ZABOLIS ART PRIZE 2026
Competition Provisions
27 January 2026
1. General Provisions
1.1. The Zabolis Art Prize (the “Competition”) shall be organised to encourage the creativity of young artists, to motivate competitiveness, to develop the ability to interpret a theme artistically, to foster cooperation between different fields, and to introduce the works of the youngest generation of artists to the public.
1.2. The Competition shall be organised and run by UAB “Žabolis ir partneriai“ (Zabolis Partners) in cooperation with Vilnius Academy of Arts (VAA).
1.3. These provisions lay down the terms and conditions as well as procedures for the organisation of the Competition, the requirements for the selection and submission of works for the Competition, the judging criteria, the prizes to be awarded to the winning authors, and other terms and conditions as well as procedures for the organisation of the Competition.
2. Terms and Conditions and Organisation Procedure of the Competition
2.1. The Competition shall be open to young artists aged between 18 and 30 and either having or are obtaining an arts education.
2.2. Only one painting shall be submitted to the Competition.
2.3. The work submitted to the Competition must correspond to the theme of the Competition: Vilnius Poker.
2.4. The work submitted to the Competition may be created in a variety of painting media and in an unlimited format.
2.5. The work must have a presentable appearance and be suitable for physical display.
2.6. he work submitted to the Competition must have been created no earlier than 12 months before the start of registration for the Competition, i.e. 27 January 2025. Reproductions may not be submitted to the Competition.
2.7. The work submitted to the Competition must not have been sold.
2.8. Only one application per author.
2.9. A group of artists may participate in the Competition by submitting one work.
2.10. Participants shall apply only on the website of Zabolis Partners (https://www.zabolis.com/artprize/). Applications to participate in the Competition may be submitted only in the manner specified in these provisions of the Competition and only on the website of Zabolis Partners.
2.11. Before submitting the application, a participant shall confirm that they agree with the provisions of the Competition and the rules for personal data processing. The following mandatory information shall be provided in the application:
2.11.1
● Information about the participant:
(I) Name, surname, year of birth.
(II) Address, telephone number, email.
(III) A short presentation (free-form, up to 200 words: the participant’s studies, exhibitions, competitions, etc.).
(IV) A link to the participant’s portfolio, if any (by specifying a webpage address or by other means).
2.11.2
● Metrics of the work submitted to the Competition:
(I) Title of the work.
(II) Format of the work.
(III) Technique of the work.
(IV) Year of the work.Price of the work.
(V) Description of the work (up to 200 words).
(VI) High-quality photograph of the work.
2.12. Organisers of the Competition reserve the right not to accept an application that does not comply with these provisions of the Competition.
2.13. If the organisers of the Competition find cases of plagiarism, the application and/or the participant shall be removed from the Competition.
2.14 Applications must be submitted by 22 March 2026 (inclusive).
2.15 After submission, the information provided in the application (including the work itself) may not be changed in any way or form.
2.16 The Commission is formed by mutual agreement of the organisers. The composition of the Commission will be announced no earlier than 23 March 2026.
2.17 The Competition is organised in stages:
2.17.1 Stage I – by 25 March 2026, the Commission reviews all submitted applications and, based on the evaluation criteria set out in Section 3, selects the applications that will be submitted for voting by the Zabolis Partners community.
2.17.2 Stage II – voting by the Zabolis Partners community (employees of the Zabolis Partners group companies and their family members) and the Commission to select 20 finalist works. Voting will take place via the designated platform in accordance with the established voting rules. The Zabolis Partners community and the Commission will vote via a voting platform that will be provided after the application submission period ends. One person may vote for three works, indicating which work they assign first, second, and third place. The works submitted to the Competition are evaluated through public voting. Voting takes place until 31 March 2026.
2.17.3 The 20 works that receive the most votes proceed to the final Stage III, during which the Commission selects the three best works.
2.17.4 The selected works will be announced online on 3 April 2026.
2.18 A representative of the Commission will contact the finalists regarding delivery of their works to the VAA exhibition space. The works must be delivered no later than 20 April.
2.19 The selected works will be exhibited in the “Titanikas” exhibition hall from 29 April 2026 to 22 May 2026. The selected works may also be published on the Zabolis Partners and VAA websites and on social media. By submitting works, participants agree that the organisers have the right to use images of the works free of charge for publicity purposes – in the press, on social media, on websites, in catalogues, and in other communication related to the Competition.
2.20 On 27 April 2026, the Commission will evaluate the finalist works in person, tally the votes, and select the three best works. Voting will be carried out in accordance with the evaluation criteria set out in Section 3.
2.21 During the exhibition opening on 29 April 2026, three winners will be announced, and cash prizes and diplomas will be awarded to the authors of the works. During the exhibition opening, more than three winners may be awarded under specially established nominations, which (if any) will be announced during the exhibition opening.
2.22 Prizes are funded by Zabolis Partners. Prizes: 1st place – EUR 3,000; 2nd place – EUR 2,400; 3rd place – EUR 2,000. The prizes will be paid no later than 10 May 2026 by bank transfer (after contacting the authors personally). Taxes related to the payment of prizes are covered by Zabolis Partners.
1.1. The Zabolis Art Prize (the “Competition”) shall be organised to encourage the creativity of young artists, to motivate competitiveness, to develop the ability to interpret a theme artistically, to foster cooperation between different fields, and to introduce the works of the youngest generation of artists to the public.
1.2. The Competition shall be organised and run by UAB “Žabolis ir partneriai“ (Zabolis Partners) in cooperation with Vilnius Academy of Arts (VAA).
1.3. These provisions lay down the terms and conditions as well as procedures for the organisation of the Competition, the requirements for the selection and submission of works for the Competition, the judging criteria, the prizes to be awarded to the winning authors, and other terms and conditions as well as procedures for the organisation of the Competition.
2. Terms and Conditions and Organisation Procedure of the Competition
2.1. The Competition shall be open to young artists aged between 18 and 30 and either having or are obtaining an arts education.
2.2. Only one painting shall be submitted to the Competition.
2.3. The work submitted to the Competition must correspond to the theme of the Competition: Vilnius Poker.
2.4. The work submitted to the Competition may be created in a variety of painting media and in an unlimited format.
2.5. The work must have a presentable appearance and be suitable for physical display.
2.6. he work submitted to the Competition must have been created no earlier than 12 months before the start of registration for the Competition, i.e. 27 January 2025. Reproductions may not be submitted to the Competition.
2.7. The work submitted to the Competition must not have been sold.
2.8. Only one application per author.
2.9. A group of artists may participate in the Competition by submitting one work.
2.10. Participants shall apply only on the website of Zabolis Partners (https://www.zabolis.com/artprize/). Applications to participate in the Competition may be submitted only in the manner specified in these provisions of the Competition and only on the website of Zabolis Partners.
2.11. Before submitting the application, a participant shall confirm that they agree with the provisions of the Competition and the rules for personal data processing. The following mandatory information shall be provided in the application:
2.11.1
● Information about the participant:
(I) Name, surname, year of birth.
(II) Address, telephone number, email.
(III) A short presentation (free-form, up to 200 words: the participant’s studies, exhibitions, competitions, etc.).
(IV) A link to the participant’s portfolio, if any (by specifying a webpage address or by other means).
2.11.2
● Metrics of the work submitted to the Competition:
(I) Title of the work.
(II) Format of the work.
(III) Technique of the work.
(IV) Year of the work.Price of the work.
(V) Description of the work (up to 200 words).
(VI) High-quality photograph of the work.
2.12. Organisers of the Competition reserve the right not to accept an application that does not comply with these provisions of the Competition.
2.13. If the organisers of the Competition find cases of plagiarism, the application and/or the participant shall be removed from the Competition.
2.14 Applications must be submitted by 22 March 2026 (inclusive).
2.15 After submission, the information provided in the application (including the work itself) may not be changed in any way or form.
2.16 The Commission is formed by mutual agreement of the organisers. The composition of the Commission will be announced no earlier than 23 March 2026.
2.17 The Competition is organised in stages:
2.17.1 Stage I – by 25 March 2026, the Commission reviews all submitted applications and, based on the evaluation criteria set out in Section 3, selects the applications that will be submitted for voting by the Zabolis Partners community.
2.17.2 Stage II – voting by the Zabolis Partners community (employees of the Zabolis Partners group companies and their family members) and the Commission to select 20 finalist works. Voting will take place via the designated platform in accordance with the established voting rules. The Zabolis Partners community and the Commission will vote via a voting platform that will be provided after the application submission period ends. One person may vote for three works, indicating which work they assign first, second, and third place. The works submitted to the Competition are evaluated through public voting. Voting takes place until 31 March 2026.
2.17.3 The 20 works that receive the most votes proceed to the final Stage III, during which the Commission selects the three best works.
2.17.4 The selected works will be announced online on 3 April 2026.
2.18 A representative of the Commission will contact the finalists regarding delivery of their works to the VAA exhibition space. The works must be delivered no later than 20 April.
2.19 The selected works will be exhibited in the “Titanikas” exhibition hall from 29 April 2026 to 22 May 2026. The selected works may also be published on the Zabolis Partners and VAA websites and on social media. By submitting works, participants agree that the organisers have the right to use images of the works free of charge for publicity purposes – in the press, on social media, on websites, in catalogues, and in other communication related to the Competition.
2.20 On 27 April 2026, the Commission will evaluate the finalist works in person, tally the votes, and select the three best works. Voting will be carried out in accordance with the evaluation criteria set out in Section 3.
2.21 During the exhibition opening on 29 April 2026, three winners will be announced, and cash prizes and diplomas will be awarded to the authors of the works. During the exhibition opening, more than three winners may be awarded under specially established nominations, which (if any) will be announced during the exhibition opening.
2.22 Prizes are funded by Zabolis Partners. Prizes: 1st place – EUR 3,000; 2nd place – EUR 2,400; 3rd place – EUR 2,000. The prizes will be paid no later than 10 May 2026 by bank transfer (after contacting the authors personally). Taxes related to the payment of prizes are covered by Zabolis Partners.
3.Evaluation
3.1. The following criteria shall be taken into account in the selection and evaluation of the works for the Competition:
3.1.1 Interpretation of the theme: the author’s ability to visually reveal the specified theme is assessed, taking into account an original and creative interpretation. Maximum score – 4 points.
3.1.2 Unity of form and content: it is assessed whether the visual appearance of the work, its title and the interpretation of the theme harmoniously correspond to each other. Maximum score – 4 points.
3.1.3 Technical professionalism and innovation: the author’s mastery of painting techniques and ability to experiment are assessed. The chosen painting medium and the format of the work are considered in evaluating their professional and purposeful use to implement the idea. The author’s original, authentic expression and visual language are evaluated. Maximum score – 4 points.
3.1.4 Visual impact: the aesthetic value of the work is assessed – the harmony of colour palette, brushwork, tonality, format, composition, rhythm, etc. The completeness of the work, quality, and presentable appearance are taken into account. Maximum score – 3 points.
3.1.5 Articulation of the work’s idea: it is assessed whether the author can clearly describe the main ideas of the work verbally and how clearly the author can articulate their artistic concept. Maximum score – 3 points.
3.1.6 Contextuality and relevance: it is assessed how the work resonates with today’s cultural context, art trends and current issues. Consideration is given to how the work fits into the discourse of young Lithuanian artists. Attention is paid to its lasting value. Maximum score – 2 points.
3.2 The Competition winners are announced and awarded by a representative of the Zabolis Partners community.
3.3. Zabolis Partners and VAA shall be responsible for the implementation and organisation of the Competition.
4.Final Provisions
4.1.If necessary, the terms and conditions of the Competition may be amended. This shall be communicated by one of the organisers. The possibility of amendments shall be decided in the presence of both organisers.
4.2. The organizers may publish translations of these regulations into other languages. In case of discrepancies between the Lithuanian text and texts in other languages, the Lithuanian text shall always take precedence.
3.1. The following criteria shall be taken into account in the selection and evaluation of the works for the Competition:
3.1.1 Interpretation of the theme: the author’s ability to visually reveal the specified theme is assessed, taking into account an original and creative interpretation. Maximum score – 4 points.
3.1.2 Unity of form and content: it is assessed whether the visual appearance of the work, its title and the interpretation of the theme harmoniously correspond to each other. Maximum score – 4 points.
3.1.3 Technical professionalism and innovation: the author’s mastery of painting techniques and ability to experiment are assessed. The chosen painting medium and the format of the work are considered in evaluating their professional and purposeful use to implement the idea. The author’s original, authentic expression and visual language are evaluated. Maximum score – 4 points.
3.1.4 Visual impact: the aesthetic value of the work is assessed – the harmony of colour palette, brushwork, tonality, format, composition, rhythm, etc. The completeness of the work, quality, and presentable appearance are taken into account. Maximum score – 3 points.
3.1.5 Articulation of the work’s idea: it is assessed whether the author can clearly describe the main ideas of the work verbally and how clearly the author can articulate their artistic concept. Maximum score – 3 points.
3.1.6 Contextuality and relevance: it is assessed how the work resonates with today’s cultural context, art trends and current issues. Consideration is given to how the work fits into the discourse of young Lithuanian artists. Attention is paid to its lasting value. Maximum score – 2 points.
3.2 The Competition winners are announced and awarded by a representative of the Zabolis Partners community.
3.3. Zabolis Partners and VAA shall be responsible for the implementation and organisation of the Competition.
4.Final Provisions
4.1.If necessary, the terms and conditions of the Competition may be amended. This shall be communicated by one of the organisers. The possibility of amendments shall be decided in the presence of both organisers.
4.2. The organizers may publish translations of these regulations into other languages. In case of discrepancies between the Lithuanian text and texts in other languages, the Lithuanian text shall always take precedence.