“Dissonant heritage of socialist-era architecture and the history, identity and memory of Kraków's Nowa Huta”
About the Competition
AFTER THE PALACE: Resonance 2026 is an international video mapping competition and outdoor showcase, constituting an artistic attempt to redefine and creatively reinterpret the dissonant heritage of socialist-era architecture in the context of the history, cultural identity and memory of Kraków's Nowa Huta.
We invite digital media artists, animators, motion designers, creative teams and design studios from around the world to create original site-specific projections for the courtyard façade of Building "Z" of the New Administrative Centre (formerly part of the Lenin Steelworks) in Kraków.
The competition and showcase are organized by the University of the National Education Commission in Kraków as part of the international artistic and research project unLoc. The best projects will be presented during the AFTER THE PALACE: Resonance 2026 event, which will take place on 23 November 2026, as part of the accompanying program of the 34th Audio Art Festival.
Schedule
- Open Call announced: 15 September 2026
- Submission deadline: 30 October 2026, 23:59 CET (UTC+1)
- Selection results announced: by 10 November 2026
- Final Outdoor Showcase and Award Ceremony: 23 November 2026 (Courtyard of Building "Z", New Administrative Centre, 1 Ujastek St., Kraków-Nowa Huta)
Cash Prizes
- 1st Place: PLN 10,000
- 2nd Place: PLN 6,000
- 3rd Place: PLN 3,000
The Jury reserves the right to award additional honorary distinctions and to distribute the prize pool differently.
Technical Requirements
- Medium: 2D / 3D video mapping (with sound)
- Duration: from 1 minute to a maximum of 8 minutes
- Format and Quality: MP4 file (H.264 / AAC), 4K, minimum bitrate of 40 Mbps, frame rate 25 fps, audio 48 kHz/16-bit, optimized for the dedicated building mapping matrix (Appendix No. 4)
- AI Disclosure: The use of Generative AI tools is permitted, provided that the scope of their use is fully disclosed in the application form and that the applicant holds the rights to the source materials
How to Submit
Submissions must be made exclusively digitally. Applicants must submit the completed online application form together with a link to download the work.
The competition is international, open and free. To participate, review the Rules, complete the Application Form online, and send it along with a link to download the work.