The MMCA’s Korea Artist Prize is back with a revamped program. In 2022, reflecting on its history since 2012, the award program has addressed various challenges that have surfaced over its decade-long journey. Criticisms regarding its rigid management and banal content, which purportedly undermined the prestige of the award, have driven a comprehensive restructuring.

The sponsorship amount for selected artists has been increased to 50 million KRW per artist. Furthermore, the exhibition now showcases not only the new creations of the artists but also their significant existing works. This dual presentation aims to offer a richer insight into the artists’ thematic explorations and their creative universe.

The selection process for the award has also evolved, with a new approach that includes public workshops in collaboration with the audience and influential international judges. The exhibition presents the works of four sponsored artists, including Byungjun Kwon, Gala Porras-Kim, Kang Seung Lee, and Sojung Jun, who delve into diverse themes, capturing the shifting landscapes of nature, technology’s advancement, the intricacies of human connections, and historical narratives, among other profound explorations. After a secondary evaluation process and public workshops, the final winner will be announced in February 2024, receiving an additional grant of 10 million KRW. This notable exhibition will be open to the public until March 31, 2024.

It will be interesting to see how the newly reorganized Korea Artist Prize program will impact Korean contemporary art.

References

• 올해의 작가상(Korea Artist Prize)