site.btaUPDATED 11th International Triennial of Stage Poster Opens in Sofia with over 350 Posters from 36 Countries

The 11th International Triennial of Stage Poster, which features more than 350 posters from 36 countries, opened on Monday in Sofia. It is hosted by the Union of Bulgarian Artists (UBA) until January 20, 2026. The exhibition, themed “Literature Is a Stage”, is on display in the gallery at the UBA headquarters in the capital.

At the opening on Monday, UBA Chair Lyuben Genov said that Sofia is the world capital of the poster for the eleventh time. 

Jury member Prof. Bojidar Ionov said that posters are also poetry. "There is a lot to say about posters. But there is even more to see and contemplate", he noted.

Albena Spasova, representing the International Triennial of Stage Posters, expressed her gratitude to all those who contributed to the triennial's existence and realisation, with special thanks to the participants. "We have seen several generations of artists participate in the triennial, including former students who are now professors," she said. 

Snezhana Yoveva from the State Cultural Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that the institute has been a partner of the International Triennial of Stage Posters since its creation 20 years ago. "We are delighted that, thanks to your active curatorship, extremely iconic posters have been exhibited and arranged to accurately and timely capture the pulse of poster language, with themes related to tolerance and issues corresponding to what is happening in our society", she said. 

Dimitrovgrad Mayor Ivo Dimov pointed out that the city gallery in Dimitrovgrad is the only gallery where posters are stored, with over 1,300 exhibits dating back to the 1980s.  

The names of the award-winning participants were also announced at Monday's event. This year, for the first time, the jury did not award a grand prize, instead giving four equal prizes. The winners were Agnieszka Srokosz (Poland) for the poster Romeo and Juliet, Nikolay Mladenov (Bulgaria) for the best overall presentation, Stephan Bundi (Switzerland), who won the UBA award with the poster Switzerland, and Lex Drewniski (Poland/Germany), who received the Dimitrovgrad Municipality's award with the poster My Struggle. 

Special awards were also presented. The bronze plaquette "Asen Stareyshinski" by Prof. Georgi Chapterski, awarded to young artists (under 35), went to Marko Tomic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) for his poster Ivanov. The Kamen Popov Foundation presented two Bulgarian students with bronze plaques and cash prizes: Katalina Vasileva and Ralitsa Vuleva.

The international jury was composed of leading figures in the field – Wieslaw Grzegorczyk (Poland), Mirko Ilic (Bosnia and Herzegovina/USA), Radoslava Boor (Bulgaria/Czechia), Finn Nygaard (Denmark) and Bojidar Ionov. In addition to selecting the award winners, they gave public lectures and took part in a discussion on the role of the poster as a carrier of strong cultural and social messages.

The Triennial's programme began on December 11 with an exhibition of Bulgarian award-winning posters at the Sredets Gallery of the Ministry of Culture. On December 14, the Gallery 88 Kamen Popov opened a collection bringing together posters inspired by major literary figures.

On opening day, a jury exhibition was unveiled, ARTtemption - over 100 posters dedicated to women’s rights - and the thematic series “Connectivity” and “Plaquettes and Posters”.

For December 16, a discussion forum is planned at the Union of Bulgarian Artists headquarters, as well as the opening of the exhibition “Warsaw Poster in Sofia” at the Polish Institute.

The international project Tolerance Project Inc., curated by Mirko Ilic, returns to the urban environment and will be displayed this time on the fence of the Lyubomir Pipkov National School of Music.

Special guests of the Triennial include the Warsaw International Poster Biennale President Lech Majewski, Yerevan’s Theatrical Posters International Biennale Director Erik Boghosian, poster-platform representatives from Budapest, and participants from Mexico, Serbia and Poland. 

The 11th International Triennial of Stage Poster is part of the Sofia Municipality’s 2025 Cultural Events Calendar, supported by the Ministry of Culture and carried out in partnership with the UBA, the State Cultural Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Polish Institute, the Foundation Kamen Popov, Dimitrovgrad Municipality and multiple supporters. BTA is the event’s media partner.