Description: The COAL Art & Environment prize was launched in 2010 by the French association COAL, the coalition for art and sustainable development, to reward a project about the environment by a contemporary artist. The winner is chosen by a jury of personalities from the worlds of contemporary art, research, ecology and sustainable development, out of 10 finalists selected from an international call for entries.
The COAL Prize 2011, worth 10 000 euros, comes under the auspices of the french Ministry of Culture and Communication, the National Centre of Fine Arts (CNAP), and enjoys the support of PwC and a private benefactor.
Schedule: The call for entries opened on 1 December 2010. The application period closes on 30 April 2011. The prize will be awarded in May 2011.
Theme and context: Environment Today, environmental degradation represents a growing concern, covering a very wide field:
- resource management and depletion: water, energy, waste…
- crisis factors: system of production and consumption, pollution, demographics, land use…
- environmental crises: climate change, rising water levels, loss of biodiversity…
- conceptual framework: environmental law, shared assets, social justice, community harmony…
Forest special mention: To mark the International Year of the Forest and promote entries on this theme in 2011, this year’s COAL Prize includes a special mention to reward entries that focus on forest issues.
Jury and selection committee: The 2011 jury and selection committee are currently being assembled. Are already confirmed: Dominique Bourg, philosopher
Anne-Marie Charbonneaux, president of the National Centre of Fine Arts
Patrick Degeorges, Biodiversity department, Ministry of ecology
Eva Hober, Art dealer; Philippe Jousse, Art dealer
Sasha Kagan, Founding Coordinator, Cultura21 International Sylvain Lambert, PwC associate Laurence Tubiana, founder of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI)
Selection of entries: The entry selection criteria take stock of the artistic value, relevance (understanding the issues), originality (ability to introduce novel approaches, themes, and points of view), pedagogy (ability to get a message across, to raise awareness), a social and participative approach (engagement, testimony, efficiency, societal dynamics), eco-design, feasibility. An artist’s specialisation on the environment is not a selection criterion. The aim of the prize is to encourage artists to focus on environmental issues.
Internationally renowned scientific committee: As part of the call for entries, COAL is organizing a meeting between artists and members of the scientific committee, with a view to providing tailored guidance. This scientific committee is made up of: Edouard Bard, climatologist, College de France, science academy, CNRS ¨Nathalie Blanc, geographer, CNRS UMR LADYSS, Dominique Bourg, philosopher, IEP, UTT, member of the ecology watch committee of the Nicolas Hulot Foundation, Denis Couvet, ecologist, MNHN, polytechnic, Alain Grandjean, associate director, Carbone 4, member of the ecology watch committee of the Nicolas Hulot Foundation.
Coal prize award ceremony: The COAL Art & Environment Prize ceremony is a unique event held in a symbolic location, attended by the artist finalists and personalities from the world of art and sustainable development. Entries by artist finalists are displayed to promote networking with bodies and authorities, which could facilitate the future realisation of projects.
Support for entries after the COAL prize: Beyond the award ceremony, the COAL prize is an opportunity to promote the entries and artists involved and to demonstrate the creative potential of fine arts with regards to the environment and related issues. COAL fosters the networking of artists with scientists and stakeholders, and produces, encourages and promotes the numerous entries to the COAL Prize at exhibitions, events and commissions.
Application package: This should comprise the following documents, assembled in a single PDF file:
- A Curriculum Vitae and artistic dossier; – A summary and illustrated description of the entry, detailing its artistic aspects and its relevance to the environment;
- A note on the technical aspects of the entry, notably in terms of the construction and means of production;
- An estimated budget. Submission Deadline 30 April 2011 All proposals should be submitted on www.projetcoal.fr/upload/ before 30 April 2011.
Particular conditions: By entering this competition, applicants expressly authorize the COAL association to publish, reproduce and display in public all or part of the elements of their entry, for any purposes linked to the promotion and communication of the COAL project, on all platforms, media, in all countries and for the LEGAL DURATION OF THE COPYRIGHT. Entries submitted but not selected will be held in the archives of the COAL association. They will, however, remain the property of their authors. Participation in this call entails the full acceptance of the conditions laid out above.
Contact COAL www.projetcoal.frFor any further requests please write to contact@projetcoal.fr