26th IPB

We have invited 100 outstanding poster artists to participate in the Main Competition, asking them also to recommend another poster artist. Participants included designers of world renown and less recognisable names, but equally interesting, working individually or in groups, studios, agencies, belonging to different generations, preferring different styles. The works that met the conditions for participation were not subject to selection – they were all included in the main exhibition and in the Biennale catalogue. The public saw an overview of 245 posters dating from 2015 to 2018

The Thematic Competition was launched to mark the 100th anniversary of Poland’s independence in 2018 and similar anniversaries in other countries of the region. The year 1918 saw the fulfilment of the independence aspirations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, as well as the proclamation of the creation of a bi-national independent state – Czechoslovakia – and the year before that, Finland was founded. The competition referred to the following values: independence, freedom, community, communal and cultural identity, nation, fraternity/solidarity, tolerance.

MAIN COMPETITION:

• Gold medal: HELMO: Thomas Couderc and Clément Vauchez (France), for the poster entitled. „Jazzdor / Strasbourg Jazz Festival”, 2017
• Silver medal: Vladimir Chaika (Russia), for his poster entitled. „Swarovski”, 2017
• Bronze medal: Kazunari Hattori (Japan) for his poster entitled. „A Cup of Sake”, 2016

In the justification for their decision, the jury members reported that the first prize was awarded for „the rhythm of the lettering and graphic elements capturing the spirit of jazz.” The winning poster is „a play with what is visible and obscured”. The second prize was awarded for its „sarcastic look at the revolution and what happened to it”, while the third-place winning poster was praised for its „strength of Japanese aesthetics expressed through subtle means.”

THEMATIC COMPETITION

• Gold medal: Tu Shen (China), for his poster entitled. „The Cost of Safety”, 2014
• Silver medal: Wojciech Domagalski (Poland), for his poster entitled. „Poland”, 2018
• Bronze medal: Mingliang Li (China), for his poster entitled. „Poland 100th, 2018

The first prize was awarded for his interpretation of 'mass control of societies and the dangers of this’. The second prize was awarded for „transferring the idea of the competition to a circus arena”, in which „the podium is an element of joy and yet emptiness”, and the third prize was awarded for the Chinese artist’s „free and expressive associations on Poland.”

The jury also awarded an honorary prize named after Józef Mroszczak. Its winner was Łukasz Luka Rayski for his poster entitled. „Constitution” from 2016. The distinguished work was awarded for its „intelligent association of the letters occurring in the word 'Constitution’ bringing out hidden words and meanings.”