Organizer: Academy of Fine Arts, University of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Project Manager: Associate Professor Josip Mijić, PhD (Art)

The Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina), announces an open call for the exhibition of digital artworks with the aim of examining and presenting the contemporary digital art scene. Through this project, the organizers seek to showcase the diversity of approaches among contemporary digital artists and to create space for the development of new visual languages within the cultural context of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Works containing insults, hate speech, incitement to violence or discrimination, or works that disrespect fundamental human values will be excluded from the contest.

JURY MEMBERS

Jury members will be announced on September 15, 2026.

CONTEST RESULTS

The contest results will be announced on September 15, 2026.

CATALOG

The catalog will be available on October 14, 2026.

1.

PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS

Artists from around the world who are at least 18 years old at the time of submission are eligible to apply.

Only digital artworks that do not have an equivalent in physical reality may be submitted. Eligible works must exist exclusively in a digital environment and must be originally conceived and created for the digital medium.

Only digital artworks created without the use of artificial intelligence tools may be submitted. Due to this requirement, the organizer reserves the right, in cases of reasonable suspicion that a work was partially or entirely generated using artificial intelligence, to request documentation of the work process from the author. Such documentation may include, but is not limited to: working file versions, sketches, work-in-progress materials, original project files (e.g., layered files), technical metadata, and other relevant evidence confirming the author’s manual creative process. If the author fails to provide the requested documentation within a specified time frame, or if the documentation does not confirm compliance with the contest requirements, the organizer reserves the right to disqualify the work without further explanation.

The year of creation is not restricted — both older and newly created works may be submitted.

Each applicant may submit one (1) artwork only. Submissions must be individual; collaborative works will not be considered.

Works may, but are not required to, be protected or distributed through NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Tokenization is neither an evaluation criterion nor an advantage in the selection process.

2.

THEMATIC FRAMEWORK

The contest has no predetermined theme. Artists are free to submit a work that best reflects their artistic approach, research, or personal digital identity.

The goal of the exhibition is to provide the broadest possible overview of the current state of digital art and to bring together diverse approaches, techniques, and visual languages — ranging from experimental, conceptual, and generative works to meditative, critical, introspective, and narrative forms.

Only artworks that emerge from the author’s personal artistic practice are eligible. Works created for commercial purposes, other competitions, or clients — such as illustrations, posters, design solutions, and similar applied works — will not be accepted.

3.

CONTEST CATEGORIES

The contest recognizes two main categories of digital artworks based on their temporal dimension:

1. Digital Still Image Artworks (Code: DSIA)

2. Digital Moving Image Artworks (Code: DMIA)

Category explanation:

  • Still image works include digital images, digital graphics, digital painting, digital photography.
  • Moving image works include short films, animations, and other time-based artworks.

4.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS AND FILE FORMATS

Selected works will be presented:

  • in the physical gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts Široki Brijeg,
  • and in the Academy’s virtual gallery in the metaverse on the Spatial platform.

For presentation in the virtual gallery, the organizer reserves the right to adapt, optimize, and compress artworks (resolution, bitrate, file size, and loading time) in order to ensure technical functionality, system stability, and a smooth user experience in the virtual environment.

Artists retain full artistic freedom regarding the proportions and dimensions of their works.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

1. Still Image Works

  • File format: JPG (JPEG)
  • Color space: RGB
  • Maximum file size: 20 MB

2. Moving Image Works

  • File format: MP4
  • Video codec: H.264
  • Recommended bitrate: 20–30 Mbps (VBR preferred)
  • Frame rate: original frame rate of the work (recommended 24, 25, or 30 fps)
  • Maximum duration: up to 2 minutes
  • Maximum file size: 500 MB

Selected artists may be asked to provide a higher-quality version for exhibition purposes.

5.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Applications must be submitted exclusively through the Google Forms application available at the following link:

Submissions sent by email will not be considered.

Within the form, applicants must provide the requested information and submit a link to the artwork via a cloud service (e.g., Google Drive, WeTransfer, Dropbox).

The author must:

  • upload only one (1) artwork in accordance with the selected category (JPG for still image works or MP4 for moving image works),
  • ensure that the link allows viewing without login (e.g., “Anyone with the link can view”),
  • ensure that the link does not expire and remains active until the end of the selection process.
  • The file name of the artwork must follow this format:
FirstName_LastName_Country_Code

For additional questions and technical inquiries, the organizer can be contacted via email:

internationaldigitalartcontest@gmail.com

Email subject line: IDAC 2026 – Inquiry

6.

DEADLINES, RESULTS, EXHIBITIONS, AND AWARDS

Contest duration: April 1, 2026 – August 1, 2026

Results will be announced on September 15, 2026 on the same platform where the contest was published, i.e., on the official website of the Academy of Fine Arts Široki Brijeg.

Only authors whose works are selected for exhibition will be notified by email.

Members of the professional jury will be announced after the results are published. All jury decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

Selected works will be presented at two exhibitions with simultaneous openings:

  • Virtual exhibition in the Metaverse on the Spatial platform
    Opening: October 14, 2026, at 7:00 PM
    Exhibition duration: October 14 – November 18, 2026
  • Exhibition at the gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts Široki Brijeg
    Opening: October 14, 2026, at 7:00 PM
    Exhibition duration: October 14 – November 18, 2026

7.

AWARDS, CERTIFICATES, AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL

A total of four awards will be granted:

  • Grand Prix – awarded to the best work in the entire competition regardless of category. The Grand Prix recognizes exceptional artistic value, conceptual clarity, innovation, and a strong visual impact within the digital medium.
  • First Prize – Digital Still Image Artworks – awarded to the best static digital artwork created without the use of artificial intelligence tools.
  • First Prize – Digital Moving Image Artworks – awarded to the best moving digital artwork created without the use of artificial intelligence tools.
  • Special Jury Award – awarded to a work distinguished by specific artistic quality, an innovative approach, or a significant contribution to the digital medium that has not received one of the previous awards.

Participant Recognition

  • All participants will receive a certificate of participation.
  • A digital catalog featuring all selected works will be produced. The catalog will be published after the exhibition opening and will be publicly available through the online channels of the Academy of Fine Arts Široki Brijeg.
  • The organizer reserves the right not to award certain prizes if the submitted works do not meet the expected quality standards.

8.

GENERAL NOTES

By submitting an entry, the author confirms that they hold the copyright to the submitted work.

By submitting an application, the applicant accepts the contest rules in their entirety.

The author grants the organizer the non-exclusive right to reproduce, display, and distribute the submitted artworks for promotional purposes related to the contest and exhibitions, including websites, social media, catalogs, and printed materials, without time limitation. Third parties may use the artworks only with the author’s explicit written consent.

The organizer is not responsible for technical issues, data loss, or unsuccessful submissions.

By submitting an application, the author agrees that the organizer may process their personal data (name, surname, email, country) solely for the purposes of organizing the contest, communicating with the author, and producing promotional materials. The data will not be shared with third parties without explicit consent and will be processed in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

Participation in the contest is free of charge.