NVIDIA and CGSociety Announce NVArt Award Winners

[Stryker]

NVIDIA and CGSociety today announced the winners of the NVArt digital art challenge, the first in a series of worldwide competitions to be held during 2008.



Digital Art Challenge Celebrates the Intersection of Art and Technology

SANTA CLARA, CA and ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA-FEBRUARY 4, 2008-NVIDIA (Nasdaq: NVDA) and CGSociety today announced the winners of the NVArt digital art challenge, the first in a series of worldwide competitions to be held during 2008.


1st place: "Growth of Cubic Bacteria" by Vбclav Pajkrt, Czech Republic

The theme of the inaugural challenge was “Amazing Creations.” Artists were invited to submit computer-generated imagery that could exist only in a virtual, imaginary world. The winning art was unveiled at a reception at the San Jose Museum of Art on February 1. The event was keynoted by NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang and featured remarks from digital arts gurus Lorne Lanning of Oddworld Inhabitants and Mark Snoswell of CGSociety.

“The digital arts community and NVIDIA are natural partners. As NVIDIA graphics technology becomes increasingly programmable, it provides artists with an infinite palette for expressing their ideas,” commented Mr. Huang. “NVIDIA has always been inspired by the incredible creativity of 3D artists and content creators. NVArt is our way of celebrating and recognizing their creativity.”


2nd place: "Corner Fire" by Brett Keyes, Canada

“Throughout the ages, artists have been dreamers and visionaries, creating truly amazing and inspiring works of art,” added Mark Snoswell, president of CGSociety, a global organization for digital artists. “But they have been limited by the physical media in which they work. The NVArt competition embodies the attraction of digital art: the opportunity to create compelling images free from physical limitations.”


3rd place: "Leopardo" by Najeeb El-Faith, Saudi Arabia

The winning art will be displayed at the San Jose Museum of Art through February 8. The art is available for viewing online at NVArt - Amazing Creations - Winners.

Award Winners
* 1st place: "Growth of Cubic Bacteria" by Vбclav Pajkrt, Czech Republic
* 2nd place: "Corner Fire" by Brett Keyes, Canada
* 3rd place: "Leopardo" by Najeeb El-Faith, Saudi Arabia

Honorable mention:
* "Fractalissimo" by Franзois Coulon, France
* "Many Ways" by Ramiro Amilcar Fernandez, Argentina
* "The Birth of Crystal - The Begin II" by Alvin Tea, New Zealand
* "Alien Biomechanical Shapes 00.2 - Alien Core" by Maciej Frolow, Poland
* "Torn" by Monsit Jangariyawong, Thailand
* "Coral Sim" by Brett Keyes, Canada
* "Rest of Sinews" by Vбclav Pajkrt, Czech Republic

Judging
The submissions were reviewed by a distinguished panel of judges, including:
* Pascal Blanche, Ubisoft
* Francisco Cortina, 3D Artist
* Lorne Lanning, Oddworld Inhabitants
* Stephan Martinere, Midway Games
* JoAnne Northrup, San Jose Museum of Art
* Shelley Page, Dreamworks
* Mark Snoswell, CGSociety
* Steven Stahlberg, Androidblues
* David Wright, NVIDIA



About NVArt
The first NVArt challenge was launched in October 2007 with the “Amazing Creations” theme. The next NVArt challenge theme is "Architecture and Landscape." Submissions are due on March 10, 2008. For more information, go to NVArt - artspace | Architecture and Landscape - Introduction.

About the San Jose Museum of Art
Established in 1969, the San Jose Museum of Art is a distinct voice in the San Francisco Bay Area arts community. The Museum is recognized for its contemporary collection, which reflects the West Coast contextualized by national and international visual art. The collection exhibits the unique evolution of the institution from a small civic art gallery to a museum in the tenth largest city in the United States. For more information, visit San Jose Museum of Art.

About CGSociety
CGSociety is a respected and accessible global organization for creative digital artists. CGSociety supports artists at every level by offering a range of services to connect, inform, educate, and promote, by celebrating achievement, excellence, and innovation in all aspects of digital art. CGSociety, along with Ballistic Publishing, is a division of Ballistic Media. For more information, visit Welcome to The Computer Graphics Society.

About NVIDIA
NVIDIA is the world leader in visual computing technologies and the inventor of the GPU, a high-performance processor which generates breathtaking, interactive graphics on workstations, personal computers, game consoles, and mobile devices. NVIDIA serves the entertainment and consumer market with its GeForce® products, the professional design and visualization market with its Quadro® products, and the high-performance computing market with its Tesla™ products. NVIDIA is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. and has offices throughout Asia, Europe, and the Americas. For more information, visit Welcome to NVIDIA - World Leader in Visual Computing Technologies.