BE OPEN Art Names Winners of Central European Competition

BE OPEN Art, an online gallery established by Elena Baturina's humanitarian think-tank BE OPEN, has announced the winners of its fourth annual BE OPEN Regional Art competition. The 2026 edition focused on Central Europe, featuring artists from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

The competition aims to support emerging artists whose work best represents their regional, cultural, and ethnic identities. Marie Bokova, a student of Ceramics and Porcelain from Prague, was named the 'Artist of the Region' and received a €500 scholarship. Her work explores the relationship between human narratives and the natural world through ceramic sculpture, relief, and material-focused processes.

The judging panel included Michal Novotný, Director of the Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art at the National Gallery Prague, and Branka Bencic, Director of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MoMCA) in Rijeka, Croatia. These experts evaluated submissions alongside public votes.

Honorable mentions were awarded to the monthly winners Bogdana Peric Milenkovic (Serbia), Helena Mirich (Croatia), and Lorena Iavorschi (Romania). Painter and illustrator Ester Nemjo also received a personal recognition from BE OPEN founder Elena Baturina.

BE OPEN Art continues its mission to support emerging artists globally, fostering artistic innovation and intercultural dialogue. The competition is set to focus on East Asia for its next edition in 2027.