APPLICATIONS

Noga Harel (participant in the 9th International Enamel Art Biennial). Brooch Exit Wounds, 2019. Copper, spinel stone, stainless steel, enamel, threads. 20 × 90 × 75 mm.

 

 

XI International Biennial of Enamel Art Vilnius 2026 Announces Open Call for Artists

For the eleventh time, Vilnius is preparing to bring together enamel artists from Lithuania and abroad – an open call for participation in the International Biennial of Enamel Art Vilnius 2026 has been announced. The biennial’s organizer, Goldsmiths’ Guild, is accepting applications until June 19.

Since its inception in 2005, the Vilnius Biennial of Enamel Art has become one of the most significant professional enamel art events in the Baltic States. It brings together jewelers, metal artists, and enamel artists from around the globe. Over the past two decades, the biennial has showcased the work of artists from Japan, France, Italy, Spain, Georgia, Latvia, Estonia, Canada, and Taiwan, among other countries.

The biennial was initiated by Marytė Dominaitė, who is the head of the Goldsmiths’ Guild, a jeweler and an enamel artist, as well as being one of the most important promoters of enamel art in Lithuania. According to M. Dominaitė, the biennial reveals how contemporary artists are pushing the boundaries of enamel art, from color choices to unexpected forms and ideas.  “The biennial provides a platform for creative dialogue among artists and gives viewers the chance to experience the variety of contemporary enamel art. The XI Biennial of Enamel Art is a significant event for all enthusiasts of this art form,” she stated.

The Theme of the Biennial Is “Sensitive Zones”

The XI biennial, which will take place in 2026, will explore the theme of “Sensitive Zones”. This year’s theme invites us to view enamel as both a technique and a metaphor for fragility, resilience, and intimacy. The biennial will explore themes relating to personal, social, and political tensions, subtle gestures, unspoken experiences, and sensitive territories of the contemporary world.

The biennial is organized as a competition, with participants being selected by an international jury of art historians, jewelers, and metal art experts specializing in enamel art. Jury members include Núria López-Ribalta, a jeweler, curator, and enamel artist from Spain; Åsa Lockner, a jeweler from Sweden; and Adolfas Šaulys, a jewelry professor from Estonia. The organizers plan to select approximately 30–50 artists from Lithuania and abroad.

The Biennial Exhibition – From Tallinn to Vilnius

This October, an exhibition featuring participants selected by the international jury of the Biennial of Enamel Art Vilnius 2026 will be on display at the Meistre Hoovi Gallery in Tallinn. It will then move to the Kauno Langas gallery in Kaunas, before the closing exhibition takes place in November at the Meno Niša gallery in Vilnius. The printed biennial catalog will also be presented there (author and editor of the texts: art historian and long-time enamel biennial expert Dr. Jurgita Ludavičienė). The Meno Niša gallery has been a long-standing partner of the enamel biennial, hosting all of its introductory exhibitions to date.

Educational activities, creative workshops, lectures, and presentations of enamel art to a wider audience are also planned during the biennial. The organizers aim to showcase professional enamel art and actively foster the continuity of this complex and rare technique in Lithuania and the Baltic region.

Application Deadline

The organizers of the International Biennial of Enamel Art Vilnius 2026 are accepting applications from artists until June 19. The call for participation and application guidelines are available:

• XI International Biennial of Enamel Art Vilnius 2026. Participant Application form.
• XI International Biennial of Enamel Art Vilnius Terms and Conditions.

The biennial is organized by the Goldsmiths’ Guild and sponsored by the Vilnius City Municipality. The partners are the galleries Meno Niša, Kauno Langas, and Meistre Hoovi.