Pure Movement 3, environment 1.2 by Ulla Nolden, winner of the Future Play theme
We're delighted to announce the winners of the inaugural FutureFest Art Prize 2016. Presented by Nesta and Sedition, the prize is awarded to works that explore, in concept and form, the four themes of festival: Future Love, Future Play, Future Thrive and Future Work. The prize aims to showcase emerging talent in the field of digital art exploring the world of the future in 30 years time.
Following an open call for works, over 270 works were submitted by artists from around the world. The shortlist was selected by a panel of experts in the fields of art, tech and enterprise, including: Ghislaine Boddington, Pat Kane, DJ Spooky, FIELD and Claudia Hart. A shortlist of twelve artworks, three for each category, were then showcased at FutureFest, with visitors invited to take part in a live audience vote for the winning artworks. Winners were announce at the end of each day at FutureFest, which took place from 17 and 18 September 2016 at Tobacco Dock in London.
The winners of the 2016 FutureFest Art Prize are:
Our Profiles Kiss by Karoline Georges explores love between two avatars created using 3D modelling techniques. The avatars are computer generated simulations yet hyper-realistic. In her practice Georges works in the space between real and virtual to create a new poetic language.
Ulla Nolden’s Pure Movement 3, environment 1.2 maps the behaviour of swarms through intricate algorithms. Nolden is interested in the perception of movement as cumulative, the balance between simplicity and complexity in insect swarms, and the idea of movement as an entity in itself.
Ivaylo Hristov’s Device For Excavations combines hand tools and lights to explore the future obsolescence and beauty of workplace equipment in an age of automation. The artist photographs primal hand tools wrapped in lights, turning the focus on to the tools while simultaneously rendering them unusable.
Surrogate Mechanica by Keith Kamholz imagines a future in which human babies grow in the transparent wombs of surrogate mechanical robots, sparing a couple the pain and risk of carrying and delivering a child.
The winners were announced at the end of each day by Nesta CEO Geoff Mulgan, who said of the Prize:
“Art helps us to think and imagine in ways that forecasts and words can never do. There were some amazing entries and coming up with the final shortlist was hard. The winners were selected by the public live at the event - absolutely in the spirit of FutureFest, which celebrates our ability to shape the future.”
The four winners each receives a £500 cash prize and promotion on the Sedition platform, where their work will be shared with an international audience of art and tech enthusiasts and collectors.
Congratulations to Karoline, Ulla, Ivaylo and Keith and thanks to all who submitted their works and participated in the vote!
FutureFest is Nesta's annual weekend festival that brings together pioneering technologies and visionary entrepreneurs, creatives and researchers in an inspiring programme of events. Read more about the festival here.
