Media artists around the world under pressure posted: 15/03/2021
Ars Electronica advocates and acts to increase support for artists
The deadline for the Prix Ars Electronica 2021 ends today. The Prix, instituted 34 years ago in Linz, is considered the longest-standing, most important competition for the worldwide media art scene. The prestige and influence of the Prix Ars Electronica are due to its wide reach, which allows it to function as a kind of trend barometer. The thousands of projects submitted to the Prix Ars Electronica each year allow us to see what is on the minds of media artists all over the world. The trend we're currently seeing is worrying, says Gerfried Stocker, taking stock of this year's entries so far. There's been a marked decline in submissions, and many personal e-mails show that artists all over the world are under massive pressure and simply don't have the opportunities to implement or complete their projects. Museums that have been closed for months, festivals that have been canceled, residencies that have been interrupted or canceled, and inadequate help-or none at all-from policymakers are ongoing problems. This is having a dramatic effect, not only on the artists themselves, but on all of us, says Gerfried Stocker. After all, this isn't about decorating foyers or blockbuster exhibitions for urban mass tourism-what we're really threatened with is the long-term loss of thoughtful reflection on our societal development. That is a particularly sad prospect in a time of massive upheaval. In the interest of everyone, we must act now to ensure that the critical and innovative potential of art is preserved, demands Stocker. Helping artists today means helping us as a society move forward tomorrow. If we don't realize that, we will regret it very soon and for a very long time.
A challenge not only for politics, but for art and cultural institutions themselves
There is no doubt that politics must do much more for the arts, and soon. However, this is also an area where art and cultural institutions need to challenge themselves, especially the long-established ones. We need to be clear about what social role our institutions should play in the future, says Gerfried Stocker. Instead of scrutinizing attendance figures and revenues, we must take more risks and lead the way. That is what should be expected, indeed demanded, not only of art itself, but also of the institutions that promote it. The focus should not be on big names, but rather on big questions. Stocker is convinced that Art unfolds its unique potential when it addresses those questions that concern us all here and now.
Isao Tomita
Innovative platforms and formats
New strategies of communication and interaction with the general public are needed. As a leading international platform for media art, Ars Electronica has a particular duty to meet that challenge, insists Gerfried Stocker. Since last year, we've been working flat out to meet this demand. That is why we went ahead with the Ars Electronica Festival in 2020-not to maintain our historical reputation and certainly not to make a profit. By turning the giant festival in Linz into a hybrid event at 120 locations around the globe, hundreds of artists received commissions despite the Corona crisis and thus had the opportunity to advance and present their projects.
Wipeout
With Ars Electronica Home Delivery, we also developed a virtual and interactive format that made the artistic and scientific examination of the future accessible to a variety of target groups even in lockdown. In the future, this format will continue to enable the Ars Electronica Center to reach people far beyond the conventional geographic and social radius of a museum. Home Delivery' also opens the door to local artists and scientists to communicate their perspectives and projects and to engage in conversation with many people throughout the year. Whether it's brain research, space exploration, genetic engineering, AI, or media arts and concerts, Home Delivery's' media library is now as diverse as it is comprehensive, with new offerings added every week.
Ars Electronica Festival 2020
more contests and higher prize money.
Competitions for artists are more important than ever. Open calls promise prize money on the one hand and open up access to rare platforms on the other, says Gerfried Stocker. That's why we decided on short notice to endow the Prix Ars Electronica' with even more money and, in addition to the 10,000 euros that go to the winners of the Golden Nicas, to pay out another 3,000 euros for a total of six Awards of Distinction. In addition, there are two new competitions this year that also award prize money. For the first time, we're offering the Isao Tomita Special Prize,' worth 5,000 euros, and we've initiated the Award for Digital Humanity,' worth 10,000 euros, together with the Austrian Foreign Ministry. Even if they don't win a main prize, participants will have a chance to present their project at this year's Ars Electronica Festival in September, which will once again be a hybrid event. We'll do everything we can to commission as many artists as possible to present their work, announces Gerfried Stocker. So I hope as many artists as possible will still manage to participate in these competitions.
Most recent headlines
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today! By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Taking the Stage at Carnegie Hall-On a Global Scale Boston Conservatory Orchestra students reflect on their epic concert marking the 80th session of the UN Gene...
23/12/2025
Experience the power of WO Automation for Radio's newest service, the System Effectiveness Review. Designed to help you achieve more, a System Effectiveness...
23/12/2025
23 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan and Rakuten Symphony Collaborate to A...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
How Steamy Can It Get? Single's Inferno' Season 5 Pre...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
33 Million Global Viewers on Netflix Watched Jake Paul vs. Ant...
23/12/2025
New technique lights up where drugs go in the body, cell by cell Scripps Research scientists developed a technique that maps drug binding in individual cells th...
22/12/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Presidio's Neerav Shah on the Role of Its Captiva...
22/12/2025
Hitting the bullseye: Sky Sports readies itself for the biggest PDC World Darts ...
22/12/2025
Unique skillset: Bringing new directors to the world of darts at The Worlds with...
22/12/2025
Gravity Media prepares for a flight of fancy with the PDC World Darts Championsh...
22/12/2025
One hundred and eighty: Gravity Media on hitting the production bullseye at the ...
22/12/2025
The Famous Group's Jon Slusser on Fascinating Fans Through Immersive Content...
22/12/2025
ESPN's Meg Aronowitz on Continuing High-Quality Broadcasts of Collegiate Spo...
22/12/2025
ESPN Takes Data-Driven Storytelling to New Heights with MNF Playbook with Next ...
22/12/2025
For a decade, popular German podcast Fest & Flauschig has hosted an annual Chris...
22/12/2025
Paramount Scores Largest Share Increase Among Distributors as Paramount and CBS...
22/12/2025
New multi-year deal integrates Roku's data to fuel Nielsen's measurement suite
Roku gains access to Nielsen's streaming ratings, showing The Roku C...
22/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
22/12/2025
Berklee Wrapped 2025: Our Top News and Stories A look back at a year highlighted by faculty milestones, major film and television projects, Bob Dylan's ho...
22/12/2025
The works of Plato state that when humans have an experience, some level of change occurs in their brain, which is powered by memory - specifically long-term me...
22/12/2025
Partnership integrates complementary satellite data and AI analytics to enhance security, infrastructure, and environmental monitoring solutions for global cust...
22/12/2025
Workflows allow you to create a sequence of planned events which may be added to your template(s) or inserted directly into your sequential or background playli...
22/12/2025
Monday 22 December 2025
Sky extends PGA TOUR partnership until 2029, as Sky Spo...
22/12/2025
Back to All News
Global Anime Hits and New Releases Take Center Stage at Jump Festa 2026
Entertainment
22 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied to clipboar...
22/12/2025
Siobh n McSweeney, Rory McIlroy, Elon Musk, Catherine Connolly, Jim Gavin, Ivan Yates and Traitor Paudie Moloney lead new characters for Callan Kicks the Year 2...
22/12/2025
Winner announced in the picturesque surroundings of Wicklow's Avondale Tower and Treetop Walk
Andrew Trimble wins the show in his first series as coach
Th...
22/12/2025
The 2025 winners have been announced today, Sunday 21 December, for Ireland's largest choral competition Choirs for Christmas hosted by RT lyric fm.
Ove...
21/12/2025
Back to All News
Legoshi and Haru's Story Reaches Its Finale: BEASTARS Fin...
Media artists around the world under pressure posted: 15/03/2021 
