Call for Nominations: Social Art Award 2025

This year, they invite creatives to explore and address the urgent need for ocean restoration, biodiversity protection, and fostering harmony between humans and other species. Inspired by the UN Ocean Decade (2021-2030) and the EU Mission to Restore Our Oceans and Waters, they believe art has the power to bridge gaps, spark dialogue, and inspire meaningful change.

All artists and cultural actors are invited to submit their work. There are no restrictions based on gender, age, training, or nationality.

Goal

• Its goal is to explore and promote social art as a means to foster social, ecological, and political impact and change. The award aims to strengthen the recognition of social artists and the value of their work while addressing global challenges.

Themes

• “Planetary Healing – Blue Tribes for Ocean Health” centers on the concept of Blue Tribes—communities that respect the interconnectedness of all life and collaborate to protect the oceans and planet. Submissions should highlight innovative ideas, compelling narratives, and creative visions that foster coexistence and planetary resilience.
• They encourage artists to address themes such as:
  • Human-nature relationships and co-existence
  • Ocean restoration and water conservation
  • Ecosystem recovery and biodiversity
  • Climate resilience and sustainable living

Prize Information

• From the 12 finalists, the jury will select the 3 winning artists, honoring their exceptional contributions to this year’s theme.
• The first winner will receive a 1,000 EUR prize.
• The work of the 3 winning artists will be highlighted through interviews and showcased at events such as BitBasel, with additional opportunities being explored, including touring exhibitions like COP 30 in Belém, Brazil.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Award is open to anyone aged 18 years and over. There are no restrictions based on gender, age, training, or nationality.
• Applicants can submit one or more artworks/projects, of any medium. Each submission must include a short description in English and one image (photo, video/film still, or other visualization). For series submissions, only one image per series is required, with a link provided for further exploration.
• The applicant must be the owner of the artwork(s) and must hold all moral and intellectual property rights.
• If selected for exhibitions or events, the applicant is responsible for transporting the original artwork or providing the necessary materials.

Selection Criteria

• Submissions will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
  • Impactful contribution to the theme of Planetary Healing – Blue Tribes for Ocean Health, catalyzing transformation and awareness.
  • Collaborative approaches with ecologists, technologists, and changemakers (not mandatory but encouraged).
  • Participatory practices and audience engagement.

Application Requirements

• Artists may submit up to three works. Each submission must include:
  • An image of your artwork (1920 pixel wide if possible, 72 dpi).
  • A title and a short description of the submitted work (1000 characters).
  • A brief artist statement incl. keywords (max. 500 characters) explaining the work’s connection to the theme.

For more information, visit The Social Art Award.