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ViaRT Award is back for its seventh edition!

This year’s theme is “Future Fossils: What Will We Leave Behind?”, and we are inviting students across Singapore to transform used plastic bottles, jars, caps and packaging into meaningful artworks or functional design items.

Imagine an archaeologist in the year 3026 digging into the ground beneath Singapore. What will they discover about us? A plastic bottle can last for more than 450 years — long after we are gone, it will still be here. The plastic we use for just a few minutes today may become the “fossils” of our time: the artifacts, relics and treasures that tell future generations who we were and how we lived.

The challenge is simple: create an artwork that imagines plastic as the fossil of the future. Your creation can be a “relic” unearthed from our era, a museum exhibit from the year 3026, a creature or landscape transformed by the plastic we left behind — or a hopeful vision showing that we chose a different path, where plastic was reused, recycled and given new life instead of being buried and forgotten.

This competition is held in support of the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) Say YES to Waste Less Campaign, which aims to motivate the public to adopt sustainable behaviours in their daily lives by reducing disposables and food wastage as well as recycling right.

Why plastic? Plastic is useful in our everyday lives, but it should not become a single-use material that outlives us in landfills and nature. By rethinking plastic bottles, jars and caps as creative materials, students can show not only their artistic talent, but also how small actions today can change what we leave behind tomorrow — and help build a cleaner, more circular and zero-waste Singapore.

Submissions will open on September 15th and close on December 31st, 2026. Works will be judged on creativity, impact, and the strength of the sustainability message.

At ViaRT, we believe creativity has the power to shape a greener future. Join us in “Future Fossils: What Will We Leave Behind?” — and let’s make sure the story we leave for the future is one worth discovering.

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Awards will be given in three categories:

• Best Sustainable Message Award – for the piece that most clearly communicates the theme

• Most Creative Award – for the most original and innovative use of recycled fabric

• Most Artistic Award – for the most visually striking work

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Winners can look forward to prizes, cash awards, and opportunities to showcase their works in public exhibitions. Selected entries may also be featured in future sustainability-themed showcases, giving young voices a platform to inspire the community.

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