The fourth edition of the world festival of naive art will take place in the Katowice region of Poland. The owners of the gallery have won the bid to rehabilitate an old industrial coal mine and turn it into a large cultural space.

Over the last three years the Festival in Katowice has become one of the main artistic events of the region, attracting visitors and collectors from all over Europe. This immediate success, however, is not in any way haphazard. It's the result of 15 years of background work that these pioneers of culture have realised by involving the inhabitants of the region "“ making them participants in this successful event.

This year, the Audience Prize, has been awarded to a French woman, Silvie Marcel. She will be the guest of honour and has been made responsible for developing and producing the festival poster. Her sensitive approach gives her the ability to interpret and reproduce the emblematic environment and neighborhoods of Katowice. Highly motivated by her native Provence, Silvia Marcel has made it her favourite subject.

Also, Cuba has been invited to add a touch of Latin American culture and is guaranteed to put the rhythm and movement into this chromatic firework. Needless to say, the ' salsa' will add plenty of 'spice' to the festival.

The Fourth World of Naive Art Festival in Katowice is an invitation to exotic discovery. We believe that it responds to a deep need for each one of us. Another innovation, the space occupied by the Polish sculptures, which gathers tradition, folklore and religious rituals. Polychrome Sculptures of linden wood have a remarkable place in this country, where the handicraft has not yet been devalued and it retains all its nobility. Main artists of this school of Kutno, offer very specific samples of these. With Lublin and Paszyn, this school is part of the great national centres of production of Naive Art.

With 190 participating artists, 40 from Cuba and 90 from the rest of the world, the Fourth World Festival of Naive Art in Katowice has the intention to fulfill its promises and to increase the good name that it has achieved in previous years. During these difficult times, where our most fundamental rights can be trampled, even annihilated, this growing professional meeting reinforces our desire to share with each other and hope for a better world.