Fivex Art Prize challenges Australian artists to reimagine billboard art

The Fivex Foundation has joined forces with leading premium digital billboard operator, QMS Media, in calling for Australian artists from all fields to reimagine one of Melbourne’s most prestigious digital billboards as a giant art canvas, for the opportunity to win $30,000 and be showcased to over 250,000 Melbournians each day.

In its first year, the Fivex Art Prize will challenge Australian artists across the country to create conceptually and visually distinctive art that will see the billboard re-imagined into a giant digital street art canvas.

Fivex Art Prize Creative Producer, Alessio Cavallaro said that advertising and art share a steeped history – most famously, the 1950’s commercial advertising art of Andy Warhol, and James Rosenquist’s Los Angeles billboards.

“With entries now open, the Fivex Art Prize is a unique opportunity for emerging and established visual artists from graffiti and tattoo artists to photographers, graphic designers and advertising creatives, to re-think ideas of presenting art in a public space, as well as the relationships between art and advertising,” he said.

Cavallaro added: “We are excited to see how Australian artists reconfigure their concepts for art that will be seen not in a conventional gallery or museum, but instead showcased among commercial advertising content in a bustling and visually dynamic public space.”

Entrants are asked to design artwork for the two billboards at Melbourne Square – a horizontal corner ‘wrap’, and an adjacent vertical ‘podium’ – that will be conceptually related across both sites.

The finalists and winning works will be judged on originality, boldness and playfulness as well as their potential to artistically capture the attention of passers-by, just as Melbourne’s celebrated street art has done for years. These works will be displayed on QMS’ prestigious Melbourne Square Digital Billboard located at the corner of Flinders and Elizabeth streets.

QMS Chief Marketing Officer, Sara Lappage said the partnership with the Fivex Foundation provides an opportunity for the Out of Home industry to re-connect with the Arts and engage with community.

Ms Lappage added “As the only annual award dedicated to billboard art in Australia, it will provide an extraordinary opportunity for artists to create something truly unique, compelling and memorable.”

QMS will be running a national call for entries campaign across its national network of digital locations throughout December and January with entries closing 20th January 2020.

The finalists and winner will be announced in March 2020 and then displayed on QMS’ iconic Melbourne Square Digital Billboard location at the corner of Flinders and Elizabeth streets.

Full terms and conditions of entry to the Fivex Art Prize can be found here: www.fivexartprize.com.au