The works of the finalists selected for this 8th edition all bear witness, in their own way, to issues linked, in one way or another, to humanitarian commitment and dignity, and demonstrate a remarkable universality. Maïlys Bonnet conceived her project, Effleurer les Séquoias, as a dialogue with these venerable trees in the Parc des Eaux-Vives, which nourish the links between people. In the comic strip Rose, Melisa Ozkul evokes, with tact and sensitivity, the delicate issue of assisted suicide. Déborah Bron and Camille Sevez proposed Réactiver les lieux, a collective project based on the role of artists in the transformation of the rural world. Chloé Michel presented Proof of Faith, a project that questions our beliefs about blockchain technologies.
The 2022 edition prize was awarded to Sophia Farantatou for her film, Septembre Amer.
September 2018, a terrible murder takes place in the centre of Athens. Zak Kostopoulos, a human rights activist and drag queen, is killed in the middle of the day in a busy street. At that moment, Sophia Farantatou is preparing a film about Zak, her childhood friend. She decides to confront his absence and make this film as a tribute to her friend, who is a victim of extremism and hatred on a daily basis. With the images at her disposal, she proposes a narrative highlighting the qualities of Zak, a recognised activist and an artist who, beyond his absence, continues to influence her life.
The prize of 5,000 francs was open to students who have completed at least four semesters at HEAD - Geneva, as well as to holders of a Bachelor's or Master's degree less than five years old. The works were judged according to their originality, the quality of their production and their coherence with the theme of the Prize.
The words of Sophia Farantatou, on stage, just after the announcement of the winner of the Jury Prize: "I am touched and I want to say that it is time for society to change. It is urgent to make the different political and social issues cohabit with technology, ecology and identity issues... it is urgent that all this cohabits together!"
The public also had the opportunity to vote for the film of their choice and award it the Public Prize, which was worth CHF 2,000. Thanks to a streaming of the ceremony on YouTube, 430 people present, on site or remotely, were able to follow the entire ceremony and vote for one of the five finalist works.

Déborah Bron and Camille Sevez won the Public Prize for their work Reactivating Places. Today, the countryside crystallises a large number of social and environmental issues. Déborah Bron and Camille Sevez asked themselves what role artists could play in the transformation of this rural world. Through walks, inter-generational exchanges and debates, and the creation of models or plans to imagine new developments, they have multiplied their actions to combine art with the daily life of a small country village.

The Prize, created in 2015 by the Geneva Red Cross, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and HEAD - Geneva, University of Art and Design, rewards a project that combines, with sensitivity and success, artistic impulse and humanitarian commitment.

Jury:

• Barbara Zanon di Valgiurata, présidente du Jury ;
• Julie Enckell Julliard, responsable du Département du développement culturel de la HEAD – Genève ;
• Philippe Stoll, Délégué senior techplomatie, CICR.

En qualité d’experts indépendants :

• Patrick Chappatte, Dessinateur de presse, BD reporter, contributeur pour Le Temps, Le Canard enchaîné, The Boston Globe et, pendant 20 ans, The New York Times ;
• Pascal Hufschmid, Directeur général du Musée international de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge ;
• Ivan Vuarambon, Architecte, membre du Corps Suisse d’Aide Humanitaire de la Direction du développement et de la coopération à Berne.
  
   

The five finalists and their work

• Sophia Farantatou, Septembre Amer
• Déborah Bron et Camille Sevez, Réactiver les lieux
• Maïlys Bonnet, Effleurer les Séquoias
• Chloé Michel, Proof of Faith
• Melisa Ozkul, Rose