Organizer Information
University of National Education Commission in Krakow (UKEN) is a public university in Krakow, Poland. The contest is organized by UKEN’s Faculty of Art as part of unLoc, an international research-creation project. The project brings together artistic research and site-specific approaches to architecture, cultural heritage, and public space. The contest is coordinated by researchers Małgorzata Łuczyna and Jacek Złoczowski, in collaboration with independent curator Justyna Łabądź.
Title & Description
AFTER THE PALACE: Resonance 2026
AFTER THE PALACE: Resonance 2026 is an international video mapping contest and public outdoor showcase inviting artists to reinterpret the architectural heritage of the socialist era in Nowa Huta and Krakow.
Participants are asked to create an original audiovisual artwork using 2D/3D video mapping techniques, responding creatively to the architecture of the designated building. The contest explores the relationship between architectural heritage, cultural identity, history, and contemporary artistic practice.
Selected works will undergo technical testing and be presented publicly as part of the AFTER THE PALACE: Resonance outdoor projection event.
Categories
- Video Mapping
- Media Art
- Animation
- Site-Specific Projection
- Public Space Art
- Audiovisual Art
Eligibility
The contest is open internationally to:
- Individual artists aged 18 or older on the submission date.
- Collectives of two or more people.
- Artists working in video mapping, animation, media art, site-specific projection, or public-space art.
Each individual or collective may submit one work only.
Generative AI may be used, provided the participant has the necessary rights to all source materials. Any use and scope of Generative AI must be disclosed in the application.
Program Benefits & Awards
Selected artists will have their works presented publicly during the AFTER THE PALACE: Resonance Showcase in Krakow.
Cash prizes are:
- 1st Prize: 10,000 PLN gross
- 2nd Prize: 6,000 PLN gross
- 3rd Prize: 3,000 PLN gross
The Jury may also award honorable mentions or non-monetary distinctions, modify the prize allocation, or withhold the main prize.
Prize payments are made by bank transfer within four weeks after the Organizer receives the required tax information. Prizes are subject to applicable Polish taxation.
Travel and accommodation expenses are not covered by the Organizer.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 30 October 2026
- Selected Works Announced: 10 November 2026
- Public Showcase & Award Announcement: 23 November 2026
Selection for the showcase is conditional on the submitted work successfully passing the Organizer’s technical emulation tests using the projection mask.
Location
Krakow, Poland
Additional Details
Works are evaluated according to artistic quality and innovation, alignment with the curatorial concept and architecture, technical execution and mapping precision, and cohesion between visual and audio elements.
Copyright remains with the participating artist or collective. However, submission grants UKEN a free, non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide license to project the work during the showcase and use the work, stills, and documentation for promotional and post-event purposes.
Selected artists are welcome to attend the showcase, but personal attendance is not mandatory. The Organizer does not cover travel or accommodation.
If outdoor projection becomes impossible because of severe weather, technical problems, power outages, or other force majeure circumstances, the final evaluation and prize awards may proceed in a closed or online format.