$3,000 + Exhibition in NYC! WUJU! – AuthentiCity illy/SVA Contest

I am very proud to share that the body of work “Timeless Magic” (click here to see) has been chosen as one of five finalists in the AuthentiCity contest of illy/SVA!! Each of the finalists won $3,000 plus an exhibition in NYC that will take place in Fall 2010. Now we compete for a grand prize of $10,000 and the chance to photograph illy issimo‘s advertising campaign!

Thank you illy issimo and SVA for this opportunity!

© 2010 Giselle Behrens

I highly enjoyed the other contestants strong bodies of work, you can see them by clicking here.

Quoting the press release:

“MILAN – April 16th, 2010 – illy issimo – the ready-to-drink coffee-based beverage by the collaboration between illycaffè and The Coca-Cola Company – presents “AuthentiCity”: a photography project conceived in cooperation with the School of Visual Arts (SVA), New York, aimed at young international artists who are SVA students or alumni.

Here are the names of the five award-winning artists, chosen from the 19 finalists: Igor Aronov (NY – USA), Giselle Behrens (Caracas – Venezuela), Matthew Baum (NY – USA), Carlos Alvarez Montero (Mexico City – Mexico) and Caroline Shepard (Brookling, NY – USA), they will continue the project and receive a cash prize of $3,000 each.

Over two hundred contestants submitted photographs on the project theme: “Revealing purity and authenticity in urban life” – is an invitation to use the straightforward language of photography to explore signs of authenticity and purity in the urban setting.

The jury panel, consisting of representatives of ILKO Coffee International (the Joint Venture between illycaffè and the Coca-Cola Company which produces illy issimo), illycaffè, SVA and Elisabeth Biondi – visual editor of The New Yorker magazine – explained its decision as follows: “The bodies of work presented by Igor, Giselle, Matt, Carlos and Caroline express technical ability combined with a sophisticated insight into facts, aimed at capturing bits of authenticity and purity from the streets or in private city spaces. These pictures were taken from a personal perspective and using various techniques, in line with each author’s personal style: from the creative use of unfocussed images and bright colours to portraiture, from the experimentation of the blurred boundary between photography and painting to the most traditional street-photography philosophy, placing largely unnoticed faces, details and authentic daily life situations at centre stage.”

The “AuthentiCity” project has been presented on the occasion of the Milan Design Week 2010, through an open photography exhibition in the Tortona neighbourhood of Milan, at the T35 @ Nhow Hotel (Via Tortona 35, Milan), where the winners’ and finalists’ works will remain on exhibit until April 19th, 2010, every day from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

After the week in Milan, the “AuthentiCity” project will be further developed in the next two stages. The five authors selected during stage one will receive a further brief on the same topic, leading to a new body of work to be presented by September 2010. The works of the five photographers will be shown at a final exhibition to be held in New York next fall.

During the New York exhibition, the project winner’s name will be announced; the winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000, as well as an assignment from ILKO Coffee International (the

Joint Venture between illycaffè and the Coca-Cola Company which produces illy issimo) to execute an original photography project on a new theme.

The “AuthentiCity – Revealing purity and authenticity in urban life” project will be detailed on http://www.illyissimo.com/ and on Facebook.com/illyissimo.

The “AuthentiCity” exhibition at area T35 was designed by the Bertero Panto Marzoli – BPM architectural firm. Technology partners: Asus, Zanotta and [1+2=8].”