​​Celebrating artistic excellence​ in the digital era

​​The EPO has unveiled four remarkable new artworks. This follows an international call for artists to make creative proposals on the theme of Paper Transformation, as part of this year’s celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the European Patent Convention (EPC).​ 

In total, 276 talented creators submitted proposals to transform old EPO paper patent files into striking new works of art that bridge the past and the future by engaging with the EPO’s role in protecting and fostering innovation. The project is driven by the Office’s commitment to sustainability and was made possible by the EPO’s digital transformation, which has generated digital versions of all paper-based files.   

A celebration of art, science and innovation 

Juries in Munich and The Hague evaluated the proposals in January 2023, to select the best responses to the competition concept based on artistic excellence, vibrancy and originality, as well as site-specific requirements. The exceptional quality of submissions led to double the foreseen output, as a further two works were commissioned in addition to the initial winning proposals. EPO volunteers’ engagement throughout the project helped secure its success, from launch to the installation of the artworks on our premises. 

On Monday 13 November, the EPO celebrated all four winning artworks, which have found their homes in The Hague and Munich for now. EPO Chief Sustainability Officer Roberta Romano-Götsch in Munich and Vice-President for Patent Granting Process Steve Rowan in The Hague opened simultaneous inauguration events in the presence of the artists, who then spoke about their works, which are described here in brief and are now part of the EPO art collection.

The four artworks at a glance 

The expanded Theremin by Gil Delindro is a work of transformation through and through. The inventor of the Theremin, an early electric musical instrument, inspired Delindro’s mission to create a sculpture that upcycles the paper to continuously interact with its surroundings, transforming electromagnetic waves into soundwaves in the process.

Upload by Noor Nuyten is an enchanting 3D-printed sculpture inspired by the wish to transition to a more sustainable future and the power of rethinking materials. The artist has worked with one of the pioneers of the circular economy to capture the moment of digitalisation. 

Both artworks are currently located at the EPO in The Hague. 

Lidia Sigle used self-assembly of cellulose nanocrystals to create beautifully shifting structural colour in 5629055. Working with scientists from the Department of Sustainable and Bio-Inspired Materials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, her creative process was in fact inspired by nanophotonic structures in plants.

Fragment 927 by Irene Sauter invites speculation on the origin of all innovation. This sensuous return to a generously oversized blank page, (re)created with the help of an expert papermaker, is an elegant homage to the waves of inventions throughout time.  

Both artworks are currently located at the EPO in Munich. 

Thank you to all participating artists and jury members 

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all 276 artists who submitted proposals and shared their creative spirit with us. Their contributions are a testament to the power of artistic expression, scientific expertise and technological know-how. Our heartfelt thanks also go to the jury members who rose to the difficult challenge of selecting the winners.