Anna Ridler and Sofia Crespo Win Artist of the Year at ABS Digital Art Prize
GENEVA, June 12, 2025 — The celebrated creative duo Anna Ridler and Sofia Crespo have been named Artist of the Year in the third edition of the ABS Digital Art Prize, a prestigious recognition highlighting excellence and innovation in the world of digital art. Their partnership, which began in 2023, explores the tensions and connections between technology and nature, blending analog photography with artificial intelligence to create striking visual narratives.
Among their most lauded works is Snapshots Orchids, a piece that combines AI-generated imagery with botanical motifs, provoking deeper reflection on the ways humans perceive and frame the natural world through digital means. Their work has been featured in major art venues including Paris Photo 2023 and Frieze Gallery in London, asserting their influence in the global digital art community.
Ridler, a British artist and researcher, is known for her groundbreaking work at the intersection of machine learning, data ethics, and conceptual visual art. She has exhibited at institutions such as the V&A, Barbican Centre, Centre Pompidou, HeK Basel, ZKM Karlsruhe, and Ars Electronica.
Crespo, based in Lisbon, has built a reputation for her exploration of AI and biological systems, interrogating the evolving relationships between humanity and technology. Her work has appeared at leading international events including Art Basel, MAC Lyon, and Ars Electronica.
“Congratulations to our Artist of the Year prize winners, Anna and Sofia. The explosion of creativity we are seeing in Digital Art makes this competition tougher every year, yet their contribution to the space stands out with concepts and execution that are not just visually elegant and emotive but also at the cutting edge of innovation,” said Sébastien Montabonel, President of the Jury and a long-standing figure in the curation of digital art.
In addition to recognition, the winners will be offered networking and visibility opportunities, including a solo show or exhibition at a cultural institution within the next year.
Meanwhile, the Emerging Artist of the Year honor was awarded to Cezar Mocan for his ambitious project, World Upstream. This speculative digital artwork, built within a game engine, takes place in a fictional post-labor society shaped by AI. Styled as a real-time self-editing film, the work is intended to be endless, raising philosophical questions about technological obsolescence and the future role of humans within digital ecosystems.
Based in Lisbon, Mocan bridges the realms of computer programming, game design, and fine arts, with previous exhibitions in acclaimed venues around the world.
“Congratulations to our Emerging Artist of the Year prize winner, Cezar Mocan. The international entrants and finalists in this category showcased the extraordinary new talent that is shaping the future of digital art, yet with work that creates an intersection of contemporary art, game design, and media theory to ask profound questions about our future relationship with technology, Cezar is a clear winner,” added Sébastien Montabonel.
World Upstream will also join the Arab Bank Switzerland: Art Collection, further cementing Mocan’s place among the rising voices in contemporary digital art.
Established in 2023, the ABS Digital Art Prize is the first international award dedicated solely to recognizing achievements in digital art. Organized by Arab Bank Switzerland, a long-time supporter of the arts and digital innovation, the award seeks to spotlight creators pushing the boundaries of contemporary expression in a digital world.
Rani Jabban, Managing Director of Arab Bank Switzerland, noted: “As a patron of the arts, closely involved in the digital asset space, we are proud to establish a global art prize that supports and promotes digital artists whilst raising awareness of this fast-evolving art sector. The extraordinary quality of the beautiful and thought-provoking work shared with us by the competing artists and the rapidly growing interest in Digital Art from our younger clients all send a clear message: Digital Art is the future of Art.“
The all-star jury for the 2025 edition included a diverse lineup of experts: Alejandro Cartagena, leading digital art curator; Eleonora Brizi, founder of Breezy Art; Marlène Corbun, Head of Contemporary Art at LaCollection; Mimi Nguyen, PhD and lecturer at Central Saint Martins; Rani Jabban, and Sébastien Montabonel, serving as President.
With such momentum and support, the ABS Digital Art Prize continues to shape the landscape of digital creativity and ensure recognition for trailblazers at all levels in this rapidly evolving field.
— Team V.DIR-EM-UAE
