Former Reddit CEO Yishan Wong Launches $20,000 Solarpunk Art Contest for 2025

Yishan Wong, former CEO of Reddit and current CEO of Terraformation, has announced the launch of the "Solarpunk Art Contest 2025," offering $20,000 in awards for original solarpunk art. The contest, which runs from June 20 to August 20, 2025, seeks to foster an optimistic vision of the future through creative expression. Wong shared his motivation on social media, stating, "That’s what this contest is about. If you believe as I do, I invite you to join me."

The initiative is a continuation of a successful contest held in 2021, with Wong noting that the previous iteration yielded "absolutely amazing" results. He referenced a montage of the 2021 winners, encouraging new participants to draw inspiration from past successes. The contest aims to counteract prevailing negative narratives by promoting a hopeful aesthetic for a sustainable future.

Artists are invited to submit original works across various mediums, including digital, ink, paint, 3D, and animation. Notably, the contest also accepts AI-generated art, though Wong emphasizes that evocative and emotionally resonant pieces are more likely to win. Submissions require a high-resolution image, work-in-progress documentation, and contact details.

The $20,000 prize pool will be distributed among ten winners. The first-place winner will receive $3,200, second place $2,700, and third place $2,200, with the remaining seven winners each receiving $1,700. Wong retains the sole discretion for judging and requires winners to grant a perpetual license for non-commercial reproduction of their work.

Wong's vision for the contest is deeply rooted in the solarpunk genre, which envisions future societies where technology and nature coexist harmoniously, and humanity has overcome or adapted to climate change and social problems. Through this contest, he aims to inspire a new aesthetic that complements scientific, technological, and political efforts toward building a better world.