The Lumen Prize Call for Entries is open. Prize fund of $11k plus global tour for the shortlist and winners. Check it out at www.lumenprize.com
What is the Lumen Prize?
Established in 2012, the Lumen Prize is an annual award and global tour that celebrates the very best art created digitally.
Why a global prize for digital art?
To raise the profile of digital art and promote the power, enjoyment and impact of digital art globally.
What art is eligible?
Any art created by a digital device using proprietary, open-source or creatively-coded software. Entries using animation techniques, CGI and moving-image software to produce 3D, interactive and time-based works with or without sound are all welcome. Works which use gaming technology, VR, AR, a website or an app are also eligible for entry.
What kind of equipment can artists use?
Work must be created, at least in part, on tablets, digital cameras, smartphones or computers. Traditional work can be part of the creative process, but we do not accept digitised versions of traditional work.
How do I enter?
The 2016 Call for Entries opens on March 15 and closes on June 1. Details on how to enter can be found here.
What does it cost?
It’s US$45 for 2 works and US$22.50 for each additional work. A not-for-profit organisation, Lumen receives no outside funding. All entry fees go directly towards the prizes and global tour.
What can I win?
In 2016, Artists will be competing for prizes worth US$11,000. Shorlisted and winning works will form the 2016/2016 global tour which kicks off in autumn 2016. They will also be featured on the Lumen Prize Gallery and in Lumen’s annual printed catalogue. Shorlisted and winning artists will also be eligible to participate in seminars, symposiums and events throughout the year.
What are the prizes?
On September 29th, at the 2016 Lumen Winners’ Gala at Bl-NK, London, Lumen will award prizes in the following categories: Lumen Prize Gold Award ($3000) Moving Image, Still Image, 3D/Sculpture, Interactive, Games Art, Mixed Reality and Web-based art (all $1000). The Founder’s Award ($750) is given for work which uniquely engages audiences and the People’s Choice Award ($250) is chosen via an open ballet of the longlist.
How does the Lumen Prize global tour work?
In autumn 2016, Lumen launches its fifth annual global tour, exhibiting the winners and shortlisted works in London, Shanghai, New York City and Caerphilly Castle Wales. Details of the tour will be published in June, 2016. The tour will also include one-night Lumen Highlight events in London, Swansea and Cardiff.
What if my work is site specific?
It’s still eligible for the tour – we can show a documentation video of your work, if selected, or use a scaled-down version for the tour.
How does the judging work?
All works are reviewed by an International Selection Committee, headed by Foteini Arvani, Digital Curator, Museum of London, and made up of art specialists, including curators, writers and academics. This group selects the 2016 Lumen Longlist which will open for a public vote for the People’s Choice Award in late summer.
Who judges the top prizes?
The longlist will be reviewed by an eminent international jury panel – including Doug Dodds, senior curator of the V&A Museum in London – which will select the top prize winners.
Who launched the Lumen Prize?
Lumen was founded in 2011 by Carla Rapoport, a director of Lumen Projects Ltd, a UK-based non-for-profit company, registered in Wales, United Kingdom. Based in Cardiff, Wales, the Lumen Prize is run by a dedicated team of art and technology specialists. For more details, click here.
Who are its sponsors and partners?
As a non-profit, Lumen has a growing network of partners globally, primarily art venues and businesses which support the arts. It also partners with leading art institutions, whose faculty and MA students are often invited to participate in the curation of Lumen shows and Lumen seminars. For a full list of these partners, please click here. Lumen is always keen to hear from potential partners, art organisations and interested venues. For more information, please email us at