Stanislaw Lem was born on September 12, 1921 in Lviv, died on March 27, 2006 in Cracow, Poland. 2021 is the 100th birthday (and 15th death) anniversary of the greatest Polish science fiction writer. The year 2021 is also a special time for us due to the ongoing struggle against the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic and the rapidly advancing civilization changes Stanisław Lem was a man of above-average intelligence and an exceptional visionary. In his books written back in the twentieth century, Lem predicted the emergence of many devices that function today, such as audiobooks and e-books. He also wrote extensively on various forms of intelligence, including machines as in the novel The Invincible (1964), and the intelligent ocean in the novel Solaris (1961). Lem also addressed the issues of cultural changes generated by the development of technology, e.g. in the novel Return from the Stars (1961).

The LemLand 2021 competition aims primarily to popularize the person of Stanisław Lem himself and his work. Thus, the subject matter of the posters may refer directly to the Author – posters in the form of a tribute to his work – Hommage à Stanisław Lem, his literature and its adaptations – films, performances etc. and to the contexts of our future. Questions about the nature and pace of changes in our reality as a result of technology, as well as questions about the culture-creating role of technology are also the desired topics of competition entries.

Ancien Cinema asbl presents posters awarded in the competition as the first foreign gallery, directly after the presentation in Poland.