Flags on the Mittlere Brücke (bridge) & exhibition at FANTASY BASEL 2026

The 20 selected works will be presented in May 2026 as flags on Basel’s Mittlere Brücke and will also be shown in an exhibition designed by the Cartoonmuseum Basel – Centre for Narrative Art at FANTASY BASEL – The Swiss Comic Con, where they will be presented to a large audience.

In addition to the 20 award-winning works, further submissions were received from 36 countries around the world. All works will be presented on digital screens at Fantasy Basel (Exhibition Hall 2.1).

Sponsors / organisers / founding institutions

This competition is sponsored by Basel Tourism, FANTASY BASEL – The Swiss Comic Con, the Cartoonmuseum Basel – Centre for Narrative Art and the Christoph Merian Foundation. It sees comics as an artistic practice in the public realm and as a medium with a unifying power. 

General requirements

The international competition is aimed at all those who view themselves as creators of the ninth art. The aim is to make different artistic positions visible and to embed comics in the public space and in the exhibition context as a contemporary art form. Each artist may submit a comic story of a maximum of two pages. A total of 20 comics will be selected from all the entries, five of which will be from newcomers. The selected comics will form the basis for the flags on the theme of “Freundschaft – Friendship – Amicizia – Amitié” on the Mittlere Brücke in Basel, with twenty flags measuring 2 × 2 metres, as well as for an exhibition by the Cartoonmuseum at its own stand at FANTASY BASEL – The Swiss Comic Con. All submitted works will also be shown there in a digital presentation.

Conditions of participation

This international competition is open to all individuals who view themselves as creators of the ninth art. Participants’ education, institutional affiliation or publication activity has no bearing on their ability to enter the competition. Five prizes are reserved for newcomers, which will be selected during the judging process.

How to win

Friendship is the invisible bond that connects us. It breaks down boundaries, conjures up happiness, shortens distances, fuels longing, ignites inspiration, provides comfort and defies time. Your short comic celebrates friendship in a surprising, touching, profound or amusing way. We are looking for stories that open doors in terms of content and forge bold artistic paths.

Comic format & submission

• Maximum 2 pages
• A4 or A3 format
• Portrait or landscape format
• Trimming for works with sloping edges: +3 mm
• Digital submission as .tiff
• Minimum resolution: 600 dpi
• Colour space: CMYK. RGB files will be converted for printing
• File naming: First_name_surname_work title_page1.tiff
• Comic language: We are primarily looking for comics in German, English, French or Italian. Submissions in other languages are also welcome; however, in these cases we kindly ask that an English translation be submitted as a PDF.
• By submitting an entry, participants confirm that they are the sole authors and are not infringing any third-party rights.
• The use of AI for assistance and artistic production is not permitted.

Visibility in public space

Flags
A square section of the work, selected by the jury, is shown on the flags.

Exhibition
The entire work will be displayed at the exhibition at FANTASY BASEL. 
Exhibition duration: 14 to 16 May 2026

Copyright & rights of use

The submitted works remain the property of the artists, who retain the copyright to them. The competition sponsors FANTASY BASEL – The Swiss Comic Con, Cartoonmuseum Basel – Centre for Narrative Art, Christoph Merian Foundation and Basel Tourism will receive a temporally and spatially unlimited right to use the work for the flags, exhibition, accompanying communication and documentation of the project, even beyond the duration of the competition. The flags will become the property of the artists in June 2026 if they so wish.

Jury & selection

The 20 works will be selected by a one-stage, final jury decision. No reasons are given for the selection. 
The jury is made up of five people with voting rights: 

• Anette Gehrig (Cartoonmuseum Basel, Chair) 
• Gabriela Oberholzer (FANTASY BASEL – The Swiss Comic Con) 
• Josepha Bosshart (Basel Tourism) 
• Julia Marti (Verlag Edition Moderne Zurich) 
• Thomas Ott (comic artist, Basel)

Remuneration & services

• All 20 selected artists will receive standard remuneration of CHF 1,500, four one-day tickets for FANTASY BASEL – The Swiss Comic Con 2026 and a travel allowance of CHF 500.
• Invitation to the (flag) unveiling on Mittlere Brücke on 4 May 2026 (no additional expenses covered)
• There is no ranking, no categories and no first prizes

Schedule

Call for submissions opens: 15 February 2026 

Submission deadline: 15 March 2026 

Selection & jury decision: End of March 2026

Flags: 4–18 May 2026, Mittlere Brücke, Basel 

Exhibition: 14–16 May 2026 as part of FANTASY BASEL

Contact for enquiries

All questions should be addressed to:
📧 [email protected]