BE OPEN Art Names Winners of Central European Competition
BE OPEN Art, an online gallery, has announced the winners of its Central European regional art competition. The competition aims to promote emerging artists reflecting their regional identity.
LUGANO, Switzerland – BE OPEN Art, an online gallery established by Elena Baturina's humanitarian think tank BE OPEN, concluded its 2026 Central European regional art competition. This marked the fourth iteration of the contest.
The competition, which ran from May to August 2026, focused on artists from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Each month, twenty artists were featured, with a "Regional Artist of the Month" selected through public voting. A jury, including Michal Novotný of the National Gallery Prague and Branka Bencic of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rijeka, also evaluated the submissions.
Marie Bokova from the Czech Republic was awarded the title of "Artist of the Region" and a 500 Euro scholarship for her ceramic work exploring the relationship between human history and nature. Honorable mentions were given to Bogdana Peric Milenkovic (Serbia), Helena Mirich (Croatia), and Lorena Iavorschi (Romania).
Elena Baturina also made a personal selection, recognizing Ester Nemjo, a Prague-based painter and animator. BE OPEN Art continues its mission to support emerging artists globally, fostering intercultural dialogue and the preservation of regional identities through contemporary art. In 2026, the competition will extend to East Asia.