http://www.lumenprize.com
The winners of the first competition for digitally-created fine art by artists from around the world were announced on Friday, October 19th at Cardiff City Hall.
The winner of the contest, Tommy Inberg from Upplands Väsby, Sweden, won US$3000 for his evocative photomontage, Torn.
The runner-up prize of US$1000 went to Patrick Van Roy, a Belgian artist, with his social commentary photomontage, the church, and third place went to Stephen Hilyard, artist and Associate Professor of Digital Arts at the University of Wisconsin, USA for a time-based work called One Life.
The winners were selected by an international jury panel from over 500 works submitted from over 30 countries globally, all of which were created with a wide range of cutting-edge tools, including tablets, smartphones, digital photography software and moving-image technology.
“The extraordinary high quality of the Lumen Prize winners shows that this genre of fine art is coming of age,” says Professor Gaynor Kavanagh, Dean of the Cardiff School of Art and Design,” who awarded the prizes at a ceremony at City Hall. Speaking of the winning image, Dr Chris Short, PhD, CSAD Senior Lecturer, Fine Art, notes “Like an encounter between Magritte and Ernst, the picture evokes tension and calm, lightness and weight, kinesis and stasis… exceeding other forms of representation.”
The Lumen Prize was launched this year to promote digital fine art globally. “The opportunities it creates to cross boundaries, both conceptual and literal, are enormous,” comments Jonathan Kearney, Course Director for MA Visual Arts at the University of the Arts London.
Today’s three winners will also feature as part of The Lumen Prize Exhibition that will travel to venues worldwide starting in January 2013.
The Lumen Prize has been organised by a group of professionals with experience from British Museum, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, New York University, the National Portrait Gallery, and The Financial Times. Its advisors include Lord Stevenson, former Chancellor of the University of the Arts and Ivor Davies, President of the Royal Cambrian Academy. The Lumen Prize is proud to be supported by the City of Cardiff. State of the art projection equipment for Friday’s ceremony was provided by Ricoh, the Japanese electronics group. Proceeds from the competition, after costs, are being donated to support the vital work of Peace Direct ( http://www.peacedirect.org ), a global charity that supports local peacebuilders in conflict zones worldwide.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
• David Hockney’s recent exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts – which prominently featured art created digitally – was visited by half a million people.
• Cardiff City Council recently signed a three-year sponsorship deal with the Lumen Prize.
• Lumen CEO, Carla Rapoport, is a director of Powys-based Treberfydd Foundation, is launching the prize.
For press enquiries
Please contact Carla Rapoport on 07791 545068 or email Alex Millar at
To see the Lumen Prize Winners and Shortlist
Please visit the website http://www.lumenprize.com or email .
The Lumen Prize Exhibition is owned and operated by Treberfydd Foundation.
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