsula Castle: Unicorn - a Symbol of Cultural and Historical Heritage”.
The competition aims to promote the art of the ex libris, as well as raising the profile of Trakai Peninsula Castle and its symbol, the unicorn.
Artists and creators of small graphic artworks from around the world were supposed to create bookplates depicting the symbol of the unicorn. The works were also supposed to reveal the history and culture of Lithuania and they should be dedicated to the architectural complex of Trakai Peninsula Castle.
Marat Bryzgalov presented 12 bookplates. Every bookplate must carry the obligatory inscription “EX LIBRIS. UNICORNIS”. The competition jury selected the best 80 works and notified their authors. The selected bookplates have been exhibited, and the exhibition catalogue has been published. It includes six bookplates by Marat Bryzgalov from the Vologda Region.
The international completion featured works by 199 authors from 32 countries.