Prix Ars Electronica 2004 Award of Distinction for Tonga.Online

press release of Ars Electronica:
”3341 submissions from 69 countries, two new categories and a record 130,000 euros in prize money are the gratifying bottom-line numbers from the 2004 Prix Ars Electronica. The winning works in seven categories once again confirm the competition’s role as the barometer of current trends in an increasingly diversified world of media art. 

A host of international experts convened April 23-25 in Linz. Arrayed in seven juries, they evaluated more than 3,250 entries submitted to this year’s Prix Ars Electronica. On April 25, the final results were in.

A total of seven Golden Nicas and 14 Awards of Distinction are honoring innovative works from all over the world and representing the entire spectrum of digital art. Joining the “traditional” Prix Ars Electronica categories-Computer Animation / Visual Effects, Digital Musics, Interactive Art, Net Vision und u19 - freestyle computing-this year are the new Digital Communities category and [the next idea] art and technology grant. Along with this expanded format, there has been a significant increase in prize money to 130,000 euros. The Prix Ars Electronica’s successful expansion this year would have been impossible without the commitment of our sponsors-Telekom Austria, voest.alpine and SAP, as well as the City of Linz and the Province of Upper Austria.

With Digital Communities-made possible through cooperation with SAP, the world’s leading supplier of business software-the Prix Ars Electronica intensifies its involvement with the social consequences of art and technology. The focus is on projects that are taking advantage of the possibilities afforded by new technologies to nurture and strengthen the institutions of civil society. The category’s thematic breadth is completely intentional. It’s wide-ranging nature is reflected both by the decision to award two Golden Nicas in it, as well as by the winning projects themselves: “Wikipedia” and “The World Starts with Me.” The tremendous response-over 400 submissions in its very first year-clearly shows that the Digital Communities category is on the right track in spotlighting and promoting a significant social and technological trend”.

And their letter to Penny: 

“Dear Penelope Anne Yon,

It is our great pleasure to inform you that the jury of „Digital Communities“ category selected your work “Smart X Tension” for an Award of Distinction in Prix Ars Electronica - we would like to express that we are very excited about this decision - Congratulations.

As you know the award has a price money of 5.000 € and the awards will be given to the selected projects within an award ceremony that takes place in collaboration with the UN in New York on June 23rd 2004.

Our intention is to represent the project by somebody who is most directly and locally involved in the project and therefore we are strongly hoping that you could come in person to this event.

There are also a lot of other activities about the price winning projects coming up soon:

  •  Documentary Exhibition at the Foyer of the UN-Headquarters in NYC from June 23rd to July 18th, 2004
  •  Publication Cyberarts-Catalogue with descriptions of all the awarded projects
  •  Conference and presentations with all price-winners at the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz Sept 2nd - 7th, 2004


Congratulations
on behalf of Ars Electronica and ORF-Austrian Broadcasting
Iris Mayr - Projectmanager of Prix Ars Electronica
Christine Schöpf and Gerfried Stocker - Directors of Ars Electronica.