artwash award 2021

This week at an exclusive invitation only gala, Australia’s highest honour in art washing was awarded.

11 nominees. All kinds of sh*tf@ckery by corporate arts sponsors. A decisive public vote determined the winner with the pvi collective team personally delivering the coveted award to Woodside’s Boorloo (Perth)  offices.

pvi collective would like to extend thanks to everyone who took the time to vote; a winner for this prestigious award could not have been determined without your participation and shared outrage for the continued sh*tf@ckery pulled by corporate arts sponsors.

the 2021 artwash award trophy was desgined and crafted by sharyn egan.

view the 2021 nominees

you choose who wins. we deliver the award.

with an expanded list of nominees this year, the artwash award celebrates eleven corporate artwashers who look like they play in the dirt whilst maintaining the illusion of clean art-loving hands. It is an impressive feat and one that clearly deserves some fanfare.

in our opinion, the extractive industries already do an outstanding job of hiding behind their social license to operate in order to redirect focus from their destruction of the planet; from community outreach programs, to sporting initiatives, indigenous traineeships, charitable foundations and the occasional bit of tree planting. but what about their contribution to arts and culture, a bit of good old artwashing as well?

the artwash award recognises the mining and extractive industries’ contribution to the arts as part of what we believe is a highly effective pr strategy of laundering their own social responsibility through festivals, concerts, exhibitions, films, live shows and some of the most prestigious arts institutions in the country. of course, they could genuinely like the arts, but either way, it is time these generous benefactors were given a moment in the spotlight.

the artwash awards will let you make up your own minds. check out our sh*tf@ckery graphs and decide who is most deserving this year. whether it is dodging tax, lobbying against climate change policy, making political donations, crafting alternative facts or emitting millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases into the air, there is a whole host of actual IRL and alleged rat bastard behaviour to choose from.

All votes are anonymous.  The winner will be hand delivered the coveted artwash 2021 award by the pvi team.

view pdf versions of the sh*tf@ckery graphs with clickable references:

• agl
• alcoa
• bhp
• chevron
• doral
• fmg
• rio tinto
• roy hill
• santos
• tianqi
• woodside
• sh*tf@ckery graphs as a combined pdf

disclaimer:

the artwash award is an initiative of pvi collective. pvi endeavours to ensure that the information we provide is correct at the time of publication, but no warranty, express or implied, is given as to its accuracy.  where a reference is made to statements or reports by others, pvi is referring to that statement or report as made or reported by that third party and is not making the statement or report itself and all such reference should be read accordingly. pvi does not accept responsibility for any decisions made in reliance on this document.

the shitfuckery graphs contain hyperlinks to other websites as a convenience to the reader. pvi has no control over these sites or their content.

further readings and amazing resources:

the greenwashing files. client earth.
influence map. climate action 100
clean energy regulator, corporate emissions 2019 / 20. australian government
environmental justice atlas.
artwash: big oil and the arts. mel evans. pluto books
take the money and run. jane trowell, platform london.
rio tinto parliamentary enquiry findings dec 2020.
maps of gratitude, cones of silence and lumps of coal. gabrielle de vietri. 2019