As part of its 30th anniversary celebration, Karanović & Partners legal practice is announcing a competition for young artists to participate in an exhibition titled “What Endures Began as Imagination.“
In a world full of challenges and distractions, where imagination is too often dismissed as a decorative layer on reality—when in truth it lies at its core—we are prompted to ask: What is the origin of something that stands the test of time? Can an idea truly endure if it isn’t born from intuition, imagination, and inner necessity? How does the mind’s first spark reveal itself? What gives a thought the strength to take shape and become reality? Is it support, courage, and faith in one’s inner impulse that’s needed, or merely the sense that something is destined to exist?
This exhibition is an invitation to visually explore the process of creating what endures. You are invited to explore how imagination shapes what lasts, how art foresees the future and deciphers the present.
This is not a call for a literal depiction of the theme. We seek your interpretation: personal, collective, critical, speculative, visionary.
The focus is on the mental process. That moment when a vision begins to take shape. Is it then that imagination carries us more readily to the past or the future?
In a world in constant flux, what endures does so with purpose. What endures is grounded in decision, discipline, and dedication — but also that initial intuition, that belief.
As a team that has spent three decades building relationships of trust and collaboration, Karanović & Partners understands the power of an idea, the process that precedes its realization, and the power of artistic thought to transform the world around us.
Competition rules:
The competition is open to students of art faculties and academies, and to artists under the age of 35 from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Albania.
Application deadline: July 23, 2025.
Submissions must contain the following:
– Personal information: full name, date of birth, country of residence.
– Information about the submitted work: title, technique, dimensions, year of creation.
– A short statement about the work – 300 – 400 words.
– Visual representation of the work (photograph, sketch, or digital render).
Applications that are incomplete or submitted after the deadline will not be taken into consideration.
The submitted work can be either a completed piece or a proposal that requires production. Entries may cover both traditional and contemporary art media.
Should your documentation exceed 5 MB, we kindly ask that you submit it using WeTransfer.
An exhibition showcasing the 15 best works will be held in September in Belgrade at the „Neon“ gallery, on the 25th and 26th.
Submissions should be sent to: artcompetition@karanovicpartners.com
Participating in the exhibition „What Endures Began as Imagination“ is not only a chance for your work to be part of an important anniversary project — it is also an opportunity for your voice to stand out as one of the most significant within this theme, offering responses to the questions posed.
Three pieces featured at the exhibition will receive special recognition and awards.
A jury composed of curator Kristina Armuš, artist Svetlana Ninković, and Karanović & Partners Senior Partner Rastko Petaković will select three artists whose works will be recognized as the best and awarded monetary prizes of €2,500 for first place, €1,500 for second, and €1,000 for third.
Beyond the award, this is a chance for your work to stand as a compelling, modern answer to the question:
what truly endures — and how imagination shapes it.
