BERLIN, GERMAY.-The second competition for Germany’s highest paying award for the visual arts reaches its first peak: A special jury in Berlin has now announced the eagerly awaited shortlist of the seven artists nominated for the blueOrange 2006, bestowed with a total prize money of Euro 77,000 and a major exhibition at the Museum Ludwig, Cologne, in autumn 2006.

Out of the 103 candidates recommended by art experts worldwide, the jury has selected the following seven artists for the blueOrange 2006:

• Janet Cardiff, born 1957 in Canada, lives in Berlin
• Douglas Gordon, born 1966 in Scotland, lives in Glasgow and New York
• Mona Hatoum, born 1952 in Lebanon, lives in London
• Aernout Mik, born 1961 in The Netherlands, lives in Amsterdam
• Gabriel Orozco, born 1962 in Mexico, lives in New York, Paris and Mexico City
• Dan Perjovschi, born 1961 in Rumania, lives in Bucharest
• Tobias Rehberger, born 1966 in Germany, lives in Frankfurt

The short-listed artists all made a name for themselves through solo exhibitions in reputed art institutes and at international art events. Moreover, the jury declared that all nominees had produced outstanding work, which would certainly continue to stimulate and shape the artistic debate in future. In the words of the jurors the shortlist encompasses all art categories and points to the cultural and geographical diversity of current art production worldwide.

The jurors of the blueOrange 2006 are: Klaus Biesenbach, Curator of the Museum of Modern Art and the P.S.1\MoMA, New York; Daniel Birnbaum, Rector of the Städelschule in Frankfurt; Maria de Corral, Director of the 51. Venice Biennale; Wolfgang Herles, Chief Editor the ZDF broadcast “aspekte”; Luminita Sabau, Artistic Director of blueOrange; Dirk Snauwaert, Director of the Wiels Art Center, Brussels; and Gijs van Tuyl, Director of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

Dr. Christopher Pleister, President of the Federal Association of German Cooperative Banks, praised the jury‘s work, commenting: “Evoking new thoughts within the society and following new solutions while not neglecting the existing – these aspects guided the selection of the jurors and they also lie at the heart of our organization.”

The winner of the the blueOrange 2006 will be selected by a second jury in February 2006. The climax of the competition will be the award presentation ceremony and the opening of the prizewinner’s exhibition in Cologne’s Museum Ludwig in October 2006.

With its new concept, the blueOrange has succeeded the “Art Prize of the German Cooperative Banks”, awarded since 1992. Bestowed with a purse of Euro 77, 000 and an exhibition of the prizewinnner, the blueOrange is the heavy weight among German art awards. Euro 7,000 of the prize money are earmarked for an emerging artist, who is selected by the prizewinner. The first blueOrange was awarded 2004 to Francis Alÿs; the supporting award went to the Mexican artists group Tercerunquinto.

The concept of the blueOrange hints, with a winking eye, to the donors: blue and orange are the colors of the logo of the German Cooperative Banks. The number 7 runs like a red thread through the prize concept: from the size of the sum bestowed, through to the number of jury members and shortlist candidates. This is no coincidence as it alludes to the fact that seven members are required for founding a cooperative, the organizational form of the Cooperative Banks. Finally, reflecting the decentralized organization of the banking group, the each prizewinner exhibition is organized in partnership with a different German art institution.

The blueOrange is organized by the Bundesverband der Deutschen Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken (BVR), the Federal Association of German Cooperative Banks. The cooperative umbrella organization represents the interests of the 1,300 cooperative credit institutes that sponsor the prize. With about 30 million clients and more than 15 million members, it is one of Europe’s densest banking networks.