At a packed special Awards Ceremony in the Wake Theatre at Novas Contemporary Urban Centre tonight, AL and AL were presented with the prize of £2000 as winners of the Liverpool Art Prize 2009.
Also after counting over 1000 votes cast by visitors to the gallery it was announced that Elizabeth Willow was the winner of the £1000 ‘People’s Choice’ prize.

The ceremony was hosted by artinliverpool.com who set up and organise the prize which started in 2008 during Liverpool’s reign as European Capital of Culture.

For the Art Prize exhibition AL and AL presented new work including ‘I want to run in my mountains’ (2009) which features ‘Biped 00′ running through a shower of pink triangles high in the mountains as ‘Biped 01′ is measured and recorded in a motion tracking volume.

The anaglyph video works have been commissioned for an exhibition in the city of Mechelen Belgium, the location from which the trains destined for Auschwitz departed. The pink triangle was the Nazi German symbol for homosexuals, many of whom were murdered by the regime. The scientific quest to measure, quantify and ultimately control human behaviour is mirrored in the reflective world of the Avatar series where AL and AL’s studio performances have been transformed into biped animations using motion tracking biometric technology.

Also their ‘The ‘Suit of Cups’ (2009) places ‘Biped 00′ and ‘01′ as the central protagonists in a selection from the Tarot Deck; playing cards which are used to contemplate an individual’s predicament and divinate a possible future. The new rational world of measuring human behaviour is composited into the old irrational landscapes of superstitious symbolism.

The other shortlisted artists are: Terry Duffy, McCoy Wynne, Nicki McCubbing and Richard Meaghan

Main Sponsors: Duncan Sheard Glass Chartered Accountants (Main Prize), Arthur Diamond Design (People’s Choice Prize, printing & signage), Alexander MacGregor (Catalogue design & production)

The judges:
.    Alex Corina - Artist
.    Imogen Stidworthy - Artist, Winner of the 2008 Liverpool Art Prize
.    Amrit & Rabindra Singh (The Singh Twins) - Artists and winners of the 2008 People’s Choice Prize
.    Claire Hamilton - presenter for BBC Radio Merseyside
.    Paul Hyland (Duncan Sheard Glass - Accountants)
.    Jay Mitton (Arthur Diamond Design - Signs and Printers)

Four major government agencies are launching their joint ‘Framework for Action’ package of support for Merseyside organisations.

The report which has been compiled by the Learning and Skills Council, Jobcentre Plus and the Northwest Regional Development Agency and the National Apprentice Scheme, sets out the organisations’ response to the current economic downturn and the support on offer to organisations and individuals in Merseyside.

If you are responsible for disseminating information about the vital support that is available:

• for members of your organisation,
• for your internal colleagues,
• for contributing to newsletters, ezines etc or
• for keeping your clients up to date, this is an event that you should not miss.

Venue: Radisson SAS, Old Hall Street, Liverpool

Date: 15th May 2009

Timing:               

Registration from 8am

Presentations from 8.30am

Finish: 9.30am

Panel:  Helen France, Director of Area, Learning and Skills Council Greater Merseyside  Senior representatives of: Jobcentre Plus, NWDA, National Apprenticeship Service

RSVP: E-mail rsvp@paversmith.co.uk or register online at www.allmerseyside.net/media