We have the winners! This spring, 350.org and a Hungarian NGO called Messzelato announced a land art contest for schools in the Central Europe. More than 70 fantastic entries arrived from 7 countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and a surprise – we received land art pieces from Macedonian and Russian youngsters as well).
We encouraged non-formal youth groups or school classes between the age of 11-18 to pick up a local climate issue and try to visualize it in nature, with materials from nature (rocks, stones, water, leaves, flowers). That is the basic process of land art – the land-artist is a part of nature like the wind, for example, who by organizing its pieces creates a new fragile creation without destroying anything in the process. The land art piece can be a cut sign into the grass, or you can spell out your message with leaves on the ground. You can knit a nest from branches, but always on the place where you found them.
Thousands of Central European students and educators went out into nature and created a land art piece with an environmental or climate message. They learned about climate change and then used their creativity and artistic view to express their message.
One school created their own website for their 350.org Land Art entry. Other schools used Land Art creation as a part of their school’s events and activities (such as garbage picking, annual school day, community service, or an excursion). More Land Art pieces dealt with the theme of increasing heat problems, waste management, and air quality.
The Jury
The entries being so exciting, we invited several artists to judge the rich collection of art works along with the 350 team. We were priviledged to have Agnes Denes, the world famous land artist living in New York, give us her expert assessment. Here is her feedback:
"I am so pleased to see the “green movement” blossom that people frowned upon when I first presented it in my art and talks 40 or more years ago. To teach the children has always been my main concern. Grown ups are embedded into their lives and needs that is hard to change, hard to give things up, sacrifice for the good of the whole. Change must be initiated from childhood. The children are our hope, so my special award goes to all the children who participated, to their teachers for their guidance and to the organizers who got this whole project off the ground and made it a reality."
Awards and Further Information
We had 4 prize categories, here are the first placed in each category:
Artistic perspective : "Border" (Hungary, Budapest) Városmajori Gimnázium high school
Message: "No land?" (Russia, Kaliningrad) Hrabrovo School
Involving the kids: "Rain of burnt bottles" (Poland, Zawiercie) Gimnazjum No 1
Please feel free to read the original announcement for the contest, the announcement of the results, check out the full Flickr set of winning pieces, and look at the whole album for the contest.
When you observe the photos please read the description under the pictures in order too understand the children’s message behind.
Enjoy the albums and be inspired by them!