International Art Contest for Minority Artists 2025
The 2025 edition of the Contest invites minority artists to submit artworks addressing themes related to the intersection of environmental degradation, cultural loss, and the fight for a just, equitable future based on human rights. The contest celebrates the strength and relevance of minority perspectives to understand the linkages between minority rights and human rights on the one hand, and environmental justice and action to combat and reverse climate change on the other hand. It aims to shed light on minority-driven solutions to face the adverse effects of climate change and environmental harm, and to illuminate the minority experience of loss of place and culture.
On 18 December 2024, the 32nd Anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, UN Human Rights (OHCHR), the non-governmental organizations Minority Rights Group International and Freemuse, and the City of Geneva launch the 2025 Edition of the International Contest for Minority Artists, with a focus on the theme of Belonging, Place and Loss.
Artists who identify as belonging to a national, ethnic, religious or linguistic minority are invited to submit high-quality electronic images of up to five works of art related to the 2025 theme. The Judges Panel will select three minority artists, groups of artists, or art projects to receive non-hierarchical awards and one minority artists to receive the Minority Artist Award for Youth. The final deadline for submission is 1 March 2025. The award-winners will be announced in November 2025.
The International Contest for Minority Artists is part of the Minority Artists for Human Rights Initiative (2024-2028), a comprehensive program of support for minority artists as human rights defenders. The Minority Artists for Human Rights Initiative aims to further the protection of minority artists as human rights defenders; extend outreach and awareness-raising to reach diverse audiences and excluded groups; develop a network of named cities including Geneva as hubs for minority art and culture, through a global network of cities supporting minority rights; and deepen the inter-connectivity between minority artists and the United Nations system of human rights protection.
Eligibility criteria
- Applicants must identify themselves as belonging to a national, ethnic, religious or linguistic minority, in accordance with the 1992 UN Minorities Declaration.
- Applicants can be of any nationality or stateless.
- All art formats are eligible, there are no limitations on style or medium. Submissions must however be in electronic format.
- The artwork speaks to the theme of shedding light on the theme of “Belonging, Place and Loss”.
- Application to the contest is free-of charge; there is no application and no facilitation fee. Efforts to impose charges for application should please be reported to: ohchr-minorities@un.org.
- Submissions of collaborative works by multiple minority artists are welcome.
- The work submitted must have been made by the applicant(s) or must be the result of collaborative efforts in which the applicant is included.
- The artwork must be submitted in digital format.
Eligibility and Application to the Minority Artists Awards
Artists who self-identify as belonging to a national, ethnic, religious or linguistic minority are invited to apply to the 2025 Edition of the International Contest for Minority Artists. All artworks focusing on themes related to minority rights, belonging, environmental justice and climate change are eligible, including but not limited to photography, painting, video, installation, drawing, sculpture, digital arts, dancing, music, etc. Due to practical reasons, it is however required that a presentation of the artwork(s) be submitted in a digital format. There is no application fee for the contest.
UN Human Rights does not request the rights to the artwork(s). However, it will ask for (1) explicit affirmation from the artist that UN Human Rights and partners are enabled to profile the artists and use the virtual presentation of the artwork(s) in public specifically in connection with the contest and its promotion; and (2) that UN Human Rights and partners will not return copies of any works submitted.
When applying to the award, entrants will submit a short biography (including on their minority background), a paragraph describing their approach to the theme of the 2025 contest, and a selection of up to 5 pieces of their artwork that relate to such theme.
Four awards each will be offered by the Judging Panel; among these awards, one Minority Youth Artist Award will be reserved for artists aged between 18-35. The Judges Panel can also recognize additional artists through honourable mention.
Women and LGBTQI+ artists belonging to minorities are particularly encouraged to apply to the Contest.
The partners regret that they are unable to contact all unsuccessful applicants to the contest. The award-winners and minority artists receiving honourable mention will be publicly announced in November 2025.
FOR DETAILS AND TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COMPETITION, GO TO THE COMPETITION WEBSITE – PLEASE CLICK –