5th National Art Competition New Situations in Warsaw
We are pleased to announce that recruitment for the first stage of the „SZUKAMY…” competition has closed!
We sincerely thank all participants for their applications.
The results and the list of those qualified for the second stage will be announced by September 30, 2026
“The work of art begins to emerge when we pursue a topic.
The surface does not create a work of art.
Or: a thing that is merely a surface is not a work of art”.
Ryszard Kapuściński, Sand Clock
Among the many words chosen as Word of the Year were the words “hallucinate” and “authentic.” They were ranked in the popular dictionaries by Cambridge Dictionary and Merriam-Webster. The former denotes sensory perceptions that do not correspond to reality but are merely a product of the imagination, a kind of hallucination.
The juxtaposition of the words “authentic” and “hallucinate” provides a broad scope for reflection. In our daily lives, in an age of expanded social media platforms and the internet, the commercialization of life and artificial intelligence, these two winning words intertwine and interpenetrate in almost every area. This has an unexpected effect, as we begin to confuse insightful assessment and real identity with Instagram image creation, reliable information with fake news, and genuine creation with sham.
There are many examples, but the most important thing is to strive for distinction and to create in a spirit of recognition and authenticity. Artificial intelligence will write, compose, and prepare, but it will not recognize the true difference between what is authentic and what is merely hallucination.
So let’s look not for simulacra, but for sincere authenticity.
Each participant can submit a maximum of three works to the competition, responding to the theme of this year’s edition.
All selected works will be presented at the opening and at an exhibition at the Gallery in Warsaw.
Winners will receive a cash prize funded by the Iki Foundation for the Development and Promotion of Fine Arts.
Competition details can be found in the Competition Rules, which can be downloaded along with the Application Form below.
For more information, please email: fundacja.iki.konkurs@gmail.com. We encourage you to participate and follow our Facebook and Instagram updates @fundacjaiki.
1 Program text
2 Competition Rules
3 Application Form