TAIPEI TIMES
TANG-IBLE HONOR:Of the 245 contestants who vied to make the award’s certificate, just 15 remain to battle it out to have their design chosen and win NT$1 million
Fifteen submissions have been selected to progress into the second and final round of a competition to design certificates for the winners of the Tang Prize, which seeks to honor top researchers in four fields.
The competitors in the certificate contest have so far been submitting drafts of their designs, but the 15 finalists will now have to make a certificate for the last round of judging on May 20, said the Tang Prize Foundation, which organized the competition.
Taiwan Design Center chief adviser Tony Chang (張光民), who heads the seven-member jury for the contest, said that many of the designers are using unconventional materials such as acrylic, bamboo, golden foil and bronze to convey the Tang Prize’s significance.
The winning design is to be announced at a ceremony on May 22 and its creator will take home a prize of NT$1 million (US$33,300).
A total of 245 entries have been submitted by students and professionals, some of which have “blown our mind,” the jury has said.
These include representations of the Chinese characters for “Tang Prize,” depictions of antique fans and various geology patterns representing the prize’s four categories: sustainable development, biopharmaceutical science, Sinology and the rule of law.
Chang said the jury is looking for designs that incorporate innovation, knowledge of Asia and Chinese culture.
The evaluation criteria include the embodiment of humanities and culture (50 percent), innovation (20 percent), aesthetics (20 percent) and feasibility (10 percent), Chang said.
The recipients of this year’s Tang Prize are to be announced on June 18 and receive their award at a ceremony set for Sept. 18.
Up to three winners will share a NT$50 million purse given for each of the four categories of the prize, which was established by Ruentex Financial Group chairman Samuel Yin (尹衍樑) in December 2012.
