Bologna World Illustration Awards

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- Exhibition Information -

• Exhibition Title: Bologna Children's Book Fair
• Exhibition Dates: July 4, 2026 (Sat) - September 28, 2026 (Mon)
• Exhibition Dates:
  Monday to Sunday, 10:00-18:00 (ticket sales and admission stop at 17:00)
  
• Exhibition Venue: West Hall 4, West Hall 5-1 & West Hall 5-2, Huashan 1914 Cultural and Creative Industry Park
• Exhibition Address: No. 1, Section 1, Bade Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City 100
  
  
  

- Exhibition Introduction -

Bologna World Illustration Awards
----Seeing imagination, and seeing the world----
Annual Selections from the Bologna Children's Book Fair

The Bologna Children's Book Fair selected 390 works by 78 artists from submissions worldwide. The exhibition is laid out in four sections, inviting viewers to move from "imagination" to "life," through "media experimentation," and finally to a diverse perspective of "world stories."
Since its inception in 1967, the Bologna Children's Book Fair has consistently been at the forefront of children's publishing and contemporary graphic art, providing a platform for illustrators worldwide to be seen, understood, and exchanged ideas. This year's exhibition received submissions from 3,520 illustrators in 81 countries and regions, totaling 17,600 works, from which an international jury ultimately selected 78 artists for the exhibition.
The exhibition's core theme is "Seeing Imagination and the World Through Illustration." The exhibition experience is designed as a gradual journey: starting from an immersive entrance, passing through emotional scenes close to daily life, entering the experimental site of techniques and media, and finally encountering the world in cross-cultural narratives and visual language.
This is not just an exhibition of works, but a viewing exercise guided by images—in each painting, we can relearn to be curious, understand, and imagine.

- Exhibition Highlights -

• This annual selection offers a panoramic view of contemporary illustration. It features 78 works chosen from submissions worldwide, encompassing painting, sketching, collage, printmaking, and digital media, showcasing the diversity and dynamism of contemporary visual narratives.
• The four exhibition areas are designed to guide visitors through a visual story, progressing in a rhythm of "imagination—life—experiment—world," allowing them to switch between emotions and perspectives as they move through the spaces.
• The immersive entrance and exhibition visual language, with the main visual elements, cloud layers, city lines, and wall installations, create a tangible atmosphere that allows viewers to go beyond just looking at the walls.
• A cross-cultural perspective allows children and adults to read the works together, starting from the imagination of childhood and responding to the complex issues of the contemporary world; making "images for children" a common language for everyone.
  
  

- Introduction to the Four Exhibition Areas -

Zone 1 | Gateway of Imagination
"Through illustrations, we can see imagination and the world."
Slogan: From the moment you step in, your imagination begins to shine.
Introduction: The exhibition's starting point is designed as an immersive dream entrance—stepping into this area is like gently closing the door to everyday life. Dragons, night, fantastical creatures, and incredible scenes appear in succession, making you swing back and forth between "belief" and "doubt"; each step is like turning the next page of an unknown story.

Zone 2 | Poetry of Life
"Starting from the everyday, reaching distant places."
Slogan: The everyday is not ordinary; it is just a story that we overlook.
Introduction: In familiar cities, homes, and childhood memories, the illustrator uses gentle strokes to depict relationships, emotions, and the traces of time. There are no grand spectacles here, but they are the easiest to make people stop and linger. About mothers, home, emotions, and those unspoken little concerns are gently captured through images; you might suddenly recognize yourself in a certain painting, and then unconsciously want to take another look.

Zone 3 | Visual Laboratory
"Diverse techniques, parallel styles"
Slogan: Technique is not a multiple-choice question; experimentation is the answer.
Introduction: Enter the "white box"-like experimental space, where the focus returns to the media, composition, and visual language itself. This area takes "how the image is created" as the protagonist: lines, color blocks, materials, rhythm, layout, and print language collide with each other. You will find that the image is not just a carrier of stories, but can itself be a form of thinking and play.

Zone 4 | Stories of the World
"A Visual Language That Transcends Boundaries"
Slogan: Transcend cultural boundaries and let images bring the world to you.
Introduction: The journey concludes with an open and expansive "world map." Works from different countries and cultural backgrounds reflect each other within the same exhibition space: styles, colors, symbols, and narrative rhythms each take shape. From cities to distant places, from individuals to groups, this section lays bare different facets of the world for you to see: routes, landscapes, memories, and relationships intertwine to form a vast narrative map. You can travel along the works, see the world, and also see yourself.

Shop | A curated selection of paintings from our exhibitions that caught your eye can become a part of your daily life. We've extended some of the artworks into physical souvenirs, from paper products and everyday items to collectibles, so that the images don't just remain on the wall, but accompany you into your life and can be given to those you want to share them with, making the exhibition more than just something you see.