ESSAY: TO BE AN OUTSIDER

OUTSIDER Magazine, on its 10th Anniversary, Announces the European Architecture Award: OUTSIDER AWARD

Essay Theme: “To Be an Outsider” (By Tadej Zupančič)

It was Michel de Montaigne, the man who invented the essay, who pithily observed: »It’s nothing but inconstancy.« He was writing about time but could have been writing about being an outsider too: yes, it can be difficult and uneasy to start with, but when you embrace its inconstancy, it’s (almost) like a superpower. Write about anything and everything; touch the stars; dissect happiness and melancholy; live in a self-built paradise; of faith and adhesiveness; navigate between cultures; be surprising and be true to yourself. Because, as Montaigne also pointed out: »We are born to seek out truth… the world is nothing but a school of learning.«

Essay Submission Guidelines
Write an essay on the theme “To Be an Outsider.”

• Length: Maximum 10,000 characters (including spaces).
• Language: English.
• Submissions: Each author may submit one essay. Essays will be anonymized for the jury.
• Format: Submit your essay in .doc format to [email protected].
• Deadline: February 14, 2025.

Selectors may also propose works of their choice for the award.

Awards
Selected essays will be:

• Published in the international edition of OUTSIDER Magazine (May 2025).
• Honorarium: Authors of published essays will receive a fee of 200 EUR.
• Winners will be invited to a two-week residency at ARCH LAB in Istria. The residency includes:
• Lectures by jury members and guest professors.
• Access to work studios.
• Opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.