Project Description

 

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Eco-design Art Prize

(Prix Art Éco-Conception)

Supporting contemporary artists in reducing their environmental impact

In partnership with the Palais de Tokyo, supported by the French Ministry of Culture and ADEME. With the patronage of Maison Ruinart (main sponsor) and Maison Guerlain, members of the Art and Ecologie Circle of the Palais de Tokyo.

The beginning of 2024 is already witness to geopolitical instability, an acceleration of global warming and a decline in biodiversity. Changing practices and narratives in the face of the climate crisis is an urgent and necessary challenge as much for society as for the cultural sector.

The Eco-Design Art Prize (or “Prix Art Eco-Conception” in French) is designed to raise awareness of both climate change and eco-design solutions across the French art scene, helping to anticipate the major changes ahead.
The large and ever-increasing number of applications received – 278 in 2023 and 356 in 2024 – demonstrates the importance of such an initiative and the growing demand from artists with regard to environmental responsibility. 

The prize aims to contribute to the global acceleration of environmental action in the artistic sector, which already includes a number of initiatives: the French Ministry of Culture’s new « Guidance and inspiration for the ecological transition of culture », the full life-cycle analysis of the Art Paris art fair (a world first), the concept of “Institutional Permaculture” proposed by the Palais de Tokyo, the “Gallery Climate Coalition” movement, etc. 

The prize has four main objectives: to train artists with regard to environmental issues and more sustainable (eco-design) practices, to support them in measuring and reducing their impact, to share best-in-class case studies, and to promote the role of artists in a socially-inclusive transition to net-zero. It is part of a long-term program of actions by the not-for-profit organization Art of Change 21 to promote an environmental transition in the cultural sector.

Supported by its sponsors Maison Ruinart and Guerlain, the Eco-Design Art Prize is organized in partnership with the Palais de Tokyo, and its institutional partners are the French Ministry of Culture and ADEME (the French Agency for Ecological Transition). The Eco-Design Art Prize was also awarded the Fondation Norsys Trophy in 2023.

 

 

“It was a great opportunity, a great learning experience, and some great encounters.”

Testimonial from a winner of the 2023 Eco-design Art Prize

After the success of the first edition of the Art Eco-Design Award in 2023, Art of Change 21 and its partner, the Palais de Tokyo, continue their efforts towards artists and ecological transition in contemporary art with a second edition in 2024. This award aims to support artists in reducing their environmental impact and promote eco-design in artistic creation.

The Prize is open to all artists over the age of 18, French or international, residing in France and not holding a student status, and to all artistic practices in the plastic and visual arts.

ECO-DESIGN ART PRIZE, SECOND EDITION, 2024

 

In 2024, the Eco-Design Art Prize honored 12 laureates, chosen from among 356 candidates. The laureates, selected by a prestigious jury, were announced on April 2, 2024, at the Palais de Tokyo. This new edition is enriched by new experts, strengthened carbon footprint management, and the involvement of artists committed to an environmental initiative.

For the second year running, the Eco-Design Art Prize supports artists in reducing their environmental impact. The prize rewards 12 laureates with three days of tailor-made support at the Palais de Tokyo, with environmental, carbon and eco-design experts, as well as artists already well-advanced in the environmentally-consciousness of their practice. Each laureate also receives a 1,000 euro grant upon completion.

The prize is open to all visual artists living in France. 

The coaches, whose number and scope of expertise have increased for this second edition, include specialists in art & environment, carbon analysis, eco-design, sustainable textile design, low tech, solar energy, Green IT, and much more. In addition, artists from the previous edition will share their own experiences and progress. Finally, Art of Change 21 and the Palais de Tokyo will also be sharing their expertise, including a behind-the-scenes of the museum’s sustainability practices.

Representing a real testing ground for the environmental transition of artistic practices, the prizewinners will be coached through all the various stages of their practice (choice of techniques and materials, production issues, exhibition process, modes of transport, etc.)

The laureates of the 2024 edition:

> See the Eco-Design Art Prize presentation

The Jury
For the second edition of the Eco-design Art Prize the jury included Julie Crenn (independent curator), Guillaume Désanges (President of the Palais de Tokyo), Yvannoé Kruger (curator, Director of Poush), Valérie Martin (Head of the Citizen Mobilisation and Media Department, ADEME), Arnaud Morand (independent curator, Head of Arts Afalula), Emmanuel Tibloux (Director of the National School of Decorative Arts), Lucia Pietroiusti (Director of Ecologies, Serpentine Galleries), Fabien Vallérian (Director of Art and Culture, Maison Ruinart), Marion Waller (Director of the Pavillon de l’Arsenal) and Alice Audouin (President of Art of Change 21).

 

 

 

Thank you to Julian Charrière for his involvement in this Prize and for providing the visual (Julian Charrière, Towards No Earthly Pole, 2018. Courtesy of the artist).

Our distribution partners are helping to spread the call for applications.

 

 

 

SEE THE PRIZE REGULATION

 

 

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ECO-DESIGN ART PRIZE, FIRST EDITION, 2023

 

The creation of an eco-design methodology for artists was entrusted to Karbone Prod (Fanny Legros) in collaboration with Solinnen, an expert in eco-design.

100% of the winners of the first edition of the prize said they were satisfied with the support they received, and over 90% stated that the coaching they received would help them evolve their practices.

The contributors
Art of Change 21
Alice Audouin, founding president, expert in sustainable development since 2001 and independent curator
Stefano Vendramin, program director and independent curator

Palais de Tokyo
Mathieu Boncour – CSR and Communications Director
Lisa Séantier – Exhibition Production Director
Benjamin Mathia – Stage Manager
The Palais de Tokyo’s support was accompanied by visits to current exhibitions from the perspective of eco-design and the Palais’s stage management. 

Experts
Fanny Legros – founding director of Karbone Prod
Fabien Léaustic – guest artist, artist-engineer-researcher committed to eco-design for 10 years.
Cédric Carles – artist, designer and entrepreneur, co-founder of Paléo-Energétique, the Solar Sound System, Atelier 21 and RegenBox.
Aléxia Venot – designer, artist and biomaterials researcher.
Mathieu Delemme – expert in digital eco-design and Green IT.
Martin Lambert – head of the Art & Technology laboratory at Stéréolux.

Partners and sponsors
The first edition of the Eco-design Art Prize was organised in partnership with the Palais de Tokyo.
It was also supported by the French Ministry of Culture and the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME).                            

Its main partner was Ruinart, and its patron was Guerlain.

 

 

 

The Eco-design Art Prize also won the Norsys Foundation Trophy in 2023.

Distribution partners
The distribution partners were involved in distributing the call for applications.

 

 

 

 

 

Photo credit: Say Who – Valentin Lecron