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.
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IAPLC 2022
- Thread starter Geoffrey Rea
- Start date
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.
on the note of doing right by the fish, check out these entries in the biotope contest, these are stunning
biotope-aquarium.info
p.s not attempting to derail the thread!
On my previous note about the flooding of emersed scapes just to take a picture of the contest, it just feels like the next thing after the whole photoshopping in previous years, that goes towards putting people off entering.
BIOTOPE AQUARIUM DESIGN CONTEST 2022 – Biotope Aquarium
biotope-aquarium.info
p.s not attempting to derail the thread!
On my previous note about the flooding of emersed scapes just to take a picture of the contest, it just feels like the next thing after the whole photoshopping in previous years, that goes towards putting people off entering.
Wookii
Member
on the note of doing right by the fish, check out these entries in the biotope contest, these are stunning
BIOTOPE AQUARIUM DESIGN CONTEST 2022 – Biotope Aquarium
p.s not attempting to derail the thread!
On my previous note about the flooding of emersed scapes just to take a picture of the contest, it just feels like the next thing after the whole photoshopping in previous years, that goes towards putting people off entering.
I'm a huge fan of the BADC, and there are some really stunning and atmospheric tanks in the competition this year.
I think it would shake IAPLC up no end if entrants had to submit a video of their tanks too!
Good suggestion!
Throwaway thoughts…
Somewhere in all this, it is perhaps forgotten that the IAPLC is an international competition, hosted by an extremely homogeneous nation. Why would you expect international ‘wants’ to factor in how the competition is run…? Who pays to run this?
They’ve shown movement by changing the judges to be a more representative international panel. But still, it doesn’t appear from a loud minority, that people understand the judging in any shared way.
There already exists plenty of competitions run around the world, that cater to other styles, trends and judging criteria. Why aren’t they as popular as the IAPLC?
Somewhere in all this, it is perhaps forgotten that the IAPLC is an international competition, hosted by an extremely homogeneous nation. Why would you expect international ‘wants’ to factor in how the competition is run…? Who pays to run this?
They’ve shown movement by changing the judges to be a more representative international panel. But still, it doesn’t appear from a loud minority, that people understand the judging in any shared way.
There already exists plenty of competitions run around the world, that cater to other styles, trends and judging criteria. Why aren’t they as popular as the IAPLC?
Wookii
Member
That is a very good point. With the title "International Aquatic Plant Layout Contest" it is easy to get drawn into the fantastical idea that it is an open and not-for-profit event without corporate vested interest, when the reality is it is simply part of the ADA marketing machine. It's a great way to make a brand ubiquitous when that brand is so deeply imbedded in an event like this, that people easily forget its even there.
I can only speculate that this again relates to the first point - they simply don't have the same funding and corporate backing to generate as much exposure and interest?
if i understood correctly last night while YT binging for iaplc 2022, the No 48 Kinan Hong Sim ist "the artist formerly known as Josh Sim".
Sorry but cant find the link anymore....
John q
Member
Hi all,
cheers Darrel
Perfect and another one to add to UKAPS list of <"unusual analogies">.
That would be fairer, but I guess people are always going to "game" a competition, whatever rules exist.
cheers Darrel
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That is a very good point. With the title "The Great British Bake Off" it is easy to get drawn into the fantastical idea that it is an open and not-for-profit event without corporate vested interest, when the reality is it is simply part of the Channel Four Television Corporations marketing machine. It's a great way to make a brand ubiquitous when that brand is so deeply imbedded in an event like this, that people easily forget its even there.
They’re ruining cake!!! 😂 😝 😂
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a mandatory picture that must show off at least one front edge and sideview of the tank would be a really nice upgrade for the evaluation, in my opinion. Don´t know if this was ever subject for iaplc.
Wookii
Member
John q
Member
Just to add to my above post rather than edit it:
This isn't the fist time Sim Kian Hong has entered the comp, I suspect Josh wasn't the name given to him by his parents. Lol.
This isn't the fist time Sim Kian Hong has entered the comp, I suspect Josh wasn't the name given to him by his parents. Lol.
LondonAquascaper
Member
My personal opinion (and thats all it is) - is that all of these dioramas are samey and in some ways unsettling.
Samey because they all use the same formula to get the same result. Sand foreground, big piece of wood, rising towards the back, stems at the rear, sand path, lit focal point, job done. Unsettling because they enter the uncanny valley where they are both full of nature, and yet obviously totally and utterly unnatural.
In 2020 things did seem to be going towards the natural style again, but that seems to have reversed this year. However, what we do now have is many other fabulous competitions for followers of different types of aquariums - I am sure we will see these garner more and more attention as time goes on, and IAPLC will become its own niche of ultra preened tanks with insane hardscape.
Samey because they all use the same formula to get the same result. Sand foreground, big piece of wood, rising towards the back, stems at the rear, sand path, lit focal point, job done. Unsettling because they enter the uncanny valley where they are both full of nature, and yet obviously totally and utterly unnatural.
In 2020 things did seem to be going towards the natural style again, but that seems to have reversed this year. However, what we do now have is many other fabulous competitions for followers of different types of aquariums - I am sure we will see these garner more and more attention as time goes on, and IAPLC will become its own niche of ultra preened tanks with insane hardscape.
PARAGUAY
Member
chrisjohnson
Member
This sounds interesting. How can I find out more!
plantnoobdude
Member
AGA Aquascaping Contest
View all 23+ years of entries to the AGA International Aquascaping Contest, and get the latest info on this year's contest.
showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org
“View past contests”
Then the years all come up, click what year you want to see.
Then it gives you the choice to choose between aquatic garden, Dutch, biotope, and so on. Click what you want to see, and it’ll show you the entries in that category that year.
