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IAPLC 2022
- Thread starter Geoffrey Rea
- Start date
LondonDragon
Member
Still catching the Top 40, see Pavol made the top 40, awesome 🙂 still 30 to go!
John q
Member
Wow, some amazing scapes, thanks for posting.
PARAGUAY
Member
Some amazing creations😍anyone not sure what's a focal point is think the winner explains it. Nice to see a few UKAPS members up there in the top 100 too
G
Guest
Guest
Some very decent NA scapes, my favourite is Samurai ranked 48. And like Paulo said, good to see Pavol in the top 40, very well deserved.
Otherwise, no real surprises, diorama wins the day again, with the top scapes just being better executed versions of most the rest of the top 100.
Although the scape ranked 4 is an extraordinary choice.
Otherwise, no real surprises, diorama wins the day again, with the top scapes just being better executed versions of most the rest of the top 100.
Although the scape ranked 4 is an extraordinary choice.
Last edited by a moderator:
World Rank 83, Creation, by Shuji Ota was memorable:
There were some strong NA entries.
There were some strong NA entries.
John q
Member
I actually quite liked this one.
ElleDee
Member
Every year I'm so impressed by the talent and effort of the entries, but I wish the judging encouraged more creativity and risk taking. I'm fine giving up some points for execution in exchange for more excitement and drama. I will say that 48, 83, and 5 stood out to me as well, among others.
In regards to flooding right before taking the picture, this kind of feels like cheating to me, part of the challenge of aquascaping is maintaining their forms underwater, it's infinitely easier emersed, especially if avoiding purely aquatic plants
As an aside, if you can view the rankings on a proper TV on YouTube, rather than on your phone, you’ll find a lot of clever details you missed the first time around from viewing on a phone. There’s some real nut job level of detail gone into some entries, hats off.
🙌🏼
They’re all risking something to some extent. Most wouldn’t enjoy maintaining the standards seen. But completely agree that the judging leads the design rather than the other way around.
Some big names missing from the top 100 this year though… that was a change.
🙌🏼
They’re all risking something to some extent. Most wouldn’t enjoy maintaining the standards seen. But completely agree that the judging leads the design rather than the other way around.
Some big names missing from the top 100 this year though… that was a change.
PARAGUAY
Member
Look at some and maybe it's just me but ex. No 48 love this one and very much like the Josh Sim style. So you can see how the contest influences. I like more of the Brazil ones this year too, a bit more plant and wood anout
I share the same sentiment - I've just scanned through the top 100 entries and it's all a little "meh". I like No. 5 and No. 48, and maybe No. 52, and, erm, that's about it.
I appreciate the huge technical accomplishment of many of these tanks, to create the hardscape and planting, and appreciate that it represents massive dedication and attention to detail, but on the whole I just don't think many are that 'nice' to look at! I certainly wouldn't choose to have many of them in my own home, but I guess that might apply to a lot of abstract art, which is what many of these entries represent.
G
Guest
Guest
There was an interesting discussion on Jurijs' Instagram.
Many of the comments (some from UKAPS members) reflect the opinions here.
Many of the comments (some from UKAPS members) reflect the opinions here.
Live review of the IAPLC from Green Aqua:
ElleDee
Member
That's really interesting. I have seen the judging rubric, but didn't understand about the preselection process. (That may have been in the results video, but I skipped all the talking bits.)
I just wish I had a sense of whether or not these opinions are reflected in the aquascaping community in the countries that dominate the contest. The regional differences in the hobby are fascinating to me in general - part cultural, part material (availability and affordability of goods), part ephemeral trends and influences that have limited reach due to language barriers. And I wonder about these influences in the contest.
G
Guest
Guest
Kinda shows how the contest has become somewhat polarised and confused. Where the desire to appear true to the original NA ethos is perhaps at odds with creative freedom.
There isn’t a simple solution and I think the IAPLC will continue to be controversial. However, there is a danger that it will eventually cease to be relevant if it doesn’t make up it’s mind exactly what it wants to be.
I think IAPLC is about showing off aquascaping as a craft rather than an art - adhering to tradition with technical building and growing skill over creating something personal which says something really interesting. That isn't a bad thing, I love craft, but I don't think people should be looking to it for bold new ideas because they simply aren't appreciated. It's clearly about strictly adhereing to an established aesthetic, each year it's more of the same which starts to get a bit boring even if the individual scapes are very skilled. I honestly think friends and amazing UKAPS members I've seen that enter have made better more beautiful more fish-happy scapes not for the competition than for it, it seems to limit people rather than push them to make their best. I guess it's a fun experiment and way to try something different for yourself, but I wish there was a better competition tbh that allowed more imagination and variety, and most of all: good habitat for fish and their natural behaviours. Fish always seem like an afterthought in these tanks and it does them a disservice.
plantnoobdude
Member
In this sense, I always find going through AGA results much more pleasing, especially the biotope section. But even the “aquatic garden” section, seems to have a bigger focus on fish keeping than the iaplc does
ElleDee
Member
I think you're spot on with the craft vs. art distinction. I was thinking about this topic while driving and had the thought that the judging reminded me of the state/county fair - no one is breaking any new ground in the blackberry jam category, but I expect the winner is very good jam indeed.
IAPLC has the added burden of carrying on Amano's legacy. I know not everyone has agreed with how they have chosen to do this (and I don't have an opinion on that myself), but I imagine it's got to discourage them from going in a completely new direction.
There's no making everyone happy, especially when the final product is a ranked list several thousand entries long. I think the ranking system is both fun and a bit silly, but from a structural standpoint it's natural to identify entries that you feel are over- or underrated.
