XXIII. EDITION OF THE BIENNIAL OF CARTOON HUMOR AND SATIRE
THEME – Awakening Curiosity
Curiosity is a fundamental trait of human nature. Children are born curious – they constantly ask questions and discover the world with wonder. But as we age, our curiosity often fades. The Novomestský osteň 2025 Biennial asks: what if we awaken it again?
Curiosity means asking questions, exploring, wondering “what if?”, “why?”, “how?”. It is the spark of knowledge, the engine of change and creativity. The slogan “Awakening Curiosity” stems from the idea of the European Capital of Culture Trenčín 2026, which believes that culture has the power to awaken people’s interest in the world, in others, and in the future. The theme of the biennial invites you to use humor and satire to depict moments when curiosity awakens – whether through unexpected questions, absurd situations, a child’s view of the world, or the light of knowledge that suddenly switches on in our minds. What would a world without curiosity look like? And what could it be like if we rediscover it?
Contest deadline
Date: 30. 06. 2025
About the event
Cartoon humor, satire, and caricature as distinctive art genres have an important place in the cultural life of Nové Mesto nad Váhom. The symbol of the project is a thorn with eyes observing the surrounding world, pricking at the flaws of society. Novomestský osteň – the biennial of cartoon humor and satire – was founded in 1982 in Nové Mesto nad Váhom.
Its founders were prominent local cartoonists (Vladimír Pavlík, later Miro Ďurža) as well as the doyen of Slovak cartoon humor Viktor Kubal. It was the first competitive showcase and presentation of cartoon humor in Czechoslovakia. From its 3rd edition in 1985, the festival became a biennial. The event gradually gained a reputation, and in the following years, leading cartoonists from Czechoslovakia took part in NO. Over time, its archive accumulated the richest collection of Slovak cartoon humor – nearly 2000 drawings and paintings. In 2013, the organizers of NO set a goal to elevate the traditional event to an international level. In 2019, NO celebrated its 20th anniversary, and on this occasion, the only and unique Gallery of Cartoon Humor in Slovakia was opened in Nové Mesto nad Váhom on September 13, 2019. In 2021, by choosing the theme “Radio and Television”, we responded to the 65th anniversary of STV and the 95th anniversary of SRo, and established cooperation with our partner from Prešov – “Sneezing Brain” led by passionate cartoon humor organizer Peter Rázus. In 2023, we organized the 22nd edition of NO with the theme “Fish on a Plate” – inspired by the iconic Slovak dish treska. The intention was to pay tribute to Nové Mesto native Július Boško, who invented the recipe for this Slovak specialty, and in this way we “brought him back” to Nové Mesto after 70 years, as he had to move with his family to Bratislava in 1953. This year’s theme, “Awakening Curiosity”, stems from the idea of the European Capital of Culture Trenčín 2026, which believes that culture has the power to awaken people’s interest in the world, in others, and in the future. Novomestský osteň 2025 became part of the European Capital of Culture Trenčín 2026 programme offer in the field of Regional Cooperation.