KREMS.- Artists around the world are being invited to submit portfolios of caricatures and satirical graphic work for the SOKOL Prize, an international award dedicated to digital caricature, critical drawing and satire.

The submission period opened on June 1, 2026, and runs through December 31, 2026. The prize, awarded by the State of Lower Austria in cooperation with the Karikaturmuseum Krems, has been presented every five years since 2018. This edition introduces a new emphasis on works that critically engage with artificial intelligence and its impact on visual culture, public life and satire.

The winners will be honored at a gala in July 2027. Their selected works will then be shown at the Karikaturmuseum Krems through July 2028 in an exhibition that aims to take stock of contemporary strategies in caricature at a time shaped by digital media, public debate and technological change.

Named after the Austrian artist Erich Sokol, the prize honors a figure known for his sharp wit, technical skill and forward-looking approach to image-making. The award is held under the patronage of Annemarie Sokol, the artist’s widow and estate administrator. Winners will be selected by an international jury made up of artists, media experts and representatives of the Department of Art and Culture of Lower Austria and the Karikaturmuseum Krems.

“With its third edition, the Erich Sokol Prize has already become firmly established and underscores its international profile,” said Gottfried Gusenbauer, director of the Karikaturmuseum Krems. He said the museum looks forward to receiving traditionally and digitally drawn submissions from all continents, adding that this year’s special focus will be on critical approaches to artificial intelligence and the reflection of its processes.

Curator Anna Steinmair stressed the continuing importance of satire in a digital age. “Where algorithms smooth things over, caricature is allowed to sharpen them,” she said, noting that critical drawing remains a powerful form of commentary, contradiction and precision.

The SOKOL Prize will award more than €30,000 across four categories. These include the SOKOL Recognition Prize for lifetime achievement or special accomplishments, worth €11,000; the SOKOL Main Prize for digital caricature, also worth €11,000; the SOKOL Encouragement Prize, worth €4,000; and two AIR – Artist in Residence Lower Austria scholarships.

Erich Sokol is regarded as a pioneer of a new Austrian school of caricature and satire, particularly in the field of portrait caricature. As a young artist, he was already seen as a visionary, and his long career included decades of work for Playboy, which began during a study stay in the United States in 1957.

Sokol was also known in Austria as the former art director of ORF, creator of the broadcaster’s well-known “ORF eye” logo, and for his political caricatures, including his depictions of Bruno Kreisky. His work appeared in publications such as Die Bühne, Kronen Zeitung, Die Presse, Süddeutsche Zeitung and Profil. He received the Goldene Kamera in 1971, the Golden Decoration of Honor of the City of Vienna in 1982 and the Nestroy Ring in 1986.

Organizers say the SOKOL Prize reflects not only the artist’s legacy, but also his modern, media-conscious way of working. At a time when the public circulation of critical drawing cannot be taken for granted, the State of Lower Austria and the Karikaturmuseum Krems see the prize as a way to support artists working with new media, digital caricature and critical responses to artificial intelligence.

The prize also seeks to strengthen international exchange between artists and institutions, presenting art as a socially engaged practice that can speak across national borders.

The first Erich Sokol Prize was awarded in 2018 to Sebastian Krüger of Germany, Thomas Fluharty of the United States, Nadia Khiari of Tunisia, Frank Hoppmann of Germany and Ramize Erer of Turkey. In 2023, the winners included Gerald Scarfe of the United Kingdom, Florian Satzinger of Austria, Liz Montague of the United States, the Ukrainian artist duo EtchingRoom1 and Ghita Ait Bensalah of Morocco.

Submissions for the 2026–27 edition are open now through December 31, 2026.