Launched in 1961, this seminal showcase of Hungarian graphic art has, for more than four decades, presented the most important Hungarian artists and the latest developments and trends in the genre in the form of a biennial exhibition; since 2008, it has been held every three years under the name Miskolc Graphic Arts Triennial. The 2026 edition of the triennial will be marked by celebration and reflection: it will be the thirtieth major gathering of Hungarian graphic art, exactly 65 years after the first exhibition was held.
By their very nature, anniversaries carry with them a need for reflection, summary, and evaluation, but at the same time, they offer an excellent opportunity to formulate visions for the future and to research and outline possible paths for further progress. In connection with the Miskolc Graphic Arts Triennial, a discourse has been ongoing within the Hungarian art community for more than a decade regarding the general state of the graphic arts genre, and even its possible redefinition. The exhibition material of the most recent review demonstrated the creative potential of the domestic scene spanning generations, as well as the diversity of artistic graphic artists, which is open to both traditional techniques and contemporary solutions. The Miskolc exhibition’s stated intention going forward is to provide a platform not only for classical methods but also for artists working with individual techniques, as well as to enable the representation of the latest trends and frontier areas in graphic art.
Throughout its history, graphic art has consistently adopted and embraced the latest “cutting-edge technologies.” Through this, it has continually expanded the toolkit for preparing printing plates and the printing process itself with new techniques. The visual effects characteristic of graphic art have thus been continually enriched with new aesthetic elements. The last major technological shift was the advent of digital imaging and digital printing, which has since become widely accepted within the genre.
Today, we are witnessing a similar, and perhaps even more significant, transformation. Observing the developments of recent years, it is no exaggeration to say that a fundamental shift is taking place in the world, one that has a direct and definitive impact on the visual arts and, more broadly, on all human creative processes. We encounter texts, images, and music generated by artificial intelligence (AI) on a daily basis. It is inevitable that this will influence the field of graphic design, and whatever our stance on this may be, whatever predictions we might make, the fact of this phenomenon cannot be questioned.
We are organizing the upcoming anniversary triennial at a time when the world around us is undergoing global processes that are difficult to grasp and, in terms of their outcomes, virtually unpredictable. Just as we have certainly reached a turning point from a creative perspective with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), it cannot be ruled out that we must seriously consider this possibility in terms of our very existence.
As organizers of the Miskolc Graphic Arts Triennial 2026, we trust that in the world of the visual deluge surrounding us—which we have come to take almost for granted—the overwhelming multitude of stimuli, and artificially generated products not tied to any specific individual, a necessary and genuine opportunity may arise for graphics to be revalued as original works of art in visual, community, intellectual, and spiritual sense, as an original work of art—that is, as a product created by an artist possessing genuine expertise in their field or personally signed by them.
We therefore continue to seek out the most exciting, professionally authentic, and outstanding examples of the genre. There are no restrictions on content: rather than a specific theme or keyword, we continue to prioritize the individual, creative perspective.
Confident that you, as an artist committed to graphic art, will honor us with your trust, we look forward to hearing from all our dear colleagues.
András Kákóczki, Ábel Kónya