GAIIA Call for African Artists

Overview 

You have the opportunity to create 10 award trophies that will be awarded as the German-African Innovation Incentive Award (GAIIA), hosted by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The idea of GAIIA is to improve and strengthen innovation-oriented research in Africa as well as to use the research results for life-changing solutions. Should your art piece convince the pan-African jury, it will be handed over by the ministry’s state secretary to the winners at the German-African Innovation Incentive Award ceremony in Berlin/Germany in 2024. There, you will also be mentioned and thanked. Apart from that, you, and your team (should you be working as a team), will receive a reward of 5.000 EUR and material costs will be covered.  
 
Moreover, once the winner is determined, they will be visited and further interviewed about themselves and the creative process that went into the making of the award trophies. The resulting video will be shown at the German-African Innovation Incentive Award in 2024. Applications may be sent by anyone, regardless of age, experience, or education, as long as they are residents in an African country. We encourage in particular young artists to apply. 

To apply, fill out the application form linked below. You also have the chance and are required to send us a sketch/draft of your idea for a trophy. 

Your task 

Freely express your creativity and artistic skills in designing and producing a set of 10 awards that represent the German-African economic, scientific, and cultural cooperation and entrepreneurial spirit. In line with the German-African Innovation Incentive Award, sustainability stands at the heart of this project.  

We are very interested in the story that lies behind your award trophies as well as in the inspiration and context of your work, the meaning it expresses, and how it is consistent with the specifications given here.  

Materials 

We encourage the free use of all kinds of environment-friendly and sustainable materials (keep this in mind when using animal-derived products), including 3D printing techniques. Additionally, please follow the Material Guidelines on the following pages, concerning endangered and protected species.  
Since pictures will be taken of the award trophies, also make sure your art is clearly visible and still expresses well digitally. 

Measurements 

Height: approximately 30-50 cm 

Material Guidelines 

Dear artists please consider the following before applying. 

To ensure that we will not have to categorically turn down your great applications, please make sure that the materials you plan to use for your award trophies do not include products derived from endangered species (flora or fauna).  

While, generally speaking, many materials derived from endangered species are not sustainable and therefore should not be used in GAIIA-trophy-applications, there are also international-import restrictions to be considered.  

As explained above in the Call for Artists, later this year the winning price trophies will be transported from their (African) country of creation to Germany. For this transport to succeed they have to pass international/German customs controls.  

German customs control enforces varying degrees of restrictions on the import of materials derived from endangered species. The degree of import-restriction on such materials is defined and regularly updated according to the CITES-agreement.  

We therefore ask you to make sure of the following: 

• Do not include materials that are CITES-classified 
  (a select few materials that are strictly prohibited from import). 

• Consider alternatives for materials that are CITES-classified 
  (materials that generally can be imported, but often require additional permits to be requested). 

• Feel free to use any materials that are not listed by CITES (that have no entry on Speciesplus.net).