Three exhibitions bring together the best of the international and Bulgarian scene in Gabrovo
From July 16, the Museum of Humor and Satire in Gabrovo is once again transforming the city into a meeting place for some of the brightest names in Bulgarian and world cartooning. Within the framework of the 2026 Cartoon Salon, visitors will be able to view three exhibitions that present its different dimensions – from international editorial cartooning and current trends in the Bulgarian scene to the work of one of the most awarded Bulgarian authors.
The opening ceremony will begin at 6:00 PM in Hall 2 “Stefan Fartunov”, and special guests will be Antonio Antunes (organizer of World Press Cartoon), Valeri Alexandrov (chairman of the Cartoon section at the Union of Bulgarian Artists) and cartoonists Evgeni Nachev, Valentin Georgiev, Ivaylo Tsvetkov and Chavdar Georgiev.
The exhibitions can be viewed until the end of October.
A highlight of the program is the exhibition with the awarded works from World Press Cartoon 2025 – the most prestigious international competition for editorial cartoons, caricatures and gags. Founded in Portugal in 2004, the competition brings together leading authors from all over the world and has established itself as a global benchmark for quality in the field of graphic commentary and visual journalism.
The 2025 edition marks the return of the competition after a two-year hiatus and its 20th anniversary. Leading topics last year were freedom of speech, war, global political processes, climate change and human rights. Cartoons dedicated to Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin stand out in particular. The Grand Prize was awarded to Montenegrin cartoonist Darko Drljevic for his work “Trump’s Signature”, and among the awarded authors is Ivaylo Tsvetkov.
In the words of Antonio Antunes, long-time director of the competition: “In a time of fake news, censorship, pressure on the media, dismissals of cartoonists and closure of newspapers, World Press Cartoon is becoming an increasingly important meeting place for cartoonists from all over the world.” (From an interview with Euronews, 13.11.2025.)
The salon presents the 50th anniversary edition of the National Exhibition of Bulgarian Cartoons, organized by the Cartoon section of the Union of Bulgarian Artists. As one of the most enduring and authoritative forums for Bulgarian cartooning, it collects selected works by authors from all over the country and offers a look at current trends in the genre. Visitors will also be able to see the award-winning works from this year’s edition, including the laureates of the Union of Bulgarian Artists, the Cartoon section, the Sofia Municipality, the Bulgarian Red Cross, the Museum of Humor and Satire and other partners.
Traditionally, the Museum of Humor and Satire presents an exhibition of the winner of the special award “The World Lasts Because It Laughs”; this year it is Valentin Georgiev. For the 23rd time, the Gabrovian institution awards the distinction to an author with a bright contribution to the art of cartooning and graphic humor.
The three exhibitions prove that regardless of whether it is about world politics, social processes or human weaknesses, cartooning continues to find the right angle from which to look at the world. And, as we know well in Gabrovo, often this angle shows the most direct path to the truth.