18 June 2026•Update: 18 June 2026
Undergraduate and graduate students from across the Turkic world can apply for the Hitay Foundation Art Competition through June 30, as the initiative expands internationally through a partnership with the Organization of Turkic States.
Students studying painting, sculpture and photography in Türkiye, Azerbaijan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Hungary, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are eligible to participate.
Applications will be accepted through the foundation's website, with results scheduled to be announced on July 14.
Ten selected students will earn the opportunity to take part in a special exploration program at the 61st Venice Biennale, one of the world's leading contemporary art events.
The program will allow participants to experience the biennale firsthand, observe a wide range of artistic practices and engage with international art circles.
Launched in 2013 to support emerging artists, the competition was initially organized in cooperation with a single university before opening to applications from across Türkiye last year.
The 2026 edition marks the first time the competition has been expanded internationally through cooperation with the Organization of Turkic States.
Nearly 1,000 students applied to the competition last year after it was opened nationwide. The number of participants selected for international art programs was also increased to 10 from four.
Last year's winners visited the Berlin Biennale, while previous participants have attended major international events including Art Basel and the Venice Biennale.
A total of 40 students have taken part in overseas art programs through the competition since its launch.
The foundation said the initiative has evolved into a platform aimed at helping young artists gain international experience, engage with different artistic environments and develop new perspectives for their creative work.
Emin Hitay, founding chairperson of the Hitay Foundation, said the competition was established to help young artists broaden their horizons and strengthen their artistic development.
He said the expansion of the program through cooperation with the Organization of Turkic States would help participants gain international experience, engage with different artistic traditions and build lasting professional networks across countries.
Hitay said art serves as a universal language that brings cultures together and expressed hope that the connections formed through the competition would contribute to future cultural cooperation and dialogue among young artists.
*Writing by Mucahithan Avcioglu
