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WORLD MAYOR PRIZE

World Mayor Prize sculpture
shows courage and conviction


When The City Mayors Foundation conceived the World Mayor Project in 2003, it was decided to present a biennial prize to mayors who have best shown that they have the vision, passion and skills to make their cities amazing places to live in, to work in and to visit. In recent year, the Prize has also been awarded to mayors who understand that social, environmental and economic challenges require cooperation between cities.

City Mayors commissioned French artist Manuel Ferrari to design a sculpture that was as unique as the city of the winning mayor. City Mayors' Senior Fellow, Tann vom Hove, said: “We asked Manuel Ferrari to produce a design that shows what an inspirational mayor can achieve if he builds on strong foundations.”

Before contemplating the design, Manuel Ferrari learnt as much as possible about mayors nominated for the World Mayor Prize. “I wanted to know why these mayors aroused such strong feelings,” he said and added that all the mayors he studied had two characteristics in common - courage and conviction.

“I wanted to create a design that also showed courage and conviction,” Manuel Ferrari explained. “I decided on cubes as building blocks which, at first glance, are stacked precariously on top of each other. Closer inspection, however, reveals firm interlocking and construction around an invisible but strong spine.” He said that his design reflected his own experience of living and working in an urban environment. “Many of the world’s most successful cities are prospering because their different communities, often with their own cultures, are united around civic goals,” Manuel Ferrari concluded.

A slim, upward-looking figure stands for all the people who come to cities to realise their ambitions.

The World Mayor trophy has been sculpted by Berlin-based sculptor Kaspar Swankey since 2004.


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The City Mayors Foundation
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ABOUT WORLD MAYOR
The World Mayor Project was conceived in 2004 to raise the profile of mayors worldwide and honour those who contributed exceptionally to urban affairs. The Honours are awarded to mayors who have worked for the benefit of all citizens, irrespective of race, gender, religion, politics or legal status. The World Mayor Prize also recognises its recipients’ constructive engagement in social affairs, the environment, cross-border cooperation and peace efforts.

Winners of the World Mayor Prize since 2004: Edi Rama, Tirana (2004); Dora Bakoyannis, Athens (2005); John So, Melbourne (2006); Helen Zille, Cape Town (2008); Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico City (2010); Iñaki Azkuna, Bilbao (2012); Naheed Nenshi, Calgary (2014); Bart Somers, Mechelen (2016); Valeria Mancinelli, Ancona (2018); Ahmed Aboutaleb, Rotterdam (2021); Philippe Rio, Grigny (2021).