• The winners for the Economic track are Amsterdam-based Wouter Kalis and Corinne De Korver with the project Social Unit.
• The winner for the Social Track is London-based artist Jei Ryung Lee with her project Hollow.
• The winner for the Environmental Track is London-based Chia Shan Lee with her project The Never Ending Story.

An honorable mention goes to projects by Oberholtzer and Konopitskaya, Elham Asadi, and Matthias Tarasiewicz. Details on the winning projects are posted on the competition website at www.onehundreddays.us. The three winners will have the opportunity to showcase their artwork in a solo-show each, to be planned in Fall 2012 at Kristin Hanson Gallery and Casa Italiana Zerilli Marimó.

“We launched this competition because we believe in the need to create imagery that hits the public consciousness with the seriousness of climate change, and its impact into our lives. We challenged artists to awake the collective consciousness and we are very pleased with the response we received from artists worldwide,” says Contaminate NYC Creative Director Alessandro Spreafico. “Several submissions hit the mark on both aesthetic and conceptual grounds. We are thankful to all the artists that believed and participated in the competition and we are really excited with the final selection from the jury.”

The competition, which challenged artists to create and propose a project inspired by the principles of sustainability, touched more than 10000 viewers in 1133 cities and 97 countries, with the largest outreach in the US and Europe. New York, Vienna, London, and Milan were the top four cities with participating artists.

“We are grateful to our sponsors, partners and jurors,” says Elena Avesani, Executive Director at Contaminate NYC. “Thanks to Life Gate’s support and their Zero Impact® project, CO2 emissions generated by the organization of 100DAYS – estimated in over 12.300 kg – will be compensated by contributing towards the creation and protection of over 2.200 square meters of growing forests in Madagascar, one of the richest natural heritages of the planet. The winners will be hosted in NY for their solo-show thanks to Roomorama’s support and contribution. Finally, a special thanks to Artists Wanted as their support was instrumental to the competition success.”

Partners and sponsors of the competition included also: ADV (ADVassociated.net), Kristin Hanson Gallery (KristinHanson.us); Casa Italiana Zerilli Marimó (CasaItalianaNYU.org); Contesta Rockhair (ContestaRockHair.com); Tunetree (TuneTree.net), Win-Initiative (Win-Initiative.com); and Arte Nascosta (ArteNascosta.com).

A cocktail party celebrating the conclusion of the competition will be held at Kristin Hanson Gallery, 60 Reade Street in Tribeca on June 13^th, 2012.

Why 100 DAYS? 

Because the first 100 days of any new initiative are traditionally considered a measuring stick for success and….because the winners will have the opportunity to display their artwork for a total of 100 days of exhibition in New York City.

Why Sustainability?

Because we believe in the need to create imagery that ultimately hits the public consciousness with the seriousness of climate change, and its impact into our lives,  and the need for a systemic shift in our economic and industrial model.

As a practitioner in the sustainability field for many years, I am painfully aware of the general public lack of understanding of the nature of climate change risk not to mention the wide-spread skepticism about whether human activities have a play on it. Needless to say, deeper investigation often reveals that such denial is usually fostered by powerful interests.

Yet, even among rational and informed experts, the traditional narrative generally focuses on the impact of our actions on the planet while forgetting to convey that once the ecosystem we depend on is gone it is our health, our lifestyle and, in the worst scenario, our survival that are at stake.

Let’s get this straight. Earth will survive climate change, humanity most likely will not…at least, not in its current shape.

Continuing on the current carbon emissions path means average global temperatures would increase by 4.0 to 5.6 Celsius degrees by 2090. Brazil, much of Canada, parts of the U.S., Siberia and Central Europe would be eight degrees warmer than in the past 50 years, computer models show. Rainfall in the north will increase but wet tropics will become 20 percent drier.

What would the world look like when it is four degrees warmer? It will likely mean one to two billion people will not have access to adequate fresh water because of the major shift in rainfall patterns. Up to 15 percent of existing or potential cropland – and 40 percent in Africa – will become too dry and too hot for food production and….I could go on for several paragraphs but you get the gist!

Your Challenge is….

To awake the collective moral imagination so the general public can begin to comprehend the change that will be forced upon us if we don’t take action now. Think about a world 4.0 Celsius degrees warmer. Nothing like an image has the power to rouse consciousness and consciousness is what we need to challenge the status quo.

You can tackle the challenge following three different directions, based on the traditional three pillars of sustainability – planet, people, and profit, also defined as environmental, social, and economic principles. Be audacious, Be provocative, Be vibrant. We can’t wait to see what the end results will be!

Please explore the competition website for more details on rules, guidelines, submission fees, our prestigious jury and the final awards of course.

Finally, stay tuned for more 100 DAYS updates including tips, testimonials, upcoming sponsorship, the appointment of two new jurors and additional awards to come. Good luck!

ELENA AVESANI, CONTAMINATE NYC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Co-Founder and Executive Director of Contaminate NYC, LLC, Elena has worked as Product Manager at Oracle America for more than ten years specializing in Supply Chain Management, Customer Relationship Management, and eCommerce software applications. In 2005, while continuing her work with Oracle, she moved from San Francisco to New York City to attend Columbia University’s Master in International and Public Affairs, graduating in 2007. In 2008, she met Alessandro Spreafico and together they founded Contaminate NYC. A seasoned multi-tasker, Elena passionately fulfills her duties at Contaminate NYC while also working as Strategy Manager at Oracle America focusing on Technology Solutions for Sustainability and Environmental Issues. Elena also holds a Master in Management and Business Engineering at the Politecnico of Milan, Italy.