The professional and independent evaluation in Maľba 2025 was carried out by Klara Kemp-Welch, an art historian from the United Kingdom; Giovanni Morale, a critic and historian from Italy; renowned Slovak visual artist Roman Ondak; and acclaimed Slovak painter Andrej Dúbravský, whose professional breakthrough was closely linked to the Maľba competition itself. In the first round of judging, the expert panel selected a shortlist of 20 finalists from more than 100 applicants – half of whom were debutants presenting in the finals for the first time. During the second jury session held this week, the international panel of experts determined the three winners of this year’s jubilee edition.
3rd place
Third place, with an accompanying cash prize of €5,000, went to Eva Vaňová for her painting Silent city. The jury finds it deeply inspiring to observe an artist who systematically engages in socially beneficial participatory projects while also thinking just as intensively about how to present the results of this work in an innovative and formally compelling way.
2nd place
Second place and a €10,000 prize to support further artistic development went to Adam Baník, a first-time participant, for his work In Drops of Sweat We Thrive. The jury was impressed by the painter’s exceptional talent and by the continued relevance of his visual iconography of the working figure — a subject rarely represented in contemporary art. The depiction of hard manual labor resonates strongly in the context of globalized extractivism.
1st place
According to the international jury, the most artistically complex work of the 20th edition of Maľba was created by another debutant — Paula Gogola. Her painting Limerence earned not only the prestigious title and valuable endorsement from renowned art professionals but also the highest prize from the VÚB Foundation, amounting to €15,000. The jury recognized the winning work as the most sensitive among all submissions, highlighting how the artist conveys intimacy in a surprisingly direct way. The painting raises important questions about defining the poetics of contemporary life and sparked the jury’s longest and most profound discussion.
In addition to the three winning works, the jury also gave special recognition to painter Samuel Kollárik for his work Rotten Sower. The panel praised the way the artist captured the complexity of contemporary masculinity, appreciating in particular his use of a vivid, surreal visual language and distinctive color palette.
“It is clear that Slovakia has a truly vibrant cultural scene, where the younger generation of artists is eager to continue exploring the possibilities of painting. We were struck by the diversity of topics these artists engage with — from questions of identity, war and labor to issues of gender. The range of themes tackled by the applicants and finalists is truly remarkable, as is the variety of stylistic approaches. It’s evident that young painters feel free to draw inspiration from a wide range of cultural traditions and to create their own contemporary hybrids,” said Klara Kemp-Welch, chair of the expert jury.
The competition Maľba – VÚB Foundation Painting Award for Young Artists has, over two decades, become one of the most prominent initiatives supporting and promoting contemporary visual art in Slovakia. Throughout its history, it has recognized more than 50 artists, awarding a total of €430,000 in prizes. Across its 20 editions, the competition has presented 400 works of art to both professional and general audiences.
“We are pleased that the announcement of the Maľba results has become an annual highlight of the Slovak art scene. We appreciate the trust of young visual artists and the attention that experts continue to give this initiative. For two decades now, Maľba has created a platform to showcase the most remarkable talents of its time and to help them grow. This is evidenced by the artists who have been awarded in past years, and we believe a similar path lies ahead for this year’s winners. We sincerely congratulate the winners and all other finalists of this anniversary edition and celebrate their success. We are also delighted that the first and second prizes went to talents who reached our Maľba finals for the very first time this year,” said Lucia Luptáková, Manager of the VÚB Foundation.
See the artworks live — free admission
The VÚB Foundation, in cooperation with Bratislava’s Nedbalka Gallery and competition advisor Nina Gažovičová, has once again prepared an exhibition with free admission, aiming to bring quality Slovak contemporary art closer to the general public. All 20 finalists of Maľba 2025 are presenting their submitted works there until October 26 (in alphabetical order): Zuzana Badinková, Adam Baník, Dávid Bátora, Martina Červenková, Daša Ďurišová, Michal Fízik, Marianna Franková, Paula Gogola, Paulína Halasová, Ľubomíra Chylová Sekerášová, Daniela Illéšová, Samuel Kollárik, Alžbeta Martof Pavčová, Jakub Mlynarčík, Ivana Mojšová, Alexandra Pradidová, Nikola Šušovicová, Šimon Tóth, János Vámos and Eva Vaňová.
