GAIIA TROPHY

The German African Innovation Incentive (GAIIA) Award was first launched in 2018 and has since had two more iterations. The latest of which was the 2024 round for which a competition was launched to design a trophy that would capture the spirit of the initiative. Through GAIIA the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) honours outstanding African scientists who work with German partners.

The award has a particular focus on projects that tackle societal and environmental challenges and the Studio NEiDA trophy design aimed to echo this. The result was a vase-like clay sculpture sitting on a round bronze plate. Both materials are part of the longstanding craftsmanship tradition in Togo and their use promotes renewable materials as well as the survival of historical know-how.

Earthenware pots, plates and other vessels remain omnipresent in Togo, even if the steady advance of plastic is replacing some of their use. When they are being sold at the market, the sellers stack them on top of each other, creating sculptural sales displays. For the trophy this visual led to the shape, which was created using the wheel technique. Various small round pots were made and then assembled on top of each other before being baked in a traditional oven. The resulting trophies each bear the handwriting of the ceramicist, making them part of a group yet decidedly individual, much like the scientist being honoured. Similarly the brushed bronze plates inscribed with the prize credentials were individually crafted and lend the pieces their elegant finish.