Arab Bank Switzerland has announced the winner of its Digital Art Prize at the Non-Fungible Conference in Lisbon.
French artist RVig clinched the award with his piece “Les Fleurs du Mal.” “Les Fleurs du Mal” is centered on a unique digital interpretation of Charles Baudelaire’s poetry, where the structure and flow of the poems are depicted through moving ribbons. RVig, a digital artist since 1999, entered web3 in 2021 and is currently based in Geneva.
The jury, chaired by AI collaborative artist Claire Silver, included Rani Jabban, Managing Director of Arab Bank Switzerland, photographer Dave Krugman, generative artist William Mapan, and last year’s winner, Marjan Moghaddam. They selected RVig’s work from over 400 submissions for its innovative approach and emotive quality. The competition featured a diverse array of digital art forms, from generative art to AI collaborative works.
“RVig is to be congratulated on this award,” said Silver. “In a digital art competition that has attracted beautiful work from all over the world, Les Fleurs du Mal stood out with a concept and execution that is not just visually elegant and emotive but that also showcases some of the extraordinary potential that this fast evolving medium creates in the digital art world.”
This award, the first of its kind from a major financial institution dedicated to digital artists in the NFT space, reflects Arab Bank Switzerland’s aim to support and promote emerging digital artists worldwide. This year’s theme, “Journey(s) in Art: Pushing the Boundaries,” attracted 429 applications from 66 countries, reflecting the global interest in digital art.
The ten finalists showcased the variety and innovation within the digital art community, including artists like Miss AL Simpson, Anthony Samaniego, Ivona Tau, Leander Herzog, Louis Paul Caron, MDD, Mia Forrest, Samantha Cavet and Eva Eller, and Roope Rainisto & Irina Angles.
The prize offers a 15,000 CHF reward, inclusion in the bank’s Digital Art Collection, and extensive networking opportunities at international events.
The ABS Digital Art Prize, initiated in 2023, continues adapting to NFT art’s evolving landscape. Last year’s theme, “Between Orient and Occident,” garnered numerous submissions, with Marjan Moghaddam winning for her piece “Glitch Intaleqi.” This year’s rebranded edition emphasizes the expanding frontiers of digital art and the bank’s ongoing commitment to fostering this innovative art form.
“As a patron of the arts, closely involved in the digital asset space, the creation of an art prize was a logical next step,” said Rani Jabban, managing director of Arab Bank Switzerland. “We believe it was critical to establish a global art award that would promote and support these artists while raising awareness of this emerging sector.”
For more information on the ABS Digital Art Prize, visit the official website. Arab Bank Switzerland, established in 1962, has been a link between the Middle East and the Western world, serving high-net-worth individuals and promoting cultural and economic ties for over six decades.
Editor’s note: This article was written by an nft now staff member in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-4.