The Allianz Foundation supports people and organizations who actively face the defining challenges of our time. Working at the intersection of civil society, environmental protection, and arts and culture, the Foundation connects those who dare to imagine and test new ways of living together – beyond conventional frameworks.

At a moment marked by rising nationalism, deepening social divisions, and accelerating climate change, the stakes are high. These crises are intertwined. Ecological instability fuels social instability; when societies reach tipping points, exclusionary narratives gain ground. The Allianz Foundation responds to this reality by supporting individuals who challenge dominant paradigms and work toward structural, long-term solutions.

Through its ten-month Fellowship Programme, selected Fellows are given the time and resources to develop artworks, platforms, research, community initiatives, and new narratives. Just as importantly, they become part of a Europe-wide network that continues to collaborate and grow beyond the duration of the fellowship.

Hajnalka’s statement, “Art persists regardless. Building infrastructure is how we support its makers, protect its publics, and expand its social reach,” touches the very center of her practice.

Since founding OFF-Biennálé Budapest in 2014, she and her colleagues have shaped it into a major grassroots international art initiative rooted in collaboration, independence, and civic responsibility. OFF-Biennálé operates as an alternative institutional model, strengthening civil society while safeguarding artistic freedom in Hungary.

In parallel to her work with OFF, Hajnalka is a professor at the Art and Design Theory Institute of Budapest Metropolitan University. She has curated widely in Hungary and internationally, including serving as guest curator of the Tropical Lab programme at LASALLE College of the Arts in 2023 and 2024. Earlier in her career, she worked as curator at the Ludwig Museum – Museum of Contemporary Art, at Trafó – House of Contemporary Arts, and co-founded the independent initiatives Dinamo and Impex in Budapest.

Her selection as an Allianz Foundation Fellow is both a personal recognition and a meaningful affirmation of OFF’s long-term commitment to building sustainable infrastructures for art and civil society.

A Network of Fellows

Hajnalka joins a diverse and inspiring group of Fellows across Europe, including:

Claudia Zini (Sarajevo), founder of Kuma International, who creates spaces to learn from artists who survived war and genocide, exploring how art can help process violence and trauma.

Elena Tacu (Moldova), who supports activists in working through climate grief and building collective hope through storytelling and environmental education.

Luka Knežević Strika (Serbia), photographer and cultural worker connecting artists and communities to protect overlooked spaces and strengthen cross-border solidarity.

Olha Boiko (Ukraine), community-building expert focused on strengthening civil society networks and values-based leadership.

Pierluigi Bizzini (Italy), independent journalist working on migration, environmental justice, and participatory storytelling in the Mediterranean.

Taras Gembik (Ukraine/Poland), poet and curator building platforms for migrants and socially excluded communities through art and collective belonging.

Tarik Belkadi (France/Italy/Spain), action researcher developing cooperative models for immigrant communities to strengthen material autonomy and political participation.

Together, this cohort reflects courageous, systemic, and deeply human work across disciplines and borders.

We warmly congratulate Hajnalka – and all the Fellows – on this new chapter and look forward to the conversations, collaborations, and new possibilities that will grow from this fellowship.