We are happy to announce that Marko Škrbić, a graphic designer from Banja Luka, has won the Centre for the Environment-organised competition “Balkan Beyond Coal in 2036″ and will receive a 300 euro prize.
An expert jury consisting of Zorana Unković, an artist from Zagreb; Uroš Krčadinac, a digital artist from Belgrade; and Aleksandar Saša Škorić, the visual coordinator of the Centre for the Environment, also decided to award prizes for second place (200 euros) and third place (100 euros) as well. But in a split decision, the jury decided to award both winners – Svetozar Rodić, a graphic designer from Banja Luka, and Sasa Novković, an artist from Leskovac, 150 euros each.
The work of all three artists will be printed on promotional materials as well as published digitally and through the Centre’s social networks.
The competition, which lasted from April 4 to May 23, received 40 works by 29 authors from throughout the Balkans.
The artwork of grand prize winner Marko Škrbić was done using a typographic technique. The charcoal was arranged on a canvas, and the leaves of the tree were written REACT.
Svetozar Rodić’s work carries the message “Make art, not waste” and, as the author states, evokes the spirit of the hippie movement in a somewhat humorous and rebellious way that rationally talks about the right way to use coal.
“I would like the Balkans to be one of the world’s largest intersections and sources of culture and art in 2036, which, along with our nature, are some of our greatest potentials,” Rodić said in his artist statement.
Sasa Novkovic, who shares the second prize with Svetozar, said that he wanted to present the competition’s topic symbolically with the work he submitted.
The primary goal of this competition was to creatively task visual artists with presenting visions of possible energy futures throughout the Western Balkans. Visualisations of this topic reach the consciousness of citizens, institutions, and other stakeholders. This is one of the main goals of the campaign “Stop dirty energy – the future is renewable”. The competition was announced and supported by the Alliance “Europe Beyond Coal”.
You can find all works HERE.
We thank all those who participated in the competition by sending in their creative artwork!