Shinji Nukumi Wins First Theme of Infiniti Digital Art Competition

MARSEILLE, France, March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Infiniti, the luxury performance automotive brand from Japan, is pleased to announce the winner of 'Inspired Performance', the first theme of their international Digital Art Competition. Japan-born, Shinji Nukumi, triumphed at yesterday evening's launch of Europe's 50^th Infiniti Centre in Marseille, South of France. The digital artist, who collaborated with the Japanese NBBR design consultancy, scored the majority of the votes cast by guests during the opening ceremonies of Europe's newest Infiniti retail outlets from the installations presented by the category's six finalists who emanated from countries including India, Slovakia, and the USA.

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The 37-year old from Tokyo was awarded a prize of €10,000 for his outstanding installation entitled 'Infiniti Passion', by Bernard Loire, Infiniti's Vice President of Europe and the Middle East, before the evening's 300 VIPs. They included stars from the Olympique de Marseille football team, French media, fellow contenders, as well as judge Birgit Lohmann and Massimo Mini, the Editor-in-Chief and Associate of the Infiniti contest's global partner, designboom, the world's first online art, architecture and design magazine.

The winning artwork, entitled 'Infiniti Passion', is a design composed of a series of eye-catching projections on to an Infiniti G Coupé model, which focuses on the 'inner' dimension of the car in order to be able to see the potential of the marque.

'Inspired Performance', the debut phase of the Infiniti Digital Art Competition, saw over 500 registrations from 72 countries in regions including Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The 50 highest-calibre artworks were shortlisted by Infiniti Europe and designboom prior to a jury nominating the six top installations for the final stage of voting.

Visitors to the official inauguration of Infiniti Centre Marseille equally enjoyed an exclusive performance from members of the Cirque du Soleil cast as well as a display of the latest range of Infiniti models which included the M35h, the world's fastest accelerating petrol-electric-hybrid, and the FX Sebastian Vettel version concept car. The Infiniti Inspired Performance Gallery also revealed an exhibit of the unique works of Jacques Cochin, a talented photographer who creates diptychs which combine elements of fashion and motorsport to create spectacular images depicting similarities between performance and haute couture.

The second theme of the Infiniti Digital Art Competition will be announced in the coming weeks.

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