After the successful inauguration of the Balkan Contemporary Art Prize in 2025, the Singer-Zahariev Foundation is launching the second 2026 Balkan Contemporary Art Prize in collaboration with the BUNA Forum for Contemporary Art in Varna, Bulgaria 2-5 October 2026.
The Prize aims to facilitate cultural exchange and collaboration within the region and provide Balkan artists with visibility and exposure to scrutiny and appreciation by a jury of top experts from the art world. The presentation at a recognized art forum like BUNA ensures wider publicity, public discussion and stronger contacts among participating artists and the public.
Regional Approach:
In 2026 the Balkan Contemporary Art Prize (the “BCAP”) will cover again artists from the following countries in the Balkan region: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia.
Prize Categories:
a. The Main Prize is a monetary prize of 3000.- Euro.
b. The jury may award honourable mentions from among the shortlisted entries.
c. The finalist entries will be exhibited during the BUNA 4 Art Forum 2-5 October 2026
International Jury
Bénédicte Alliot (France) – holds a PhD in English Studies and worked as a university lecturer before turning to cultural action and diplomacy.
She has served as Director of the Institut Ffrançais in South Africa and as Cultural Attaché at the French Embassy in India, before heading the Cultural Seasons Department at the Institut Ffrançais in Paris. In 2016, Ms. Alliot became Managing Director of the Cité internationale des arts – one of the world’s largest research and creative residency centers, hosting up to 325 artists simultaneously.
René Block (Germany) – began working as an independent curator after approximately 15 years of experience in the field of visual arts through his own galleries in Berlin and New York (1964–1979). Since 1985, he has repeatedly served as artistic director of major international biennials and festivals. From July 1997 to December 2006, René Block served as Director of the Kunsthalle Fridericianum in Kassel, where he curated the survey exhibition In the Gorges of the Balkans(2003). He curated the 4th Istanbul Biennial (1995), the October Art Salon in Belgrade (2006), and the Nordic Pavilion at the 52nd Venice Biennale (2007).
In 2025, he joined the curatorial team of Manifesta 16 (2026).
Milena Edvig (Bulgaria) – founder of Doza Gallery– an independent contemporary art gallery in Sofia, operating in dialogue between local artistic practices and the international critical context. The gallery develops a long-term program focused on conceptual and socially engaged art, with a sustained interest in questions of power, identity, institutional structures, and visibility.
Snejana Krasteva (Bulgaria) – is a curator and educator based in Sofia. She is co-founder and co-director of the newly established art institution Eastern Balkan Institute of Art and ArchitectureShe was Head of Curatorial Programs at the Diriyah Contemporary Biennale 2024, chief curator of Luminous Art Foundation, Lisbon (2022–2023), and senior curator of Garage Museum of Contemporary Art“, Moscow (2013–2022).
She received her BA in Chinese Studies from the University of Nanjing, China (2004), and her MFA in Curatorial Studies from Goldsmiths College, London (2011).
Sanja Kojić Mladenov (Serbia) – is an art historian, curator, and museum advisor based in Novi Sad, Serbia. She works internationally in the field of contemporary art, with a focus on feminist, ecological, and decolonial perspectives.
She currently serves as a museum advisor at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina in Novi Sad. Her professional experience includes curating the Pavilion of North Macedonia at the 59th Venice Biennale (2022), as well as the Serbian Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale (2011), which was awarded the international UniCredit Venice Award for the installation by Raša Todosijević.
Nomination Process:
In 2026 the BCAP prize will be based on a process of international nomination.
To emphasise the local significance of nominated artists in their respective regional and national artistic scenes, a network of Country Advisors/Nominators has been created. It covers the entire region and is composed of recognised art professionals with a broad overview of the relevant art scene in each country.
The 10 nominators will propose artists from each country. 5 additional nominations will be made by the curatorial team of the BCAP partner platform – the BUNA Art Forum, Varna.
This process aims to ensure an authentic and local perspective in the selection process but also to foster a regional network of qualified experts collaborating and contributing to a stronger visibility of the Balkan visual scene.
Nominators:
Alenka Gregorič (Slovenia)
Alenka Gregorič is an art historian, curator, and writer, and the Artistic Director of Cukrarna Gallery (MGML). Her professional background includes Galerija Škuc, where she served as Artistic Director, as well as leadership and curatorial roles at the City Art Gallery Ljubljana and Tobačna 001 (MGML). She has curated numerous exhibitions in Slovenia and internationally and has authored texts for books, catalogues, and other professional art publications.
Alexandru Niculescu (Romania)
Alexandru Niculescu is a Romanian artist and cultural organizer, co-founder of the artist-run gallery Sandwich, the RAD Art Fair and of Club ElectroPutere. His work focuses on developing platforms for contemporary art and fostering dialogue between artists, institutions, and wider audiences, including initiatives such as Watermelon Air, Process Terminus and Garage Sale.
Ana Frangovska (North Macedonia)
Ana Frangovska, PhD, is an art historian, curator, museum advisor at the National Gallery of the Republic of North Macedonia, and lecturer at the Institute of Art History and Archaeology, Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje. She has curated numerous national and international exhibitions and served as curator or co-curator of the Macedonian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2022, and 2024. She holds a PhD in Contemporary Arts and Media (2023) and is a co-founder of the Institute for Arts and Culture “Ars Acta,” as well as the initiator of an international artist residency in Galichnik.
Hana Halilaj (Kosovo)
Hana Halilaj is a curator at the National Gallery of Kosovo. She commissioned the Pavilion of the Republic of Kosovo, awarded a Special Mention for National Participation at the 60th Venice Biennale, and currently serves as Commissioner of the Kosovo Pavilion for the 61st edition as a representative of the National Gallery of Kosovo. Halilaj holds an M.A. from the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College.
Hana Halilaj is a curator at the National Gallery of Kosovo. Her curatorial projects include What does it mean for a place to be loved?(2025), at ifa Gallery Berlin, Sanja Ivekovič: Women’s House (2024) (co-curated), The Event of a Thread. Global Narratives in Textiles (2024) (co-curated), Violeta Xhaferi: Revisions (2023) at the National Gallery of Kosovo, Clubbing Insistence: After a Party (2022) at Doza Gallery and Toplocentrala, Informator (2022) at the Hessel Museum of Art, Alije Vokshi: I Decided to Draw Bigger Hands (2021) at Chert Lüdde, and Public Heroes and Secrets (2020) at The National Museum of Kosovo, amongst others. During the 2022-2023 academic year, she was Assistant Curator at CuratorLab at Konstfack University of Arts in Stockholm. She commissioned the Pavilion of the Republic of Kosovo, awarded a Special Mention for National Participation at the 60th Venice Biennale, and currently serves as Commissioner of the Kosovo Pavilion for the 61st edition as a representative of the National Gallery of Kosovo. Halilaj holds an M.A. from the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College.
Irfan Hošić (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Irfan Hošić is an art historian and curator specializing in Bosnian art of the 20th and 21st centuries, holding a PhD from the University of Zagreb and currently serving as Associate Professor at the University of Bihać. He has curated the Pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 55th Venice Biennale (2013), lectured at universities and institutes in Europe, the United States and Asia. He received numerous international awards and fellowships, including the Igor Zabel Grant Award (2024) and a Fulbright Visiting Scholarship (2019). Hošić is also the founder of the KRAK Center for Contemporary Culture and is active as a writer and curator.
Jasminka Babić (Croatia)
Jasminka Babić is a curator and an art critic from Split, Croatia, where she currently holds the position of director at the Museum of Fine Arts. Her work focuses on contemporary art practices in Croatia and abroad. She has organized numerous exhibitions of Croatian and international artists and is a co-curator of the contemporary art collection display of the Museum of Fine Arts. She is a member of ICOM, AICA and HULU Split.
Maria Vasileva (Bulgaria)
Maria Vasileva is a curator, art historian, and art critic. She holds a Doctor of Sciences degree. She is a co-founder of the Institute of Contemporary Art – Sofia and served for many years as Chief Curator of the Sofia City Art Gallery. Founder and director of Structura Gallery. She initiated and manages the BAZA Award for Contemporary Art and is Chair of the Edmond Demirdjian Foundation. Maria Vasileva has curated numerous exhibitions with Bulgarian and international participation in Bulgaria and abroad and is the author of books and articles published in catalogs, magazines, and newspapers.
Una Popović (Serbia)
Una Popović is senior curator of the Collection of Photography, Film, Video and Digital media at Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade. Her work is directly linked with explorations in the field of contemporary art, from historical conceptualism to contemporary practices. Una’s research interest is also history of exhibitions, museology and curatorial practice and she frequently collaborates with artists who battle social, economic and political problems.
Valentina Koça (Albania)
Valentina KOÇA is the founder and director of the Zeta Center for Contemporary Art, an art exhibition space in Tirana. Since its founding in 2007, Zeta has collaborated with numerous local and international actors to rebuild the country’s contemporary art scene, with the aim of supporting and promoting Albanian artists. It has initiated collaborations for the implementation of the international artist residency program with major international institutions such as the State of Salzburg, the State of Styria, Residency Unlimited in New York, and the ARDHJE Award for Young Albanian Artists, which is also the only award in the country entirely dedicated to the support and promotion of young Albanian artists. Koça was a member of the FAVA Foundation (2008-2017), which supported the Albanian National Gallery and Albanian art and culture. Since 2023, she has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Albanian National Gallery. In July 2024, she received the “Golden Decoration of Merit of the Republic of Austria” on behalf of Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, presented by Ambassador Christian Steiner for her contributions to art and the promotion of art in the country.
Museum of Contemporary Art of Montenegro
The Museum of Contemporary Art of Montenegro, a public institution based in Podgorica, performs the tasks of the main museum activity in the field of contemporary art in Montenegro. https://msucg.me/
MCAM functions as a complex and dynamic institution which, besides aiming to collect, preserve, study, and promote contemporary artistic creativity through exhibition activities, scientific and professional publications, educational programs, and workshops, actively cooperates with related cultural institutions and artists from the country and abroad. The MCAM Documentation Center has the task of monitoring, documenting, preserving, and studying contemporary artistic practices, phenomena, and trends, while the Department for the Protection of Museum Materials is responsible for expert opinions, conservation, and restoration of works of contemporary art in the territory of Montenegro.
BUNA 4.0 Curatorial Team
5 additional nominations will be made by the curatorial team of the BCAP partner platform – the BUNA 4.0 Art Forum, Varna.
The jury-selected finalists will be presented at a special exhibition at the BUNA Art Forum in Varna, Bulgaria 2-5 October 2026. At the BUNA Art Forum, the International Jury will select the Winner of the Balkan Prize and award any Special Mentions. The International Jury will also review all other participating art works at the BUNA Art Forum and award BUNA prizes and special mentions in several categories.
