International Digital Art Contest 2026 — an international digital art exhibition in Bosnia and Herzegovina
When digital work exists not merely as a ‘preliminary draft for print’ but as an artistic medium in its own right, we are seeing an increasing number of competitions that recognise digital art as an independent creative practice. This open call is aimed at artists working with digital imagery, animation and experimental visual forms who want to present their projects internationally — both in a physical exhibition space and in the metaverse.
The competition is organised by the Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Selected works will be presented in the Academy’s gallery and in a virtual exhibition on the Spatial platform. This format is particularly appealing to artists who explore the digital environment not as a supplement to offline art, but as an independent space for expression.
Who can enter
The open call is open to artists from around the world aged 18 and over who work in digital art without using AI tools. The organisers emphasise that only works originally created for a digital medium and with no physical counterpart will be accepted.
Entries may include:
— digital graphics;
— digital painting;
— digital photography;
— animation;
— short videos and experimental moving image works.
This may be of particular interest to media artists, creators of NFT projects, digital photographers and artists working with visual experiments outside the realm of commercial design and applied graphics.
It is important to note the rule regarding AI
The organisers specifically state that entries created using artificial intelligence are not eligible for submission. If necessary, authors may be asked to provide working files, layers, intermediate versions or other materials confirming that the work was created manually.
This does not mean that the competition is focused only on academic digital art. Rather, it reflects an attempt to preserve the artist’s individual digital expression without the use of generative systems or automated image production.
What participants receive
Selected artists will take part in two exhibitions simultaneously:
— a physical exhibition in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
— a virtual exhibition in the Spatial metaverse.
In addition:
— all participants will receive a certificate of participation;
— a digital catalogue will be published;
— four awards will be presented, including the Grand Prix and special jury prizes.
Even without a cash grant, this format can be a valuable international exhibition entry on your CV, as participation includes an offline exhibition, a virtual exhibition in Spatial and the publication of your work in a digital catalogue.
What entries can be submitted
The competition is divided into two categories:
DSIA – digital still images;
DMIA – digital moving images.
For still images, a JPG file up to 20 MB is required. For videos, an MP4 file up to 2 minutes long and up to 500 MB in size is accepted, making the competition accessible even to artists without advanced technical skills or large production resources.
The organisers have not set any restrictions on the competition theme. This allows for the submission of both conceptual and experimental projects, as well as more personal, introspective or visually narrative works.
However, commercial projects, advertising design, commissioned illustrations and applied graphics are not accepted.
How to apply
Applications are submitted via Google Forms. You need to upload one piece of work and attach a link to the file via Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer or another cloud service; there is no need to send files by email or register on separate platforms.
The form is quite simple and does not require a complex set of documents or a lengthy project statement, which makes the competition accessible even to artists applying to international digital open calls for the first time.
The deadline for applications is 1 August 2026.
Results: 15 September 2026. Exhibition: 14 October – 18 November 2026.
