art competition 2026

For the tenth time, the Münzenberg Forum is holding its art competition in the categories of film, photo and collage.

Ninety years ago, right-wing nationalists, monarchists, and elements of the military and the Roman Catholic Church, supported by German and Italian fascists, staged a coup against the democratically elected Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic. Thousands of volunteers from around the world came to Spain to defend the Republic. Among them were writers, artists, workers, photographers, and political activists. In its eleventh year, we dedicate the art competition to the Spanish Civil War and the question of memory, resistance, and hope in times of fascism.

The Spanish Civil War was not merely a military conflict; it was a struggle for democracy, social justice, and the question of what a different society could look like. Many artists, such as Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell, Gerda Taro, and Egon Erwin Kisch, reacted directly to the events—with photographs, poems, films, posters, and reportage that continue to shape our understanding of this war.

Against this background, the Münzenberg Forum has chosen the epitaph of Lucía Sánchez Saornil, the Spanish writer, anarchist and co-founder of the anarchist organization Mujeres Libres, who fought against the Francoists in the Spanish Civil War, as its motto:

But... is it true that hope has died?

Lucía Sánchez Saornil was born in Madrid in 1895 into a working-class family. Even as a young woman, she wrote poetry and worked as a telephone operator. In the 1920s, she became involved in the anarchist and feminist movements. However, she realized that even in revolutionary movements, women were often disadvantaged. Therefore, in 1936, together with Amparo Poch y Gascón and Mercedes Comaposada, she founded the organization Mujeres Libres (Free Women). This organization fought for education, self-determination, and political participation for women.

During the Spanish Civil War, she worked for the anarchist press and founded the anti-fascist aid organization "Solidaridad Internacional Antifascista" (SIA). With Mujeres Libres, she offered educational programs, childcare, and political training so that women could actively participate in the social and anti-fascist struggle. By 1939, the organization had grown to more than 20,000 members.

After the defeat of the Republic, Lucía Sánchez Saornil, like many others, was forced into exile. From France, she organized aid for the refugees. Upon her return, she lived under the conditions of the Franco dictatorship and withdrew from public politics. Nevertheless, she remained committed to her anarchist and feminist convictions until her death in 1970. The Mujeres Libres (Free Women) movement was banned and dismantled, and its members were persecuted, imprisoned, or forced into exile.

The MÜNZENBERG FORUM BERLIN welcomes submissions in each category that explore the respective stylistic devices within the context of the theme and address current socio-political conditions and developments.