The 47th Painting Biennale Bielska Jesień 2025
The upcoming exhibition is set to be a profound, evocative, and challenging experience, replete with emotion, fury, and raw power. It is not intended to be easy or pleasant, and rightfully so, for as jury member Stach Szabłowski declares in his announcement of the final exhibition, painting's purpose is not to soothe us into complacency, but to rouse us to awareness.
The outcomes of the 47th Painting Biennale Bielska Jesień will be revealed on Friday, 7th November, at 6 p.m., coinciding with the opening of the culminating exhibition. A jury, comprised of Dorota Buczkowska, Anna Mituś, Karol Radziszewski, Agata Smalcerz, and Stach Szabłowski, meticulously chose 89 paintings by 54 artists from a submission pool of 3,015 works; these selected pieces will be featured in the final exhibition.
Bielska Jesień 2025 promises an unvarnished confrontation with reality. Eschewing idyllic scenes, the exhibition will feature forceful, expressive, and intense paintings that engage with themes of anger, fear, and the pervasive uncertainty of the future. As stated by biennale curator Ada Piekarska, this will not be a passively observed display, but rather a visceral arena of confrontation, mirroring the anxieties of the past two years. It serves not as a mere survey of artistic trends, but as a significant document of the inherent tensions and divisions within contemporary Polish painting.
The Painting Biennale Bielska Jesień stands as a pivotal art competition in Poland, distinguished as the largest event dedicated to the medium of painting. For more than six decades, this esteemed biennale has been instrumental in championing contemporary art and fostering the emergence of new artistic talents. The exhibition of works at Galeria Bielska BWA offers a comprehensive perspective on the current state of contemporary painting.
From its inception, the competition has maintained an open format, with organizers refraining from dictating specific themes and embracing a wide interpretation of artistic painting. Notably, since 2013, eligibility for entry has been extended to individuals without a formal art school diploma.
The jury bestows three primary awards and five honourable mentions. Further honourable mentions are granted by the editorial teams of culture-focused magazines (or their respective departments) and online cultural publications.
Artists: Karol Bagiński, Kasia Banasiak, Martyna Baranowicz, Zuzanna Bartoszek, Kinga Burek-Domżalska, Eliza Chojnacka, Amadeusz Długaj, Mateusz Drozdowski, Olga Dyjak, Olga Dziubak, Sonia Góral, Anna Grzymała, Konrad Gubała, Marta Jamróg, Arkadiusz Karapuda, Gabriela Kiczor-Bentkowska, Paulina Kitlas, Piotr Kolanko, Wojciech Koniuszek, Radim Koros, Damian Kula, Agata Lankamer, Michał Leśniak, Ant Łakomsk, Honorata Martin, Zuzanna Mrozowska, Małgorzata Mycek, Agata Nowosielska, Michał Orzechowski, Paulina Poczęta, Katarzyna Pośpiech, Julia Poziomecka, Klaudia Prabucka, Filip Rybicki, Tomasz Saciłowski, Maciej Salamon, Grzegorz Siembida, Natalia Sara Skorupa, Anna Skrzypek, Jakub Sobczyński, Jan Stanisławski, Patryk Staruch, Kuba Stępień, Katarzyna Swinarska, Karolina Szwed, Michał Szuszkiewicz, Weronika Teplicka, Hubert Tylczak, Monika Walczak, Kacper Wiatrak, Michał Wirtel, Tatiana Wolska, Julia Woronowicz, Katarzyna Wyszkowska
Jury: Dorota Buczkowska, Anna Mituś, Karol Radziszewski, Agata Smalcerz, Stach Szabłowski
Curator: Ada Piekarska
The 47th Painting Biennale Bielska Jesień 2025
7 November 2025 – 11 January 2026
Galeria Bielska BWA
Bielsko-Biała, ul. 3 Maja 11
The exhibition opens on Friday, November 7, 2025, at 6 p.m., followed by the announcement of competition results and the award ceremony.
Admission to the exhibition, with the opening ceremony, awards presentation, and all related events is complimentary.
Schedule of Accompanying Events
NOVEMBER
Exhibition Opening, Results Announcement, and Award Ceremony
Friday, 7 November, 2025, 6:00 p.m.
DJ SET: Facheroia
Friday, 7 November, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
Curator’s Tour with Artists and Jury Members Saturday,
8 November, 2025, 11:00 a.m.
Panel Discussion with Jury Members and Art Critics Saturday,
8 November, 2025, 12:00 p.m.
Curated tour with Ada Piekarska
Tuesday, 18 November 2025, 6 p.m.
Closer to art – training for teachers
Wednesday, 19 November 2025, 5.15 p.m.
Registration required at www.rejestracja.wombb.edu.pl
Silver Horizon of Art – guided tour for seniors
Led by: Ala Gocka, educator at Galeria Bielska BWA
Thursday, 20 November 2025, 10:30 a.m.
Guided tour in Ukrainian / Екскурсія українською
Thursday, 20 November 2025, 3.30 p.m.
Led by: Julia Ogińska, photographer and educator at Galeria Bielska BWA
Cultural studies guided tour
Thursday, 20 November 2025, 6 p.m.
During the guided tour of the final exhibition of Bielska Jesień, we will take a look at the cultural themes addressed by artists in their works.
Hosted by: Jessica Kufa, cultural researcher, employee of Galeria Bielska BWA
Curated tour by Ada Piekarska
Sunday, 23rd November 2025, 1 p.m.
Guided tour in English
Saturday, 29 November 2025, 1 p.m.
Led by: Paulina Darłak, educator at Galeria Bielska BWA
Guided tour for families with children
Sunday, 30 November 2025, 12.30 p.m.
Led by: Ala Gocka, educator at Galeria Bielska BWA
Admission to the exhibition and all accompanying events is complimentary.
