THE YEAR'S IMPRESSIONS: THE MARKS OF TIME
JAN 19 - 30
GOLDEN DUCK GALLERY
FEB 2 - 20
SORS GALLERY
GRAND OPENING
GOLDEN DUCK GALLERY
January 22, 2027
18:00
Art serves no practical function—and that is exactly why it is indispensable. While technology and daily artifacts provide the "how" of our existence, art provides the "why."
At the Golden Duck Gallery, we believe that our collective memory of history isn't built on spreadsheets or machinery, but on the songs, posters, literature, and visual impressions of an era. We remember the 1920s through Jazz and Art Deco; we remember the 1960s through psychedelic posters and protest songs.
Fingerprints 2026 is our second step towards a radical, new approach to art as a "temporal context." It is a living time capsule, capturing the pulse of 2026 at the very moment it beats. By documenting the year in real-time, we bypass the distortions of nostalgia, the bitterness of hindsight, and the filters of political revisionism. We are capturing the "now" before it becomes the "then."
CONCEPT
- ART AS A TIME CAPSULE -
The Fingerprints 2026 project aims to capture the most interesting, captivating, and significant events of each week of the year 2026 in real-time.
The weekly and monthly milestones - the most important and impactful news or events of each week - will be meticulously hand-picked by Catherine Varadi, founder and curator of the Golden Duck Gallery, and published continuously on this page.
Then a lottery takes place, where the chance chooses the artist for each week of the year.
The artist assigned to a specific week or month will choose one of the published events and translate it into a visual masterpiece using their own unique style and perspective.
SPECIAL SERIES
DECEMBER DREAMS
December is always the time when we close the year and dream of the next one. We would like 5 artists to depict how they think this December will feel and look like. In the next Fingerprints 2027, we will compare the predictions from 2026 to the actual impressions, that will be created next year based on the events of December of 2026. The Gallery will pick the 5 artists outside of the standard Lottery procedure.
THE YEAR'S IMPRESSION
The Gallery will pick 1 artist who will create the Grand Image of the Year: the YEAR'S IMPRESSION. This will be the crown jewel of the exhibition, and a great honor to the artist.
Artists can approach their assigned week through
one of four conceptual frameworks:
1. Illustration: A direct, literal depiction of the event itself (e.g., a painting capturing a historic presidential speech on-site).
2. Deduction: An exploration of the underlying, broader issue that led to the event (e.g., an artwork addressing global warming in response to the melting of a major iceberg).
3. Impression: The artist’s raw, subjective, and emotional reaction to the event.
4. Reflection: A philosophical dialogue where the artist raises universal questions connected to the event or the phenomenon, moving beyond the bare facts.
Style Limitations: There are absolutely no style or technical limitations. All mediums, techniques, and avant-garde approaches are welcome.
ARTWORK SPECIFICATIONS
Golden Duck Gallery asks all participants to strictly adhere to the following technical parameters:
Size:
-
All weekly artworks must be exactly 40x50 cm or 50x40 cm
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All monthly artworks must be 50x60 vertical artworks
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The Image of the year artwork must be 70x50 (50x70) cm or above
Creation Date: Artworks must be created exclusively in 2026, specifically for this project or fully aligned with the concept of the depicted event.
Presentation: All artworks must include a detailed concept description explaining the underlying philosophical meanings, your personal views, motivations, and the emotional context behind the artwork.
Readiness: All artworks must arrive ready to hang.
Format: Preferably stretched canvas without a frame, or any other material (paper, board, MDF etc.) with a minimal, clean frame that meets the size requirements
Sculptures and 3D creations are also welcome!
Ownership & Gallery Rights: The artist remains the sole owner of the artwork throughout the show. By accepting the nomination, the artist grants the gallery the exclusive right to exhibit the piece for the full duration of the project until its conclusion or potential sale.
APPLICATION PROCESS
PHASE 1
- REGISTRATION FOR THE PROJECT -
To apply for the show, click the "Apply Now" button located on this page and fill in your basic details (Name, Email, and Phone Number).
LOTTERY
After July [...], 2026, the Golden Duck Gallery will host a live event where artists will be assigned to specific calendar weeks entirely by chance through a formal lottery system.
Artists who depict December of 2026 and the Image of the year will be chosen by the Gallery separately, not in the lottery system.
DISCLAIMER
Please note that a successful lottery selection constitutes a formal obligation to participate in the Fingerprints 2026 exhibition.
This commitment can only be terminated in the event of force majeure, or by formal email notification sent to submissions@goldenduckgallery.com at least 2 months prior to the exhibition opening.
The Golden Duck Gallery informs the artists, that if the assigned artist fails to submit the artwork within the deadline without a force majeure issue and/or fails to inform the gallery about the inability to present the artworks, the gallery shall terminate all interactions and cooperations with this artist.
PHASE 2
- ARTWORK REGISTRATION -
Once you have created your masterpiece, click the "Register My Artwork" button (available on this page after August 1, 2026).
All submissions must include a detailed concept description explaining the underlying philosophical meanings, your personal views, motivations, and the emotional context behind the artwork.
PHASE 3
- LOGISTICS -
All completed artworks must arrive at the Golden Duck Gallery in Budapest no later than January 15, 2027. Shipping and transit expenses are to be covered by the artist.
EXHIBITION
The exhibition of Fingerprints of 2026 will take place in the Golden Duck Gallery in January 2026. After that, the exhibition will be transferred to the SORS GALLERY, where the collection could be seen for another 3 weeks of time.
IMPRESSION OF THE YEAR
ARTIST UNKNOWN YET
MONTHLY EVENTS
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
WEEKLY NEWS
Week 1: December 29 – January 4
Week 2: January 5 – 11
Week 3: January 12 – 18
Week 4: January 19 – 25
Week 5: January 26 – February 1
Week 6: February 2 – 8
Week 7: February 9 – 15
Week 8: February 16 – 22
Week 9: February 23 – March 1
Week 10: March 2 – 8
Week 11: March 9 – 15
Week 12: March 16 – 22
Week 13: March 23 – 29
Week 14: March 30 – April 5
Week 15: April 6 – 12
Week 16: April 13 – 19
Week 17: April 20 – 26
Week 18: April 27 – May 3
Week 19: May 4 – 10
Week 20: May 11 – 17
Week 21: May 18 – 24
Week 22: May 25 – 31
Week 23: June 1 – 7
Week 24: June 8 – 14
Week 25: June 15 – 21
Week 26: June 22 – 28
Week 27: June 29 – July 5
Week 28: July 6 – 12
Week 29: July 13 – 19
Week 30: July 20 – 26
Week 31: July 27 – August 2
Week 32: August 3 – 9
Week 33: August 10 – 16
Week 34: August 17 – 23
Week 35: August 24 – 30
Week 36: August 31 – September 6
Week 37: September 7 – 13
Week 38: September 14 – 20
Week 39: September 21 – 27
Week 40: September 28 – October 4
Week 41: October 5 – 11
Week 42: October 12 – 18
Week 43: October 13 – 25
Week 44: October 26 – November 1
Week 45: November 2 – 8
Week 46: November 9 – 15
Week 47: November 16 – 22
Week 48: November 23 – 29
Week 49: November 30 – December 6
Week 50: December 7 – 13
Week 51: December 14 – 20
Week 52: December 21 – 27
Week 53: December 28 – January 3 (2027)