Wrocław Drawing Triennial 2026 | open call | RMX
Wrocław Drawing Triennial - read more
We have already witnessed declarations of the end of art on several occasions throughout history. This “end” was usually proclaimed in an atmosphere of deep conviction that everything had already been done, that nothing new could possibly be invented, and that the stock of forms and images had been irreversibly exhausted. It was typically accompanied by accusations of the collapse of previously accepted criteria for evaluating art, along with calls to return to supposedly lost “true,” traditional values. And although this symbolic end of the world has not, in fact, come to pass so far, it is hard to resist the impression that questions about the limits of creativity, the meaning of originality, and the purpose of creation have never been as relevant as they are today.
We thus find ourselves faced with the need to redefine the fundamental concepts that have so far structured the field of art: authorship, creativity, inspiration, borrowing, transformation, and plagiarism. Never more than today does the question seem so pressing of where the boundary lies between inspiration and appropriation, between creative transformation and reproduction—especially in the context of legislation that has ceased to keep pace with reality.
In this context, the titular remix [RMX] is understood more as a field of experimentation than as a slogan meant to illustrate a fixed thesis. The Wrocław Drawing Triennial has, since its first edition in 1965, functioned as a research- and survey-oriented project. Its successive editions have not only documented the most current practices but, above all, have sought to identify the most significant phenomena within the field of contemporary drawing, exploring its boundaries and redefining its status. Drawing has thus served as a cognitive tool, with the potential to diagnose broader cultural and social transformations.
The Triennial continues to remain a space of inquiry—a place where answers are not so much formulated as questions are posed. Building on these ideas, we do not propose a single, privileged interpretive perspective, nor do we seek clear-cut or simple answers. Instead, we are interested in a diversity of perspectives and strategies: from analytical and critical to intuitive and speculative.
The theme of this year’s edition of the Wrocław Drawing Triennial—RMX—is treated as a research tool that allows us to examine these issues more closely. We are particularly interested in drawing as a medium well suited to analyzing processes of image transformation—from gesture and trace to system, algorithm, and visual structure.
We invite artists and collectives to submit works that engage—directly or indirectly—with issues related to remix culture, the circulation of images, generative technologies, and the transformation of concepts used to describe artistic practice. We are interested in drawing understood broadly: as a practice, process, record, structure, or a tool of visual thinking.
→ Applications: until 22 June 2026
→ The contest offers cash prizes in the amount of:
Grand Prix – a prize funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage: 40,000 PLN
Wrocław Mayor's Award: 20,000 PLN
Rector's Award from the Academy of Fine Arts: 10,000 PLN
→ The competition exhibition will take place at the Museum of Architecture in Wrocław (7 Bernardyńska Street) from October 23 to December 15, 2026
→ Rules and Regulations of the Wrocław 2026 Drawing Triennial
