Bionantism International Art Competition
Open Call for Artists · Edition II (2026)
About the Contest
Total prizes of $2,000
Free participation
Deadline November 01, 2026
The winners will be announced on 11/21/2026, during the live broadcast dedicated to the 2nd anniversary of the TDV ART by Mihai Ionescu gallery, on the official Facebook page #tdvart. As in the first edition in 2025, the live broadcast will start at 6:45 PM (EET – Romania).
Call for Artists
Build an image where nature and technology are born together
The theme must be understandable at a glance.The idea is essential — not just the execution.
If you are selected, publish the work on two sites and send us the links. Then, wait for the result. Simple. More details can be found below on the page under the Conditions and stages heading.
About the Contest
Contest theme
Bionantism is a contemporary visual theme in which nature and technology are conceived as being born together, in a single visual organism. The relationship between them is not explained, illustrated or justified narratively, but must be evident through the image.
TDV ART by Mihai Ionescu, the first non-stop commercial art gallery known worldwide, invites artists from all over the world to participate in the 2nd Edition of the Bionantism International Art Competition.
The competition is aimed at visual artists working in traditional techniques and offers total prizes of 2,000 USD, free participation and the opportunity to exhibit works in the heart of Bucharest, Romania.
👉 More details about Bionantism can be found at https://bionantism.com/
Participation Conditions
Participation is open to visual artists from any country.
Only works made by hand, through direct physical intervention of the artist, on a physical support, are eligible.
Accepted techniques:
painting
drawing
mixed media
sculpture
The artistic idea is free and can be developed by any means, including with the help of artificial intelligence.
However, the execution of the work must be carried out entirely by hand, without the use of digital means or artificial intelligence in the creation process.
Digital works, prints or works generated or assisted by AI are not accepted.
Each artist can submit only one work, and participation is free of charge.
The selected works will be publicly presented in the TDV ART by Mihai Ionescu space.
👉 If the original work cannot be shipped, a high-quality print may be exhibited, with the artist’s consent.
More information about the participation requirements can be found below, in the “Participation Conditions” section.
Contest Awards & Timeline
🏆Prizes
The competition offers a total prize fund of 2,000 USD, distributed as follows:
🥇 The Bionantism Grand Award (First Prize)
— 1,000 USD
— official diploma
— 2 nights accommodation for 2 people in Bucharest
🥈 Second Prize
— 600 USD
— official diploma
— 2 nights accommodation for 2 people
🥉 Third Prize
— 400 USD
— official diploma
— 2 nights accommodation for 2 people
At the decision of the jury, in the event that The Bionantism Grand Award is not awarded, its value may be redistributed to the other prizes.
The organizers reserve the right to adjust the prize structure depending on the artistic level of the submitted works.
All winners will be officially awarded during the 1st anniversary event of TDV ART by Mihai Ionescu, organized on November 21, 2026, in Bucharest.
The ceremony will be broadcast live on the official Facebook page @tdvart24, starting at 6:45 PM (Romanian time).
📅Timeline
November 01, 2026
— deadline for registration
November 05–06, 2026
— confirmation of finalists by email
November 15, 2026
— deadline for submission of publication links by selected artists
November 21, 2026
— announcement of winners and award ceremony
— location: TDV ART by Mihai Ionescu, Bucharest
The event will be broadcast live on the official Facebook page @tdvart24, starting at 18:45 (Romanian time).
Theme Guidelines
Bionantism is a visual artistic theme that explores the idea that nature and technology are born together, as a single organism. It is not in opposition, does not function as a decoration and does not belong to the fantasy zone.
The theme is expressed through works such as bio-technical still lifes — fruits, objects, plants or living things — but also through floral compositions or landscapes, in which organic and mechanical elements grow and coexist as a single visual body. The presence of the human figure is generally discouraged.
Your work must convey this organic cogenesis directly, through the image, not through forced explanations or symbols.
Works made exclusively digitally or generated with the help of artificial intelligence are not accepted, and fantastic, magical, retro elements or protest messages do not fit into the contest theme.
Below you will find 12 examples of works already made in the Bionantism theme. These are not models to copy, but visual landmarks intended to help you understand the direction and spirit of the theme.
The jury will especially appreciate personal, coherent and innovative approaches, not simple chromatic variations or formal reinterpretations of existing images.
👉 For a complete presentation of the theme, you can consult www.bionantism.com.
Contest Form
Gallery
Conditions and stages
Stage 1
Participation is free. All entries are sent via form or email to office@tablouri-de-vis.ro, with the subject: "Bionantism Contest 2025 – Submission" Stage 1 – Initial Submission – (Work in progress) In the first stage, each artist must submit: - a Work in Progress (WIP) photo, taken during the creative process, at a relevant stage of the work (not a superficially modified finished work); As this is an online competition, the canvas size does not matter. - the photo must clearly demonstrate that the work is in progress; - artist details: full name, country of origin and email address. 👉 At this stage, the organizers can provide indicative feedback, to confirm whether the chosen artistic direction respects the theme of Bionantism.
🚀 Step 2 – Final submission
Stage 2 – Final Submission
After completing the work, the artist must submit:
a final image of the work, at high resolution (minimum 300 dpi);
the file must be in JPG or PNG format;
maximum file size: 10 MB;
a short description of the work, of maximum 500 characters, written in English or Romanian.
⚠️ Important rules
⚠️ In the final stage, each artist can participate with only one work, even if they initially submitted multiple proposals.
⚠️ Both images are mandatory (Work in Progress and final work). Missing either one will result in disqualification.
⚠️ Digital or AI-generated works are not eligible. For this reason, the work in progress (WIP) stage is mandatory, to confirm that the work was made in the traditional way.
📢 Promotion Rules
Selected artists will be notified by email after submitting the two images requested in the regulations (Work in Progress and the final work).
Once confirmed, they must support the promotion of the Bionantism theme through the following mandatory actions:
1. Publishing the work online (only after confirmation); The title of the work must include the word “Bionantism” (example: “Hybrid Pear in Bionantism”); this ensures better visibility and easier verification;
2. Posting the work on social networks (Facebook and Instagram), using the hashtag #bionantism;
Tagging the official account: @tdvart24;
3. Publishing the work on at least two recognized art platforms, such as:
- Artmajeur
- Saatchi Art
- DeviantArt
- Behance
- ArtStation
- Tablouri de Vis
- www.arta360.com
- personal website, blog or any other art sites
Sending by email all publication links (social networks + platforms) to office@tablouri-de-vis.ro, by November 1, 2026.
👉 These rules are mandatory for all selected participants.
👉 Failure to comply with them will lead to disqualification, even if the work has already been accepted.
⚖️ Disclaimer & Rights
• By registering, artists confirm that they are the sole creators and holders of all copyrights to the submitted work. The organizers assume no responsibility for any copyright infringement committed by participants.
• The jury’s decision is final and cannot be contested.
• The organizers reserve the right to disqualify any participant who does not comply with the contest rules.
• The organizers reserve the right to use the submitted images (both Work in Progress photos and final images) exclusively for promotional purposes related to the contest, exhibition and the theme of Bionantism (website, social networks, catalogs, press releases, etc.).
• No work will be sold or commercially exploited by the organizers without the written consent of the artist.
• All rights remain with the artists. Winners and finalists keep their original works.
If an artist is unable or unwilling to deliver the physical work for the exhibition, it remains in their possession, and a high-quality print will be presented in the exhibition.
• Artists who choose to submit original works may have these pieces included in the official Bionantism Collection – TDV ART by Mihai Ionescu, with the possibility of being presented, for a period of up to one year, in international exhibitions, partner galleries and museums.
• The jury will be appointed by TDV ART by Mihai Ionescu and may include curators, art critics or guest artists.
• In the event of unforeseen circumstances, the organizers reserve the right to modify the calendar or details of the competition, with prior notice on the official website.
