CATPC wins Grand Prize of S+T+ARTS Art Prize Africa ’24 with Balot NFT
25 June 2024
The Balot NFT project by CATPC was selected out of 405 submissions from 35 countries to win the Grand Prize of the first STARTS Prize Africa. The award recognizes an innovative model of restitution that uses NFTs to re-collectivize African cultural assets, making them a tool of the decolonization movement.
"The question of ownership, and especially the ownership of cultural artifacts, is of great importance for the African continent. One big question for us is, “How can we both digitize our cultures as well as ensure that we can maintain ownership of these artifacts?” The project is also a new spin on restitution, one that is proactive. CATPC shows that while we should continue to demand that what is ours be returned to us, we can and perhaps should do more than just wait. They have taken back what is theirs by minting the digital art version, and owning it.“ - Excerpt from the jury statement
STARTS Prize Africa is the European Commission’s new initiative aimed at promoting innovation in Africa and future cooperation between Africa and Europe. Ars Electronica was commissioned to organize the competition. Read the announcement on Ars Electronica here.