Digital Pluralism – UNESCO Digital Arts Award 2003 at IAMAS

Digital Pluralism – UNESCO Digital Arts Award 2003 at IAMAS Website and instructions for submissions in 10 languages at: http://www.iamas.ac.jp/unesco_award 1.) AWARD: The award is organized in collaboration between IAMAS Gifu, Japan and the UNESCO Digi-Arts Portal, Paris. The award consists of a 10.000 USD money award & a 6-month artist-in-residence stay at the IAMAS, Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences and the International Academy of Media Arts and Sciences in Ogaki, Gifu Japan. a) Award Money: The total money award of USD10,000 is provided by the Higashiyama Fund set-up and managed by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan (NFUAJ) and given by the Director-General of UNESCO. In addition, IAMAS provides a 6-months salary for the 1st price winner who will be invited as artist-in-residence to IAMAS. This salary is around 2,100,000 yen (~ 18.000.- USD) for 6 months (the exact amount will depend on the number of years\’ professional experience that the artist has had, for example, an artist with 2-6 years\’ experience will receive 350,000 yen per month, totalling 2,100,000 yen for 6 months). The components of the Award are: 1st prize: USD 5,000 & 6 months artist-in-residency at IAMAS 2nd prize: USD 3,000 3rd prize: USD 2,000 b) 6-month Artist-in-Residency at IAMAS http://www.iamas.ac.jp/E/index-html.html IAMAS will welcome the main award winner as artist-in-residence for 6 months. This is intended to give the young artist the chance to work in a very well equipped, high-tech environment where he/she can realise the chosen project and benefit from cultural exchange with IAMAS staff and students. IAMAS will provide the artist with a monthly salary during this time (depending on the numers of years\’ professional experience up to 2,100,000.- yen for 6 months) as well as travel expenses incurred when joining and leaving IAMAS. Furthermore, IAMAS will rent an apartment for the artist-in-residence. However, the artist is asked to pay for part of the rent. The artist-in-residence will be at IAMAS from October 2003 until March 2004. During this time, the artist will develop his/her work, based on his/her award-winning project proposal. The final artwork will be presented at the 5th World Forum for Media Art and Culture exhibition to be held in Ogaki, Japan in March 2004. This is when the award winner and his/her work will be introduced to the public. 2.) HOW TO SUBMIT Project proposals in the field of digital art (including web art, interactive art, media installation, digital music, performance or other media art forms) are accepted. 1. One project proposal per artist is accepted. The official language for all submissions is English. 2. The proposed project must not be an already finished artwork. 3. Total length of the project proposal: 5-7 pages, A4 format. 4. The project proposal must include: title, 500-word abstract, concept of the work, project description, technical description, drawings and set-up plan as well as a timetable for carrying out the work during the 6 months as artist-in-residence at IAMAS. 5. A short biography (2-3 pages, A4) including education, career, exhibition list and list of activities as well as contact address (including telephone number and email address) and 2 passport photos are required. 6. All submissions must reach IAMAS by postal mail by 12 July 2003. 7. Download and sign the entry form and send it along with your submission by postal mail to IAMAS: IAMAS Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences International Academy of Media Arts and Sciences 3-95 Ryoke-cho Ogaki City Gifu 503-0014 Japan Phone. +81(0)584 75 6600 Fax. +81(0)584 75 6637 3.) SUBMISSION GUIDELINES – The award focuses on supporting young, talented people involved in media art. – The age limit for submitting artists is 35 years. – The award will be given to project proposals, not to finished artworks. – Project proposals should relate to the theme of the award. – The main award winner\’s project proposal will be carried out at IAMAS during a special artist-in-residence period provided by IAMAS. – We especially encourage submissions by artists from developing countries. 4.) OBJECTIVES OF THE AWARD In our increasingly diverse societies, it is essential to ensure harmonious interaction among people and groups with plural, varied and dynamic cultural identities as well as their willingness to live together\” (UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, 2 November 2001) But how does technology shape cultural identity and how has it changed the way we live together? Can digital technology promote dialogue between people from different cultures, creating a better, fairer and more peaceful world where cultural diversity and tolerance prevail? And how can an artist\’s vision and sensibility reflect and contribute to cultural diversity and digital pluralism? These are the questions we want to address through the \”Digital Pluralism – UNESCO Digital Arts Award 2003 at IAMAS\”. We encourage artists to reflect on the theme of cultural diversity, digital pluralism and social interaction, and to send project proposals for a media artwork that considers these topics and that can be realised during a 6-month artist-in-residence period at the Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences (IAMAS) in Gifu, Japan. 5.) JURY An expert jury, representing the 5 cultural regions as well as UNESCO and IAMAS has been assembled. The jury members are: Africa: Ibrahima Ndiaye [Multimedia critic, Professor of Universite Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Senegal] Asia/Pacific: Eliane Ng [Independent curator specialized in contemporary and new media art, China] Latin America/Caribbean: Diana Domingues [Professor and Researcher at the University of Caxias do Sul/ CNPq, Brazil] Europe/North America: Gerfried Stocker [Director of Ars Electronica, Austria] Arab States: Azza El-Hassan [Independent filmmaker, Palestine] IAMAS: Itsuo Sakane [Founding President of IAMAS] Hiroshi Yoshioka [Professor of IAMAS] NFUAJ: Shigeru Okada [Secretary General of the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan] UNESCO: Tereza Wagner [Deputy team leader for the Digi-Arts Project, Paris Headquarters] External supervisor of the jury: Christa Sommerer [Associate Professor of IAMAS]