Canadian photo-artist Edward Burtynsky presents three wishes to TED conference audience and accepts $100,000 as one of three inaugural winners of TED Prize.
Also presenting wishes at the TED Conference in Monterey, California were fellow winners Medical technologies pioneer Robert Fischell, and acclaimed musician and activist Bono. Granted $100,000 and the opportunity to team with several major companies pledging to help the recipients fulfill the wishes, winners were instructed to wish for anything as they were informed of the prize in September 2004, "Think big. Be Creative. No restrictions."
In his first wish, Burtynsky proposed that he would use his artwork to persuade millions of people to join a productive global conversation about sustainability. Burtynsky plans to launch a media campaign developed with help from design guru Stefan Sagmeister this Earth Day, April 22nd . The campaign will encourage millions to contribute to a worldwide discussion in progress about sustainable living on the increasingly popular blog www.worldchanging.com.
Burtynskys goal for wish two is to raise environmental consciousness in grade school kids; to empower them to propose solutions and act upon them. He announced that he would launch a ground-breaking competition throughout North American primary schools called "In My World"challenging kids to invent new ideas in sustainable living.
In wish three, Burtynsky questioned how to extend his artwork’s environment-oriented subject matter to an audience that wouldn’t normally visit galleries and museums where his work is typically viewed. To achieve this, Mr. Burtynsky wishes to learn how to translate his work to film format in order to make an IMAX film.
TED community members have been invited to contribute their ideas and resources to help make the wishes come true; Burtynskys entire prize winnings will go toward realizing the wishes.
This is the first time the TED Community has offered this landmark award. TED, an acronym for Technology, Entertainment, Design, is a conference where 50 speakers offer their greatest ideas, inventions and passions to an audience of critical thinkers. More details about the wishes, TED, the TED Prize and the Sapling Foundation can be found at www.ted.com.