We are pleased to announce the launch of the Roma, Citizen, European: Through Memory to the Present international poster competition (Polish: Rom, Obywatel, Europejczyk” -Przez Pamięć do teraźniejszości).

Who is a Romani person in your artistic imagination? A borders-crossing traveller, a co-creator of European culture, or perhaps a forerunner of cosmopolitanism and openness of borders and boundaries? How to capture what resists simple definitions? How to tell a story that at the same time goes on and yet undergoes constant transformations?

Roma, Citizen, European is a competition that embraces multiple perspectives, interpretations, and artistic approaches. We invite you to create a poster that offers questions as well as answers, reflecting your vision of the Roma people as citizens of contemporary Europe: close and yet distant, far from obvious, often unknown or discriminated against.

We are not looking for simple narratives and predictable forms. We are keen to know your visions, bold, original, and authentic as they are. Is a Rom a symbol of freedom? A voice from the past that still resonates? Or perhaps one entirely unlike any previous assumptions?

Let your art ask questions that have as yet found no answers.

The competition is open to artists, graphic designers, and students of art schools whose imagination knows no boundaries. We invite submissions that present diverse perspectives on the Roma people as present and diverse full-fledged citizens of contemporary Europe.

Submissions are welcome until 31 August 2025.

The Jury will assess all the submissions, and selected works will be featured in the main exhibition, serving as a space for dialogue between art and culture.

Terms and Conditions

1. The competition is open to professional visual artists, and graduates and students of art universities, academies of fine arts, and higher art schools who shall comply with the rules and regulations set below. 

2. Each participant may only submit one poster design. 

3. Submissions must be sent by 31 August 2025 as files in JPEG format, with the longest side of 1200 pixels, RGB, 72 dpi, A4 format, with all fonts converted to curves (vector shapes), to the following email: biennale2025@chikr.pl

4. The file should be named: Firstname_Surname_Country_PosterTitle. 

5. Works selected for the exhibition must be submitted in PDF and/or TIFF format, 100 x 70 cm, CMYK, 300 dpi, to the address: biennale2025@chikr.pl

6. Any text in non-European language, and/or script other than Latin or Cyrillic (e.g. Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Arabic) in the poster requires attaching the translation of such text/texts into Polish and/or English to the submission form.

7. The organisers reserve the right to publish selected works and present them during post-competition exhibitions.

8. The Competition Jury are:

• Sebastian Kubica – graphic artist (President of the Jury)

• Marek Sibinský – graphic artist (member)

• Paweł Warchoł – graphic artist (member)

• Krzysztof Dydo – Poster Gallery, Kraków (member)

• Wojciech Majewski – director (member)

• Roman Kwiatkowski – President of the Roma Association in Poland (member)

9. The Competition Prizes:

• 1st Prize: PLN5000

• 2nd Prize: PLN3000

• 3rd Prize: PLN2000

The values of all prizes are indicated above as gross amounts. They are all subject to taxation, amounting to approx. 10%, of prize value, which the Organisers will deduct according to binding regulations. The Jury may also award special mentions and honorary prizes.

10. Results will have been announced by 30 November 2025.

11. Transfer of property copyrights: by submitting their poster, each Participant grants the Organisers, the Roma History and Culture Centre the right to reproduce and publish their work for promotional and informational purposes, in all media, free of any charge.

12. Participants agree to the publication and dissemination of their full names and countries of residence.

Participant personal data will be collected and processed in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act of 29 August 1997 (consolidated text: Journal of Laws 2002 No. 101, item 926, as amended). The controllers of the data collected for the purpose of the Competition are its Organisers. Each participant has the right to access, correct, and/or delete their data.

13. Submission of a work to the competition constitutes acceptance of these here terms and conditions.

14. Participation is free of charge.

15. All disputes are decided by the jury. The Jury’s decision is final and not subject to appeal.

16. The organisers reserve the right to cancel the competition at any time. The Organisers bear no liability in the event of cancellation.