The Prix Ars Electronica is a yearly prize in the field of electronic and interactive art, computer animation, digital culture and music. It has been awarded since 1987 by Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria), one of the world's major centers for art and technology.

In 2004, the Golden Nica, the highest prize, was awarded in six categories: "Computer Animation/Visual Effects," "Digital Musics," "Interactive Art," "Net Vision," "Digital Communities" and the "u19" award for "freestyle computing." Each Golden Nica came with a prize of 10,000 Euros, apart from the u19 category, where the prize was 5,600 Euros. In each category, there are also Awards of Distinction and Honorary Mentions.

Golden Nica winners

Digital Musics

This category is for those making electronic music and sound art through digital means. From 1987 to 1998 the category was known as "Computer music." Two Golden Nicas were awarded in 1987, and none in 1990. There was no Computer Music category in 1991.

• 1987 - Peter Gabriel and Jean-Claude Risset
• 1988 - Denis Smalley
• 1989 - Kaija Saariaho
• 1990 - None
• 1991 - Category omitted
• 1992 - Alejandro Viñao
• 1993 - Bernard Parmegiani
• 1994 - Ludger Brümmer
• 1995 - Trevor Wishart
• 1996 - Robert Normandeau
• 1997 - Matt Heckert
• 1998 - Peter Bosch and Simone Simons (joint award)
• 1999 - Aphex Twin (Richard D. James) and Chris Cunningham (joint award)
• 2000 - Carsten Nicolai
• 2001 - Ryoji Ikeda
• 2002 - Yasunao Tone
• 2003 - Ami Yoshida, Sachiko M and Utah Kawasaki (joint award)
• 2004 - Thomas Köner

Interactive Art

Prizes in the category of interactive art have been awarded since 1990. This category applies to many categories of works, including installations and performances, characterized by audience participation, virtual reality, multimedia and telecommunication.

• 1990 - "Videoplace," installation by Myron Krueger
• 1991 - "Think About the People Now," project by Paul Sermon
• 1992 - "Home of the Brain," installation by Monika Fleischmann and Wolfgang Strauss
• 1993 - "Simulationsraum-Mosaik mobiler Datenklänge (smdk)," installation by Knowbotic Research
• 1994 - "A-Volve," environment by Christa Sommerer and Laurent Mignonneau
• 1995 - the concept of Hypertext, attributed to Tim Berners-Lee
• 1996 - "Global Interior Project," installation by Masaki Fujihata
• 1997 - "Music Plays Images X Images Play Music," concert by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Toshio Iwai
• 1998 - "World Skin," installation by Jean-Baptiste Barrière and Maurice Benayoun
• 1999 - "Difference Engine #3" by construct and Lynn Hershman
• 2000 - "Vectorial Elevation, Relational Architecture #4," installation by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
• 2001 - "polar," installation by Carsten Nicolai and Marko Peljhan
• 2002 - "n-cha(n)t," installation by David Rokeby
• 2003 - "Can You See Me Now," participatory game by Blast Theory and Mixed Reality Lab
• 2004 - "Listening Post?", installation by Ben Rubin and Mark Hansen

Internet-related categories

In the categories "World Wide Web" (1995 – 96) and ".net" (1997 – 2000), interesting web-based projects were awarded, based on criteria like web-specificity, community-orientation, identity and interactivity. In 2001, the category became broader under the new name "Net Vision / Net Excellence", with rewards for innovation in the online medium.

World Wide Web

• 1995 - "Idea Futures" by Robin Hanson
• 1996 - "The Hijack project" by etoy

.net

• 1997 - "Sensorium" by Taos Project
• 1998 - "IO_Dencies Questioning Urbanity" by Knowbotic Research
• 1999 - Linux by Linus Torvalds
• 2000 - In the Beginning...was the Command Line (excerpts) by Neal Stephenson

Net Vision / Net Excellence

• 2001 - "Banja" by Team cHmAn and "PrayStation" by Joshua Davis
• 2002 - "Carnivore" by Radical Software Group and "They Rule" by Josh On and Futurefarmers
• 2003 - "Habbo Hotel" by Sulake Labs Oy and "Noderunner" by Yury Gitman and Carlos J. Gomez de Llarena
• 2004 - Creative Commons

Digital Communities

A category begun in 2004 with support from SAP (and a separate ceremony in New York City two months before the main Ars Electronica ceremony) to celebrate the 25th birthday of Ars Electronica. Two Golden Nicas were awarded. Note the resemblance to the statue Winged Victory of Samothrace.

• 2004 - Wikipedia and The World Starts With Me

External link

• Prix Ars Electronica