Photo Contest to mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations
The Bonnections initiative is organizing a photo contest “Mother Earth – Symbol of Sustainability”. A Mother Earth Sculpture was set up this summer in Bonn through grass-roots trans-atlantic citizen diplomacy to celebrate the 75th birthday of the United Nations and 5th anniversary of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These 17 goals are designed as a blueprint to create a better world for all by 2030, by ending poverty, fighting inequality and addressing the urgency of climate change.
People of all ages are invited to take part in the local Mother Earth photo contest and global Parachutes for the Planet art activation to mobilize for the Week to Act4SDGs (Sept. 18-26) and the Global Day of Climate Action on September 25th, organized by the Fridays for Future youth movement.
At a time when the world’s attention will be focused on these issues and the Covid19 recovery plans, your photos will put a local face to the SDGs and inspire people to take action for a more sustainable future at grass-roots level.
The public artwork is a gift from the internationally renowned sculptor and environmentalist Barton Rubenstein, dedicated to Germany and all people who are engaged in climate and environmental protection.
WHAT: Photo Contest Mother Earth – Symbol of Sustainability
WHEN: Sept. 18 – Oct. 11, 2020
WHERE: Mother Earth Sculpture at Bonner Bogen, Hermann-Bleibtreu-Ufer
General Rules: The contest ends on Oct 11th. The winners will be selected by a jury and announced in late October. The contest is open to everyone. Parental consent is required for winners below 18 years of age. Participants can submit a maximum of three photos and must possess copyrights of their images. The pictures can be submitted:
- Through social media, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (@bonnections) using the hashtags #MotherEarthSculpture #ForPeopleForPlanet
- By e-mail bonnections@gmail.com
- File size no larger than 4MB, minimum 300 dpi
The prizes are:
- 1st place: After work relaxation for 2 persons at the spa of the Kameha Hotel
- 2nd place: Dinner for Two Voucher at Rohmühle Restaurant
- 3rd place: Lunch for Two Voucher at Rohmühle Restaurant
The 10 best photos will be printed and displayed offline and online. The copyrights of the winning photos will be owned by the participants.
Arts for Climate Action and a Sustainable Future
Designed by US-artist, scientist and environmentalist Barton Rubenstein, the Mother Earth Sculpture is a symbol of sustainability. The non-profit organisation Mother Earth Project (MEP) that he co-founded in 2015 is in the process of installing editions of this sculpture in major cities around the world –one at least on each continent– to help raise awareness of our need to save the planet for future generations.
Together #ForPeopleForPlanet
“The idea that inspired the design is that humans are created from and out of earth, and that there is an inherent symbiotic relationship between the two. The three-dimensional sculpture presents an ethereal pose of a human profile, projecting a vision of universality, with a stainless steel material indicating neither race nor nationality,” explains Rubenstein.
The first Mother Earth was set up in 2017 in Georgetown, Washington, DC, on the Potomac River. The dedication of this sculpture was on April 29, the day of the People’s Climate March. Since then, more editions have been installed in Yaroundé (Cameroon), Jerusalem (Israel) and Guilin (China). Bonn’s Mother Earth is the first one in Europe. The newest and sixth edition was installed last week in Jaipur, India.
(Here’s a short video of the Corona-conform unveiling event in Bonn with local artists and representatives of the UN and enviromental groups, produced by Medienwerkstatt Bonn)
Last year, the Bonnections initiative teamed up with Barton Rubenstein to bring his inspiring artwork to Germany’s UN City. The sulpture was finally installed this summer with support of the BonnVisio Group.
“We’re very delighted to give a home to Barton’s Mother Earth sculpture on Bonn’s sunny side at Bonner Bogen,” says Jörg Pierdzig, architect and CEO of the ImmoVisio real estate company.
The sculpture was unveiled on June 26 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the signing of the UN charter, facing downriver towards the UN Campus and our connecting oceans.
