COAL PRIZE 2013
COAL Prize 2013 was awarded in Paris on April 2, 2013 at Laboratoire to the artist Laurent Tixador for his project Architecture Transitoire. For this fourth edition, COAL Prize’s theme was Adaptation.
This word is at the heart of contemporary thought and strategies used by nations, cities, businesses, and communities in order to cope with climate change. It is the subject of a movement, of appropriation, of adaptation by artistic creation. It is the term we have selected for the 2013 COAL Art and Environment Prize.
At a global level and in relation to the theory of evolution by natural selection as defined by Darwin, the adaptation capacity of a species explains the conditions for their survival or their disappearance. Climate change has affected the lives of many species in the past, resulting in five major mass extinctions. Today, climate change and the depletion of our ecosystems is accelerating with innumerable consequences which once again, pose a threat to the extinction of the diversity of the life forms with which our species has co-evolved for over millions of years.
In our society do we have the means and tools to adapt to these profound changes? International summits give birth to disagreements or commitments in minimal time. This seems to be incompatible with the urgency of the issues at stake and with society facing the economic crisis, employment and short-term are priorities. How do we reconcile adaptation, expectation, change and resilience? How do we reverse the principles that structure the relationship of western man to his environment? Adapting to the scale of his needs rather than his capabilities. What are the values that govern our resource, food, social, political and economic choices? Who are the people that hold the keys to this adaptation? Ecologists, town planners, farmers, industrialists, lawyers, artists? What role can social networking, collaborative innovation, creativity and biomimicry play in order to encourage adaptation? With social inequalities dramatically on the rise, will this create a great cast who may or may not adapt? Will safe havens, sanctuaries and abundance of unspoilt nature be the new ghettos of the privileged classes of tomorrow? Will they leave those countries most affected behind or will they be united on a national and international scale, with the progress of climate justice, world governance and social ecology ?
Ten projects nominated
The Living Library – Digital Farm Collective / Matthew Moore (Born in 1976 in San José, Californie, USA)
Architecture transitoire – Laurent Tixador (Born in 1965 in Colmar, France)
Éloge du dehors – Liliana Motta (Born in 1959 in Buenos Aires, Argentine)
Urban Farm Units - Damien Chivialle (Born in 1982 in Le Mans, France)
Contingent Movements Archive – Hanna Husberg (Born in 1981 in Kangasala, Finlande)
Structures productives - Nicolas Floc’h (Born in 1970 in Rennes, France)
Bakehouse Bjorvijka - Futurefarmers / Amy Franceschini (Born in 1970, in Patterson, Californie, USA)
L’observatoire de Monsieur Martins – Ivana Adaime Makac (Born in 1978 in Las Flores, Argentine)
Halfway to heaven – Zhao Renhui (Born in 1983 in Singapour)
31 juillet à Fiesch - Anna Katharina Scheidegger (Born in 1976 in Sumiswald, Suisse)
Laurent Tixador, Prize-Winner of COAL Prize 2013 for his project Architecture Transitoire
Selection committee
Nathalie Blanc, Study leader at CNRS (LADYSS) in urban geography.
Anne-Marie Charbonneaux, Chairwoman of Le Magasin, Art Center in Grenoble.
Claudio Cravero, Director of Turin’s Parco Arte Vivente.
Olivier Darné, Artist, Prize-winner of COAL Prize 2012.
Eva Hober, Director of Eva Hober’s Gallery
Theresa bon Wuthenau, Coordinator and spokesperson of Imagine 2020′s network.
Lauranne Germond, Alice Audouin, Loïc Fel, Guillaume Robic and Clément Willemin, COAL’s founders.
Jury
Claude d’Anthenaise, Curator at Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature.
Judith Benhamou-Huet, Art critic and curator.
Patrick Degeorges, in charge of emerging questions and strategic at Minister of Ecology DEB.
David Edwards, Professor at Harvard University, USA and founder of Laboratoire.
Jennifer Flay, Artistic Director of FiAC.
Thomas Grenon, Managing Director of Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle.
Raphaël Ménard, Prospectiv Director of Groupe Egis.
Chiara Parisi, Director of cultural programs at La Monnaie de Paris.
Jacques Rocher, Director of Yves Rocher’s foundation.
Gilles Tiberghien, Philosopher.
Partners