The Open Call for the Social Art Award 2019 under the topic “We are the People – Peaceful Revolutions” was closed on December 15, 2019. We are very impressed by 558 submissions that were contributed by artists coming from 65 countries across all continents.
The winners of The Social Art Award 2019 are Narcissa Gold (USA), Melinda Mouzannar (Lebanon) and Bogna Grazyna Jaroslawski (Poland/Germany). The Honorary Mention goes to Kingson Kin Sing Chan (Hong Kong/UK).
Below you find the artworks, that passed the initial jury round. The public voting took place till 30 December and is a tool to give more public visibility to the topic and the artworks. It does not replace the final jury judgment. There were two wildcards for the most voted artworks that entered the final shortlist.
The focus diversity of applications shows that artists are active in the multi-faceted fields of socially engaged art reflecting on wars, genocides, femicides, traumata, violence against refugees, children, women, men, disabled people, LGBTIQs, animals. They share feelings for the planet and its living species, but also showing hopelessness due to complex crises be it climate change (e.g. in regard to water pollution), capitalism, corruption, a violation against human rights, nature, protected national parks. Many of the artists are constantly trying to give a voice to the poorest or empower unheard social groups.
It’s not only about peaceful revolutions, but it’s also about feeling a deep connection and showing love and respect for each other.
Thank you all for sharing your great and inspirational work and look at all the great contributions!
A Wise Man Once Said, "It Does Not Matter"
Chelsea Theilmann
open category
This painting was about the process of mirroring a recent event that occurred in the US. (Dr. Christine Blasey Ford vs. Judge Brett Kavanaugh) I have my subject matter (Dr. Ford). I researched, analyzed, grid, and broke down section by section every part of my subject, as did the court and public. Just as the court and public did, I needed to get an accurate representation in a short amount of time. One morning I went out and bought fresh flowers, they had already been slowly dying over time, so it didn’t matter what I was about to do, right? By evening that same day their lifelines’ were detached and they were stripped of all moisture from their petals in the process of pressing. They appeared alive yet were dead. I covered up key components of the subject, because after all, the subject 'doesn’t matter' (as according to President Trump and many white males), even if the portrayal was true to point. Similarly to the broadcast of this private matter to all of the world, I went as far to display the subject matter to anyone and everyone to see, so that they could come up with their own judgments and conclusions. Work: 200 x 160 cm, oil and pressed flowers on linen. How can art catalyze change?: Art has the opportunity to move beyond representation into work that directly enables a social response and aid change in attitude and action. Art can be used as a platform for unspoken or stigmatized topics that represent experiences. Art not only allows us to create and illustrate these experiences but from there it can connect to others and enable visionary thinking and practice thus bringing communities together to engage in challenging conversations that can lead to advocacy, action, and change. It allows others to reflect, think and deepen the understanding of different social issues. Often times, issues are brought forth through social media and the news and then quickly forgotten, but with art it can remind us what we are fighting for and encourage us to take action.
This painting was about the process of mirroring a recent event that occurred in the US. (Dr. Christine Blasey Ford vs. Judge Brett Kavanaugh) I have my subject matter (Dr. Ford). I researched, analyzed, grid, and broke down section by section every part of my subject, as did the court and public. Just as the court and public did, I needed to get an accurate representation in a short amount of time. One morning I went out and bought fresh flowers, they had already been slowly dying over time, so it didn’t matter what I was about to do, right? By evening that same day their lifelines’ were detached and they were stripped of all moisture from their petals in the process of pressing. They appeared alive yet were dead. I covered up key components of the subject, because after all, the subject 'doesn’t matter' (as according to President Trump and many white males), even if the portrayal was true to point. Similarly to the broadcast of this private matter to all of the world, I went as far to display the subject matter to anyone and everyone to see, so that they could come up with their own judgments and conclusions. Work: 200 x 160 cm, oil and pressed flowers on linen. How can art catalyze change?: Art has the opportunity to move beyond representation into work that directly enables a social response and aid change in attitude and action. Art can be used as a platform for unspoken or stigmatized topics that represent experiences. Art not only allows us to create and illustrate these experiences but from there it can connect to others and enable visionary thinking and practice thus bringing communities together to engage in challenging conversations that can lead to advocacy, action, and change. It allows others to reflect, think and deepen the understanding of different social issues. Often times, issues are brought forth through social media and the news and then quickly forgotten, but with art it can remind us what we are fighting for and encourage us to take action.