In 2026, Pécs will celebrate a double anniversary: the 50th anniversary of the opening of the JPM Vasarely Museum and the 120th anniversary of Victor Vasarely’s birth in the city. The graphic design competition tied to the anniversary was announced for graphic design students at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Pécs, who developed their concepts as part of a dedicated university course under the guidance of their instructors: Oszkár Boskovitz, Gergely Böhm, and Norbert Prell—who, as the new department chair, also shared his thoughts at the awards ceremony.
Based on the decision of the professional jury, the winner of the competition was second-year student Luca Kovács.
The winning entry was unveiled on Wednesday, March 4, during a formal awards ceremony at the JPM Modern Hungarian Art Gallery in Pécs. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the award is the opportunity it provides: the winning student’s work not only received recognition but also a genuine opportunity for public display. Appearing in the visual identity of the JPM Vasarely Museum and in the city’s cultural season communications is a professional springboard that is rarely afforded to a university student. Shaping the visual world of a cultural season is not only a matter of prestige but also entails serious professional responsibility and adds significant value to one’s portfolio.
The recognition was accompanied by gifts of both material items and experiences, provided by the City of Pécs, the University of Pécs, the Janus Pannonius Museum, and the Piccola Toscana Restaurant in Pécs.
The renovated JPM Vasarely Museum will reopen on April 9, but this anniversary year also has many other attractions in store for the residents of Pécs and visitors to the city. Among other things, the works submitted to the competition and selected by the jury will be presented to the public this spring—at an exhibition held at the Nádor Gallery as part of another Vasarely-related course offered by the Faculty of Arts at the University of Pécs (PTE).
The branding project was realized under the professional guidance of the Janus Pannonius Museum (JPM) and in close collaboration with the Faculty of Arts at the University of Pécs (PTE).
