PRIZE
The Balkan Prize for Contemporary Art for 2025 is a cash prize of
3000 EUR
Eligibility criteria:
The geographical scope of the Balkan Contemporary Art Award will include artists from the following countries in the region: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia.
1. Artists of all ages and nationalities who are from or reside in the Balkan region are eligible.
2. Collaborations, group participations and other initiatives with more than one artist are allowed.
3. Applications must be original works of contemporary art created within the last three years.
4. Eligible works may be in any form within the framework of contemporary artistic practices.
5. Each proposal must include a brief portfolio of the participant for contextualization.
Among the European contemporary art scene, the Balkan region remains relatively underrepresented, despite its long history and prominent representatives. As an “emerging” cultural region of Europe, the Balkans still lack a significant contemporary art award dedicated entirely to the region.
For this reason, the Singer-Zahariev Foundation singer-zahariev.eu – a private art foundation – supports the creation of Balkan Prize for Contemporary Art, with the aim of increasing the international visibility and recognition of the region's potential in the field of contemporary art. The award is established in cooperation with BUNA vol. 3 – a contemporary art festival that will take place from September 3 to 8, 2025 in Varna, Bulgaria.
The first-ever Balkan Prize will be presented by an international jury during the official award ceremony of BUNA on September 7th.
Public participation:
Participating artists will be presented through public lectures, artistic talks, and discussion panels during the BUNA festival, with the aim of promoting dialogue and understanding of contemporary art in the Balkan region.
The aim of the prize is to become a bridge to the global art scene, while promoting cultural exchange and cooperation within the region. The award will contribute to a broader discourse, showcasing the unique perspectives and talents of contemporary Balkan visual artists.
Through the competition, artists from the Balkans will challenge divisive narratives, encourage audiences to confront uncomfortable truths, and engage in a shared dialogue about a complex common history.
The ambition of the competition is to contribute to a reassessment of historical narratives and to promote a more inclusive understanding of the region's past in the context of European aspirations and integration processes.
Participation in the prize will give artists from the region visibility and the opportunity to be evaluated by an international jury of art world professionals.
