Oskár Čepan

Art is not a Competition, but I'm winning Oskár Čepan Award 2025 Nikola Balberčáková Ráchel Jutka Ľuboš Kotlár On Friday, December 12, 2025 at 7pm at Ján Koniarek Gallery in Trnava (Koppel's villa) the laureates Nikola Balberčáková, Ráchel Jutka and Ľuboš Kotlár will present their works in a group exhibition at Ján Koniarek Gallery in Trnava (Koppel's villa).

This year, the works of the COČ laureates are expanding generously and creating complex environments that draw lessons from the seemingly endless possibilities of the digital world and its experience limited by human capacities. All three share an interest in affects, emotions, and feelings in various shades and intensities accelerated by the (im)possibility of escaping technology, a desire to find kinship, a certain kind of community, which is also reflected in the collaborative approach in their work. — Fifty-one artists applied for this year's Oskar Čepan Award. The portfolios of the applicants presented a wide range of media and themes, often with a strong emphasis on collaboration. They demonstrate both the interconnectedness of the scene and a tendency towards the de-individualization of the creative process. This year's international jury is again composed of leading experts in contemporary art Erin Li, Christina Li, Piotr Sikora and Nathalie Anglès.

— The exhibition is organized by the Oskár Čepan Award team in close cooperation with Ján Koniarek Gallery in Trnava. Exhibition curator: Miroslava Urbanová Coordination and production: Petra Nela Pučeková Visual identity: Matúš Buranovský PR and exhibition architecture: Miroslava Urbanová Exhibition architecture assistance: Alžbeta Lišková Installation team: Jozef Pilát, Lukáš Karaba, Lukáš Sobota Video: Lukáš Karaba, Lukáš Sobota Music in the video: Michal Dore Photography: Lena Gallovičová, Michaela Prablesková DJ Kristie Kardio will play at the opening. The exhibition will be open until March 1, 2026. — The Oskár Čepan Award was established in 1996 through the initiative of the American foundation Trust for Mutual Understanding. Since 2001, the project has been implemented by the Center for Contemporary Art Foundation with the support of the Trust for Mutual Understanding, and since 2016, in collaboration with Residency Unlimited. The award aims to support contemporary visual art and its creators. Applications are open to all visual mediums through a public call. The age limit for participation is 40 years. The project is part of the wider international network of YVAA – Young Visual Artists Awards, which are organized in Central and Eastern Europe.

Oskár Čepan (1925 – 1992) was a critic and art theoretician with a broad scope and general solid knowledge, a devoted editor and anthologist, an erudite and receptive author of texts about contemporary Slovak visual art, a philosopher, theoretician, historian and critic. He played an essential role in the Slovak history of visual art of the 20th century, and his texts are still valid and surprisingly accurate today. — Organizer: Nadácia – Centrum súčasného umenia Co-organizer: A private platform for the support of art collective We thank our partners Partners: Tatra banka Foundation, Sovereign Invest Foundation, Residency Unlimited, YVAA, Trust for Mutual Understanding, Filmový festival inakosti This project was financially supported by Trnava Self-Governing Region. Media partners: Artalk, Rádio Devín