Italian Artist Marco Trentin Won the Biennial’s Grand Prize
On Friday, October 11, the opening of the 8th Szeklerland Graphic Art Biennial and the award ceremony took place at the Transylvanian Art Centre in Sfântu Gheorghe. At the event, festive speeches were delivered and awards presented by Mihály András Beke, First Consul of Hungary’s Consulate in Miercurea Ciuc, Sándor Tamás, President of the Covasna County Council, and István Erőss, Rector of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts. Representatives from the co-organizing institutions – the Szekler Museum of Ciuc, the Cultural and Art Centre of Lăzarea, the Mureș County Museum, and the Szekler National Museum – were also present, alongside prominent figures from the art world and representatives of the universities and organizations offering the awards.
As the host of the evening, Beáta Bordás, director of the Transylvanian Art Centre, welcomed the guests and emceed the event. She emphasized that the Biennial has grown into an internationally recognized event, becoming an accepted and relevant platform for the best graphic artists from various nations to showcase their work, making it a great honor for the Transylvanian Art Centre to host, for the second time, an exhibition featuring the works deemed the most significant.
Sándor Tamás, president of Covasna County Council, greeted the gathering on behalf of the hosts and the three Szekler counties. “Szeklerland, our homeland, is a shared creation, belonging to all of us. Together, we shape it into the region where we want to live. This graphic biennial is a part of that process, having become a defining event in the cultural landscape of Szeklerland. Its goal was twofold: to draw attention to contemporary graphic art in Szeklerland and to look outward, understanding how international contemporary graphics reflect the happenings of the wider world. (…) This year, the event saw the largest number of participating artists in its 14-year history. A total of 926 artists from 68 countries submitted their works. We are proud that the Szeklerland Graphic Art Biennial has become a recognized professional competition at the international level, and its prestige continues to grow among visual artists”, stated Sándor Tamás, president of Covasna County Council.
In his ceremonial speech, Mihály András Beke, First Consul of the Consulate General of Hungary in Miercurea Ciuc, emphasized the importance of art: “Undoubtedly, the works exhibited here are not only manifestations of creativity, but also visual interpretations of both the loss and the significance of balance. Today, when we reflect on our world, we must recognize that art may be more important than ever. (…) In an age filled with uncertainties and tensions, art has the power to express something essential about our tension-ridden world”, he remarked, offering his recognition and congratulations to the organizers.
In his speech, Apor S. Ferencz presented the concept of this year’s event and the theme of the call for entries. G8 invited visual interpretations on the significance of balance and, conversely, the issue of imbalance, aiming for artistic intent to focus on the social role of the image through the artist’s creative attitude. Thus, the call attracted artists who seek to innovate the processes of contemporary graphic art with a message for the future. The possible responses generated by the works serve as a mirror of critique for today’s society. In the exhibition in Sfântu Gheorghe, visitors can view 140 works by 137 artists from 28 countries, all addressing the theme of imbalance.
Next, Prof. Dr. István Erőss, rector of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, praised the event. From the very beginning, he has closely followed the biennial, and through his professional expertise and dedicated relationship-building efforts, alongside his attentive, fatherly concern, he has greatly contributed to its international reputation. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of the biennial’s contributions, which go beyond fostering and maintaining professional connections to becoming an invaluable legacy for future generations of professionals.
Art historian Ágnes Képiró praised the material submitted for the call of the eighth edition and discussed the exhibition. “There is no doubt about the experience the exhibition offers, as we are at the opening of a high-level international graphic arts showcase, where the record number of works received engage in a strong dialogue, reflecting the international trends in contemporary graphic art”, she stated. She further emphasized that the recognition and keen attention of foreign professionals is best demonstrated by the fact that numerous artists submitted their works from across the globe, from America to Australia, through Europe and Asia.
István Imreh, the director of the Covasna County Cultural Centre that organized the event, expressed his gratitude to all those who made the event possible: he thanked the supporting institutions, organizations, and universities, the partner institutions involved in the organization and their staff, and last but not least, the small organizing team.
After the speeches, the awards ceremony followed. The winners of the biennial are as follows:
- Grand Prize of the Biennial: Marco Trentin (IT)
- Imre Nagy Award: Laura Czuczor (HU)
- Pál Nagy Award: Vasiliki (Vasso) Chatzimanoli (GR)
- Sándor Plugor Award: Marlena Biczak (PL)
- MAMŰ Society Cultural Association Award: Marlena Biczak (PL)
- Lăzarea Artist Colony Award: Andrzej Wochnik (PL)
- Partium Award from the Partium Christian University: Eszter Nóra Dicső (HU)
- Imre Baász Award: Teerawoot Com-on (TH)
- Award from the Hungarian Consulate in Csíkszereda: Satitkun Mongkolruangrit (TH)
- Pulzus Artist Colony Award: Jagoda Jaworska (PL)
- Hungarian University of Fine Arts Award: Katarzyna Tereszkiewicz (PL)
- Eszterházy Károly University Award: Petru Radu Buba (RO)
The event was organized jointly by the councils of Covasna, Harghita, and Mureș counties, along with the Covasna County Cultural Centre, the Szekler Museum of Ciuc, the Transylvanian Art Centre, the Cultural and Art Centre of Lăzarea, and the Mureș County Museum.