Introducing the 20 finalists of the Maľba 2021 competition

An international jury of fine arts experts has selected the final 20

Twenty finalists, from which three winners will emerge in the autumn, have been carefully selected by the jury. As part of the 16th year of the competition, the VÚB Foundation will once again redistribute a total of 20,000 euros. Their goal is to also make young art come alive through a free exhibition.

The competition has been writing its history since 2006 and has gradually built up the status as one of the most stable platforms for the appreciation and visibility of professional painters in Slovakia. During this year, 111 painters and painters under 35 have submitted their art, showing their trust in the competition. 55 of the young painters applied for the very first time.

Finalists of the Maľba competition:  
The expert jury consists of:
Andreas Hoffer - art historian and curator from Austria,
Ondřej Horák - curator, writer and publicist within the Czech art scene,
Ľudovít Hološka - renowned painter and university teacher,
Pál Gerber - acclaimed Hungarian painter.

The second phase of selection will take place in the autumn, when the experts from the Maľba 2021 competition will evaluate the originals of the final works. Traditionally, three winners emerge from this process. The VÚB Foundation will announce their names during the event which should take place on 30 September. The winners of the competition will receive financial awards of €3,500, €6,500 and €10,000, as well as valuable references for their further artistic growth. The VÚB Foundation plans to present all 20 paintings from this year's final to the general public. The free exhibition will take place at Bratislava's Nedbalka Gallery from 1 October until early November.

 
Foto: Soňa Maletz

Natália Šimonová, the winner of year 15 of the Maľba competition, talked about how it had changed her life. You can read the article here.