Nordic Baltic Young Artist Award 2026
For me, art is not only a means of expression - It is a way to act.
Dear friends, colleagues, and collectors of my work,
I am very pleased to share that my project has been selected for the Nordic Baltic Young Artist Award 2026
https://noba.ac/en/artist/viktor-kiss/
The work presented in the competition will be:
Development and Fabrication of a Magnet-Retained Auricular Epithesis within an Interdisciplinary Project for a Patient with Grade III Microtia in Estonian Context, 2026
This project holds a special place in my artistic practice.
It brings together art, medicine, contemporary technology, and social design, and raises the question of how artistic knowledge can move beyond representation and become a form of direct action. Art itself can become a tool for making a direct impact on a person’s life.
As part of the project, a custom magnet-retained auricular epithesis was developed and fabricated for a patient with Grade III microtia.
But for me, this project has never been only about creating an epithesis.
It is about how artistic skills can be used to restore something deeply human - appearance, self-confidence, dignity, and the possibility of once again feeling whole.
It is especially meaningful to me that a project created first and foremost to help one particular person is now entering the international context of contemporary art.
Public voting will begin at the end of October, and I would be sincerely grateful for your support. I invite you to take part in the voting and support my project. I will publish the exact dates and information on how to vote here as soon as they are announced.
In November, the selected works will be evaluated by an international jury, and the winners will be announced at the beginning of December.
At the same time, this project is part of a much larger mission.
I am working towards establishing the first dedicated laboratory for custom facial epitheses in the Baltic States - a space where art, medicine, technology, and craftsmanship can come together to create highly individualised solutions for people who have lost parts of their face due to congenital conditions, cancer, trauma, or other circumstances.
Supporting children who need this kind of help today is particularly important to me.
You can also directly support this mission by acquiring my artworks. Proceeds from the sale of my works will be directed towards establishing and equipping the laboratory, further developing the field of epithesis, and helping patients who need this support.
I believe that contemporary art can be more than an object, an image, or a statement.
It can become action. It can become care. It can change someone’s life.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support my work, my artistic practice, and this mission.