THE COAL ART AND ENVIRONMENT PRIZE
Antti Laitinen, Self-portrait in the swamp, 2002.
The launch date of COAL’s Open Call varies slightly every year. It will be announced on this website as well as our facebook page. Any applications submitted before the official launch date will not be considered. To be alerted to the launch of the open call as well as being informed of our other activities, subscribe to our mailing list or follow us on facebook.
ABOUT
The COAL Prize valorises contemporary artists who address current ecological issues and support the emergence of a culture of sustainability in their own varied, rich and novel approaches. It is open to artists all around the world who dare to imagine and experiment, to transform territories, lifestyles, organisations, and production methods.
The global ecological crisis, which manifests itself through climate change, biodiversity loss, scarce resources and pollution, is above all a cultural challenge – our individual and collective behavior will determine our future. Together, these artists are building a new narrative, a new vision, developing our future heritage, and in doing so creating the necessary optimistic framework for everyone to find the means and the motivation to implement the changes needed for a more sustainable and just world.
The aim of the COAL Prize is to expose the general public and political actors to creative solutions and alternative ways of understanding the complexity of the climatic and ecological challenges we face today. Each year, COAL launches an international open call for projects within the field of visual arts that relate to environmental issues. The laureate is chosen among ten shortlisted projects by a jury composed of professionals working with art and/or ecology.
Created in 2010 by the association COAL, the COAL Art and Environment Prize is today an international event that attracts many renowned artists and pioneers of art related to ecology. In nine editions, the COAL Award has received more than 2,000 entries from more than 60 countries. The great wealth of proposed projects testifies to the creative potential of the visual arts on this theme.
The Prize is supported by and under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and Communication, the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, the Centre National des Arts Plastiques (CNAP), the European Union and the Imagine2020 network. It also benefits from the support of private partners including Billy Suid, founding sponsor, the François Sommer Foundation, the Yves Rocher Foundation and the Egis Group.
- Prenez Racines, Thierry Boutonnier, 2010 laureate of the COAL Prize
AWARD
The winner of the COAL Prize will be awarded 10,000 euros by the François Sommer Foundation and COAL. This sum is divided into a cash prize and a production aid for the artist residency offered by the Museum of Hunting and Nature at the Belval Domaine, property of the François Sommer Foundation.
The François Sommer Foundation was founded in 1966 by François and Jacqueline Sommer, pioneers in the implementation of a humanist ecology. Faithful to the commitments of its founders, it works towards the respectful use of natural resources, for sharing the wealth of natural, artistic and cultural heritage and for the protection of a biodiversity in which mankind find its proper place.
The Belval estate is located in the commune of Belval-Bois-des-Dames, in the French Ardennes. It spans an enclosed forested area of nearly 1000 hectares and is traversed by meadows and 40 hectares of ponds. A veritable observatory of rural life and wildlife, each year it welcomes selected artists who contribute to the representation of their vision of Man’s relationship to his natural environment. Testament to the Foundation’s commitment in supporting contemporary artistic creation, the residency at the Belval estate contributes to the dissemination of the artists’ works to a wide audience. The combined knowledge of the scientific and educational teams of the Museum of Hunting and Nature and those of the Belval estate will also be available as a resource for the artists.
SELECTION OF NOMINEES
A shortlist of ten artists is selected from the entries received through COAL’s international open call by a committee of art and sustainability professionals. Applicants will be judged on the following criteria: artistic value, relevance (understanding of the theme), originality (the ability to introduce new approaches, themes, and points of view), pedagogy (ability to get a message across and raise awareness), social and participative approaches (engagement, testimony, efficiency, societal dynamics), eco-design and feasibility.
DISSEMINATION
The COAL Prize aims to legitimize the field of “Art and Environment”. It offers high visibility to winning projects and links artists with partners who are susceptible to support the implementation of their projects. COAL supports the shortlisted artists and provides its expertise and network in the field of art and sustainability.
Though only project is awarded the COAL Prize, all the artists and projects considered by COAL and the selection committee will become part of a network which COAL may invite or endorse for other relevant opportunities and projects carried out by the association.
Proposed projects may, with the artists’ consent, be published on Ressource0, COAL’s online Arts and Ecology platform.
AWARDS CEREMONY
The COAL Prize awards ceremony takes place every year in a prestigious place, gathering the nominees and the jury with professionals and personalities from the fields of art and sustainability. A catalogue presenting the ten nominated projects is published for the occasion.
PREVIOUS EDITIONS
2021 Edition
Jury : Frédérique Aït-Touati, Daria de Beauvais, Catherine Dobler, Christine Germain, Paul Jarquin, Olivier Lerude, Charlotte Meunier, Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez, Marc-André Selosse, Joelle Zask
2017 Edition
Finalists : Afour Rhizome, Erich Berger et Mari Keto, Isabelle Daëron, Abdessamad El Montassir, La Vallée, Martin Le Chevallier, Le Nouveau Ministère de l’Agriculture, Gideon Mendel, Anaïs Tondeur.
Jury : Claude d’Anthenaise, Christophe Aubel, Monique Barbaroux, Nathalie Blanc, Chantal Colleu-Dumond, François Hers, Isabelle Le Galo Flores, Frédéric Martel, Lucy Orta
Laureate : Anne Fischer (FR) pour le projet Rising from its Ashes
Ceremony: 29.11.17 at musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, Paris.
2016 Edition
Finalists : Florian Bérenguer, Alex Cecchetti, Futurefarmers, Louise Hervé et Chloé Maillet, Jenny Lee, Emeric Lhuisset, Zeno Franchini et Francesca Gattello, Heidi Quante et Alicia Escott, Marie Velardi.
Jury : Placé sous la présidence d’honneur de Madame Ségolène Royal, Ministre de l’Environnement, de l’Énergie et de la Mer, avec Claude d’Anthenaise, Laurence Monnoyer-Smith, Stéphane Foucart, Paul-Marie Grangeon, Béatrice Josse, Olivier Lerude, Jérôme Sans.
Laureate : Angelika Markul (FR) pour le projet Tierra del Fuego
Ceremony: 12.10.16 at ministère de l’Environnement, de l’Énergie et de la Mer, Paris.
2015 Edition
Theme : Climat – Création d’un Prix spécial Océans
Finalists : Collective Disaster, FICTILIS (Timothy Furstnau et Andrea Steves) , Alex Hartley , Monte Laster, Livin Studio (Katharina Unger et Julia Kaisinger),Mare Liberum, MELD, Julie Navarro, Stéfane Perraud et Aram Kebabdjian, Yesenia Thibault-Picazo.
Jury : Claude d’Anthenaise, Agnès b., Élodie Bernollin, Élodie Cazes, Philippe Cury, Anne Ged, Emma Lavigne.
Laureates: Alex Hartley, Lauréat du Prix COAL 2015, pour le projet Nowhere and Elsa guillaume, Lauréate du Prix COAL spécial Océans, pour le projet Cosmographie corallienne
Ceremony: le 17.09.15 at Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, Paris.
2014 Edition
Theme: Paris
Finalists: Helen Mayer Harrison and Newton Harrison, Étienne de France, Christina Hemauer et Roman Keller, Åsa Sonjasdotter, Geoffroy Mathieu, Naziha Mestaoui, Natalie Jeremijenko, Michael Pinsky, Igor Ponosov, Ettore Favini.
Jury: Claude d’Anthenaise, Patrick Degeorges, Valérie Duponchelle, Pierre-Henri Gouyon, Catherine Larrère, Dominique Lestel, Laurent Le Bon, Jacques Martial, Raphaël Ménard, Pierre Oudart.
Prize winner: Åsa Sonjasdotter (SWE) for “High Diversity”
Ceremony: 10.04.14 at Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, Paris.
2013 Edition
Theme: Adaptation
Finalists: Ivana Adaime Makac, Damien Chivialle,
Nicolas Floch, Amy Franceschini, Futurefarmers, Hanna Husberg Laura McLean Kalliopi Tsipni-Kolaza, Matthew Moore/ Digital Farm Collective, Liliana Motta, Zhao Renhui, Anna Katharina Scheidegger, Laurent Tixador.
Jury: Claude d’Anthenaise, Judith Benhamou-Huet, Patrick Degeorges, David Edwards, Jennifer Flay, Thomas Grenon, Raphaël Ménard, Chiara Parisi, Jacques Rocher, Gilles Tiberghien.
Prize winner: Laurent Tixador (FR) for “Architecture Transitoire”
Ceremony: 02.04.13 at Laboratoire, Paris. Private art center dedicated to Art+Science research, founded by David Edwards.
2012 Edition
Theme: Rurality
Finalists: Maria Thereza Alves (BRA), Brandon Ballengée (USA), Cape Farewell (GB), Andrea Caretto et Raffaella Spagna (ITA), Olivier Darné (FR), Fabriques Architectes, exploitation agricole du Vernand and Polyculture (FR), Suzanne Husky (FR), Kultivator (SWE), RADO (FR), Save as draft (FR).
Jury: Fabrice Bousteau, Anne-Marie Charbonneaux, Gilles Clément, David Edwards, Jean-Guy Henckel, Sébastien Kopp, Raphaël Ménard, Pierre Paliard, Pascal Yonet.
Prize winner: Olivier Darné (FR) for “Banque de Reines”
Ceremony: 13.03.12 at Laboratoire, Paris. Private art center dedicated to Art+Science research, founded by David Edwards.
2011 Edition
Theme: Environment
Finalists: Ackroyd & Harvey (UK), Andrea Polli et Chuck Varga (US), Arnaud Verley & Philemon
(FR), Art orienté Objet (FR), Dr Daro Montag (UK), Das numen (ALL), Erik Sjodin (SW), Isabelle Daeron (FR), Jae Rhim Lee (US), The Migrant Ecologies Project (SG), Lucy+Jorge Orta (FR), Olga Kisseleva (RU), Peter Fend (US), Stefan Shankland (FR).
Jury: Bernard Blistène, Dominique Bourg, David Buckland, Anne-Marie Charbonneaux, David Edwards, Philippe Jousse, Jacques Rocher, Jean-Pierre Sicard, Laurence Tubiana.
Prize winner: Stefan Shankland (FR) for “Marbre d’Ici”
Ceremony: 24.05.11 at Laboratoire, Paris. Private art center dedicated to Art+Science research, founded by David Edwards.
2010 Edition
Theme: Environment
Finalists: Art Orienté Objet, Pascal Bircher, Thierry Boutonnier, Hehe, Magali Daniaux & Cédric Pigot, Olivier Leroi, Frédéric Pradeau, Momoko Seto, Philippe Terrier Hermann.
Jury: Paul Ardenne, Nathalie Blanc, Ari Brodach, Denis Couvet, Lorenzo Fiaschi, Fabrice Hyber, Guy Tortosa, Anne-Marie Charbonneaux, Jean- Pierre Sicard.
Prize winner: Thierry Boutonnier (FR) for “Assolement”
Ceremony: 30.03.10 at Comptoir Général, Paris.
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