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This year's winners of the Ladislav Sutnar Award are German visual artist Christoph Niemann, the Elisava design school based in Barcelona and the independent publishing house Valiz based in Amsterdam.

Internationally renowned artist, author and animator Christoph Niemann (born 1970) is one of the most influential figures in contemporary illustration and visual communication. His work regularly appears on the covers of The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine and he collaborates with clients such as Hermès, Google, LAMY and MoMA.

Niemann is known for his innovative approach to visual media. His work has been featured in a number of museum retrospectives and was the subject of an episode of the acclaimed Netflix documentary series Abstract. Through his illustrations, books and installations, he connects the worlds of imagination, technology and everyday experience. A major retrospective exhibition of his work will be on display in Oldenburg, Germany (Horst Janssen Museum) until April 2026.

For more than 60 years, the prestigious Elisava School based in Barcelona has been shaping generations of designers and engineers who combine research and artistic education with a focus on social impact. The school focuses on interdisciplinary education and innovation with an overlap into social, scientific, and cultural contexts. Elisava is a symbol of an open and critically minded community that promotes change through design—not only in Barcelona, but also on the international stage.

Valiz is an independent international publishing house focusing on contemporary art, design, theory, and cultural criticism. It publishes works that connect artistic disciplines with social issues and promote critical reflection and interdisciplinary dialogue. In addition to its publishing activities, Valiz also organizes lectures, debates and cultural projects that advance contemporary artistic discourse in a global context.

The Ladislav Sutnar Prize / Laureates exhibition, where visitors can view the work of Christoph Niemann, the publications of Valiz Publishing House and the work of Elisava students, will be open at the Incubator Gallery (Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art, Univerzitní 28, Pilsen) until November 27. The exhibition is open free of charge every weekday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Ladislav Sutnar Prize has been presented by the faculty since 2012 and has become a prestigious award with a significant international dimension. The winners are selected from nominations by experts and the Art Council of the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art at the University of West Bohemia. The award is partnered by the City of Pilsen.

"The faculty's significant position at the national level is indisputable. However, our ambition has always been to build an art school that will become an integral part of the network of prestigious European educational institutions in the field of design and art," says Vojtěch Aubrecht, dean of the faculty, adding: "Preserving Ladislav Sutnar's legacy is a commitment, but also an opportunity to establish cooperation with individuals and institutions that share the same criteria and values as we do. Through the Ladislav Sutnar Award, we are building a community of excellence and high ideals, which is of invaluable importance, especially in today's world."

Since its inception, the faculty has honored dozens of prominent figures from the world of design and art, including graphic designers Jan Solpera, Milton Glaser, and Seymour Chwast, sculptor Magdalena Jetelová and prestigious institutions such as MoMA, Getty Trust and Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.