Maľba 2026: XYZ

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of its Maľba competition, the VÚB Foundation has prepared a special retrospective exhibition of all the award-winning works. It will be open to the general public with free admission at the Nedbalka Gallery from January 30 to March 1, 2026.

The Maľba competition has been a respected event and an integral part of the development of the artistic and cultural environment in Slovakia for two decades. Throughout its history, it has received almost two thousand entries from young painters. Independent international juries have awarded prizes and financial support to a total of 51 talented artists who have made their mark on the contemporary painting scene in our country.

Between 2006 and 2025, the Maľba competition – the VÚB Foundation Award for painting for young artists – created a physical and media space for an exhibition of a total of 400 works reflecting the early work of 203 professional painters. Of this number of finalist works in the competition, 59 paintings were awarded prizes by a jury of experts, which meets each year in a unique composition. These works are currently being made available by the VÚB Foundation at the cross-sectional exhibition 20 Years of Painting, which offers the professional and lay public the opportunity to view the work of all the competition winners up close in one place for the first time.