Croatian Cartoonist Association Canceled Award The Special Prize 30th International Cartoon Exhibition Zagreb/2025

RESULTS

We truly value constructive feedback, especially when it raises important questions about originality and the integrity of the competition. Like you, we are highly attentive to issues of copying and potential plagiarism and take such concerns seriously.

However, we would like to note that the catalog is already in production and preparations for the exhibition are well underway. This year, due to the specific conditions set by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia and the City of Zagreb’s Department for Culture, our timeline has been exceptionally tight, leaving us with no possibility to make changes at this stage.

The jury — composed primarily of professionals from outside the field of caricature — had the difficult task of selecting from 1,449 submitted caricatures by 580 authors from around the world. Their decisions were made independently, objectively, and in line with the competition’s official rules.

While we’re unable to take further action in this particular case, we are committed to strengthening our control process for future editions, aiming to identify and address potential irregularities at an earlier stage.

We sincerely thank you for continuing to submit your work to our festival and for being part of our artistic community. We wish you continued success and inspiration in your creative work.

So, while it remains true that we are unable to alter the catalog, the Executive Board of the Croatian Cartoonist Association decided at yesterday’s meeting not to award the Specially prize. This also means that the contested work will not be exhibited.

Therefore, the decision of the Executive Board refers specifically to the special mention, which will not be awarded. As a result, Mr. Naser Nargessi will not receive the special recognition originally listed in the results.

Additionally, we received comments regarding two works that received special mentions. After careful review and discussion, we concluded that these cases do not constitute plagiarism, but rather represent the use of stereotypical motifs that appear frequently in many other caricatures. As such, no further action will be taken regarding those works.

FECO will also be informed accordingly.

Kind regards,

Nik

President of the Croatian Cartoonist Association