Gergely Bacsa and fairness of certain contests.

SYRIACARTOON -2026

On 2 مايو 2026

Gergely Bacsa and fairness of certain contests.

Dear Colleagues,
Over the past years, I have been closely following international art competitions and their results. Unfortunately, I have repeatedly encountered experiences that raise serious concerns for me regarding the professional credibility and fairness of certain contests.
It is often the case that artists—who frequently work without financial compensation—are expected to submit original, high-quality works, while the “award” is limited to a digital publication. In addition, it is not uncommon for participants to receive no official feedback or notification about the results.
I also find it particularly concerning when, in some competitions, artists from the same country are consistently awarded. For example, I participated several times in the Marul de Aur 2026 (Bistrița, Romania) competition with works that I believe were of strong quality, yet I was neither among the awarded artists nor included in the exhibition.
Similar issues have arisen in other competitions as well: original works are not returned, no formal communication is provided, and in one instance, my artwork was used for promotional purposes despite not receiving any award.
Based on these experiences, I have decided not to participate in such competitions in the future under these conditions.

My dear friend! My goal is to send my drawings and thoughts to as many countries as possible. I work on one work for several days. At your competitions you did not expect me to send original drawings. Thank God you awarded me the prize. I think it is natural that if you invite me, you pay for everything, we make friends, the primary thing on my part is that in such cases I give the original drawing as a gift. Hats off to the event, I was completely satisfied with everything. But there are some competitions… in Romania, Poland, Portugal where the work put in is not rewarded.

That is why I wrote that I will neglect some international competitions in the near future. As I wrote, there is an international competition announced and nine out of ten winners are domestic. Or a local colleague wins a prize at a domestic international festival for the sixth time in a row. This is nonsense.