Art, Culture

28\09\2015
Written by Kadri Muuk



CULTURE CALLING! THE BLOOOM AWARD ’15

Culture calling! The BLOOOM Award by WARSTEINER 2015, supporting artists who blur boundaries of traditional forms of expression, has found its happy home! Out of 1500 contestants from 75 different countries, Israeli artist Liat Livni turned out to be the lucky one, placing first after much deliberation.

This year, a competent panel of five bestowed the honor upon Livni. The jury members include Catharina Cramer, the patron and managing partner of the Warsteiner Group, Yasha Young, the curator and director of URBAN NATION, Jim Avignon, an artist, Joko Winterscheidt, a media host and Gimme-Preis winner, and Walter Gehlen, director and artistic director of Art.Fair and Blooom.

The winning piece called “Jerusalem Boulevard, Jaffa” convinced the jury with its highly detailed woodwork. The artist used 30 sheets of plywood to create an exploration of the effects of time on the Jerusalem Boulevard in Tel Aviv. The piece links together three epochs ­– the past, the present and the future, creating a unified streetscape. It is worth mentioning that the work seems to be hovering, attributed to the unique technique of presentation.

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Jim Avignon, jury member, said about the winning piece: “I was excited about how the artist used the layering of plywood — a technique largely unfamiliar to me — to unite form and content in a virtuoso manner and, in doing so, to also create a fascinating composition that looks just as much like tradition as like progress.”

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The prize, which Liat Livni plans on fully taking advantage of, is a trip to Art Basel Miami Beach and a one-year-long mentoring program from jury member Walter Gehlen. The mentorship is offered to gain a foothold in the art market, help advance their career and profit from the mentor’s network.

The second place went to Cologne-based collective KALYPSO for their work “NEGUA” that mixes photography and visual performance. The installation features over-life-sized images of the visitor’s eyes, projecting them on a large honeycomb-shaped structure. Third place was taken by Belgian object artist Mark Swysen for “garden of eden: reconsiderations on the concept of the original sin.” The installation makes use of countless plastic bottles and several umbrellas, which mimic the helix structure of human DNA.

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The top ten installations, including the winning piece, can be seen until September 27th at a special exhibition within BLOOOM, held in halls 1 and 2 of the koelnmesse convention center, Cologne Germany. Go visit the exhibition or the BLOOOM Award by WARSTEINER website. Don’t keep culture waiting!