Nike announces the launch of a brand new annual programme to support and reward street-inspired artists in Europe. Devised by AKQA, 1/1 (one of one) invites artists to submit work to an online gallery that will be judged by Nick Knight’s SHOWstudio and challenges the continent’s top talent to create the ultimate limited edition to the brief, ‘ART OF FOOTBALL’.
The programme is open to anyone, from filmmakers and photographers to graf artists and illustrators - students or upcoming pros. Entrants will compete for a life-changing accolade: to exhibit in a unique ART OF FOOTBALL show alongside 11 of the world’s most respected creative talents. The show takes place in Basel, Switzerland, and coincides with the world’s leading contemporary art fair, Art Basel and the start of the European Football Championships 2008.
Finally, one winner will be chosen to have their work immortalised on a limited edition series of Nike Dunks, the legendary shoes, set to tour the sneaker-temples of Europe. The best work from the whole programme will also feature in a hardcover 1/1 design book distributed through premium design outlets.
For their chance to win, artists need only submit their best current work to the 1/1 website at www.nike1-1.com, together with a write-up of their idea in response to the ART OF FOOTBALL brief. The judging process will be led by SHOWstudio.com, Nick Knight’s fashion and art broadcasting company.
From the hundreds of artists expected to submit, only the best will be invited into the second round to create their ART OF FOOTBALL piece. Of these, 11 will make it to Basel to join the 1/1 Associates in Nike’s revolutionary ART OF FOOTBALL show, where the final winner will be announced. The 1/1 Associate artists include genre-defining names, such as: Solve Sundsbo, Joel Tettamanti, Claudio Sinatti and Dominic Wilcox.
The 1/1 programme officially launches on 15 April 2008, to coincide with the first night of the Milan Furniture fair.
