Luxembourg Participants Rank 1st, 2nd in Raiffeisen International Youth Art Competition

Banque Raiffeisen rewarded the national and international winners of the 53rd edition of its international art competition during two celebrations at the bank's headquarters in Leudelange on Saturday 17 and Saturday 24 June 2023.

Banque Raiffeisen in Luxembourg has been cooperating with banks from Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland to organise this yearly art competition over the years.

This year, three Luxembourg entries were nominated for the international selection, with Kevin Carvalho achieving first place in the age category one (six to eight years) and Rebecca Baciu obtaining second place in the age category two (nine to ten years).

This year, the Raiffeisen Molconcours (painting/drawing competition), which was held under the patronage of the Luxembourg Ministry of Education, Children and Youth, focused on the theme of “togetherness” - a multifaceted concept that can express human solidarity but also solidarity with nature and animals. In Luxembourg, children and young people between four and twelve years of age could take part, whereby all creative techniques were allowed, such as painting with watercolours, coloured pencils or ink but also digital image processing and photographic compositions.

179 out of 201 national primary schools took part in the youth art competition this year with a total of 25,592 drawings submitted. Raiffeisen awarded thirteen winners at national level.

The 2023 national winners of primary school cycle 1 were: Emma Satalino (1st prize), Juliette Ketzle and Layna Konta (both 2nd prize, ex aequo) and Tom Philippart (3rd prize). In cycle 2, the winners were: Kevin Carvalho (1st prize), Lea Philippart (2nd prize), Monica Bitegets (3rd prize). In cycle 3, the winners were as follows: Rebecca Baciu (1st prize), Elena Becirovic (2nd prize), Anna-Maria Voronkevych (3rd prize) and in cycle 4, the following won: Juliette Schiltz Solvi (1st prize), Jachym Kotecki (2nd prize), Valentina Carmo (3rd prize).

As a novelty this year, the national jury awarded a special prize “Coup de coeur du Jury Molconcours” for the first time, which went to 37 children of the Centre pour le développement intellectuel (CDI) in Warken, Ettelbruck.

An expert jury presided over by Christiane Haller selected the works of the participating young artists. The other jury members were Francine Vanolst, Nathalie Even, Gérard Claude, Lydie Bintener, Andrée Ley-Goniva, Iva Mrázková and Maria Alonso.

During a ceremony hosted by Raoul Roos and Sarah Melcher at the Banque Raiffeisen headquarters in Leudelange, the national winners of the Raiffeisen Molconcours from school cycles 1 and 2 (age category four to eight years) were rewarded on 17 June. Raiffeisen invited over 200 guests (100 children with one accompanying parent each) to this family-friendly brunch event.

The drawing competition is also organised every year at international level, with the award ceremony taking place alternately in the countries of the other cooperative banks. This year, the international competition winners were rewarded in Luxembourg on 24 June, once again at the Raiffeisen headquarters in Leudelange. The members of the international jury as well as the winners of the various competitions were present. The participating countries submitted a total of 435,567 images and artworks.

On this occasion, the prizes were also presented to the national winners from school cycles 3 and 4 (age category nine to twelve years).

The works submitted by Kevin Carvalho (1st place in the age group six to eight years), Rebecca Baciu (1st place in the age group nine to ten years) and Juliette Schiltz (1st place in the age group eleven to twelve years) have been nominated by the jury as Luxembourg entries for the international award. Kevin Carvalho and Rebecca Baciu progressed into the international league and won the 1st and 2nd prize of the international jury in their respective age categories.

After a welcome speech by Yves Biewer, Chairman of the Managment Board of Banque Raiffeisen, Claude Meisch, Luxembourg's Minister of Education, Children and Youth, congratulated the winners. Minister Meisch pointed out the importance of this annual art event for the promotion of creativity among children and young people.

The thirteen nationally awarded paintings, 277 other locally awarded entries and the works of the 23 international winners can be admired during July and until the end August at Banque Raiffeisen’s headquarters, 4 Rue Léon Laval in Leudelange, from Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 16:00.

The 54th edition of the Raiffeisen Molconcours, which will start again in Luxembourg in January 2024, as usual, will introduce a new age category (over twelve years). In this 54th round, the young artists will be called upon to deal creatively with the theme “Giving the Earth a Future”.