Creative Time
THE LEONORE ANNENBERG PRIZE FOR ART AND SOCIAL CHANGE:
INAUGURAL AWARD OF 25,000 USD TO THE YES MEN, OCT 23
Creative Time is pleased to announce the inception of a new, 25,000 USD award: The Leonore Annenberg Prize for Art and Social Change,
presented by Creative Time to an artist who has committed her/his
life's work to social change in powerful and productive ways. The first
recipient of the prize is The Yes Men, and it will be bestowed during the opening ceremony for The Creative Time Summit: Revolutions in Public Practice, on October 23 from 6 to 8pm in the historic Stephen A. Schwarzman building of the New York Public Library. The ceremony will feature an introduction by Amy Goodman, the host of the award-winning program Democracy Now!. The award is generously supported by The Annenberg Foundation.
The Leonore Annenberg Prize for Art and Social Change and The Creative
Time Summit further Creative Time's 35-year-long commitment to
commissioning and presenting groundbreaking, historically important
artwork and fostering a culture of experimentation and change.
The Leonore Annenberg Prize for Art and Social Change is named in honor
of Mrs. Annenberg's life-long dedication to supporting the artistic
voice in our culture, and to the vital role of art in educating and
expanding our cultural dialogue. The Yes Men, a legendary group of
culture jammers is, through their longstanding practice of invading and
subverting modes of corporate communication, at the forefront of a
movement to produce substantive change in our world. The Yes Men were
selected by a distinguished jury of artists and thinkers.
The Yes Men agree their way into the fortified compounds of commerce,
ask questions, and then smuggle out the stories of their hijinks to
provide a public glimpse at the behind-the-scenes world of business.
Over the years they have also launched some very unconventional
products—from the Dow Acceptable Risk calculator (a new industry
standard for determining how many deaths are acceptable when achieving
large profits), to Vivoleum (a new renewable fuel sourced from the
victims of climate change. The gonzo political activists were the
subject of a documentary film, The Yes Men (2003), and their new documentary film, The Yes Men Fix the World (2009), was awarded the prestigious audience award at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Their film The Yes Men Fix the World recently debuted in
theatres in the UK and on HBO in the United States, and will be
released nationally in theatres in October. More information about the
film and a trailer can be found at http://theyesmenfixtheworld.com
The Yes Men perfectly capture the spirit of the award, which honors an
artist or artist group for historically significant work that has an
expansive impact on society. At the ceremony, they will give an
interactive, performative lecture.
The prize will be awarded in a ceremony that also opens The Creative
Time Summit: Revolutions in Public Practice. The Summit is presented by
Creative Time and LIVE from the NYPL as part of the LIVE from the NYPL
fall season. The Summit continues on October 24, from 10am to 7:30pm,
with over 35 international cultural producers whose work has made an
impact in the world giving presentations.
These artists, thinkers, and activists range from anarchist collectives
to art world luminaries. Their approaches intend to not only reflect,
but also act upon moments of historic change, breaking the traditional
barriers between art, culture, and politics. The Creative Time Summit
will give attendees a chance to see a vast array of artistic practices
in rapid-fire presentations, taking place back-to-back all day. These
artistic practices defy easy museological categories, and aggressively
blend art, politics, and space. Presenters include Okwui Enwezor,
Thomas Hirschhorn, Temporary Services, Baltimore Development
Cooperative, Not An Alternative, and many more.
For a detailed schedule with a full list of presenters grouped by theme, visit http://creativetime.org/programs/archive/2009/summit/summit.html#info
Available concurrently with the presentations will be a separate,
flexible conversation space, where each of the presenters will gather
to be available for one-on-one conversations with attendees. This space
will replace the traditional question-and-answer model, in favor of a
more discursive, interactive approach.
ABOUT LIVE FROM THE NYPL
LIVE from the NYPL is a series of lively and provocative conversations,
debates, and performances at The New York Public Library curated by
Paul Holdengräber, Director of Public Programs.
Past participants have included Werner Herzog, Christopher Hitchens debating Al Sharpton, an opera based on The Elements of Style
by Maira Kalman and Nico Muhly, Gunter Grass in conversation with
Norman Mailer, Miranda July with David Byrne and Becky Stark, Aline and
R. Crumb, Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain, Harold Bloom, Nicholas
Kristof, and Orhan Pamuk.
For more information, please visit http://www.nypl.org/live or email live@nypl.org.
ABOUT CREATIVE TIME
The Leonore Annenberg Prize for Art and Social Change and The Creative
Time Summit continue Creative Time's 35-year history of igniting the
cultural development of New York City and supporting artists who work
toward social change with ground-breaking art. Creative Time: The Book
was published on the occasion of the institution's 33rd birthday,
exploring each of its projects presented since 1974. Creative Time's
recent projects include Jeremy Deller's Conversations About Iraq, Paul Chan's Waiting for Godot in New Orleans, Tribute in Light; and PLOT09: This World & Nearer Ones,
New York City's first public art quadrennial. The organization has
worked with 1,400 of the world's most dynamic artists in 17 states
across the nation.
SUPPORT
The Leonore Annenberg Prize for Art and Social Change is made possible
through the generous support of The Annenberg Foundation.
Support for the Creative Time Summit is provided by the Lambent
Foundation, a Project of the Tides Center, the Trust For Mutual
Understanding, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation and The Consulate
General of the Netherlands in New York.
Creative Time is funded through the generous support of corporations,
foundations, government agencies, and individuals. We gratefully
acknowledge public funding from the New York City Department of
Cultural Affairs; the New York State Council on the Arts, a State
agency; New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn; and New York
State Senator Thomas K. Duane. The official hotel partner of Creative
Time is The Standard.
MEDIA CONTACT
Nicholas Weist, Creative Time
nickw@creativetime.org
212.206.6674 x205
