The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea has unveiled works by the four artists selected for its annual Korea Artist Prize that explore how images, technology and memory shape the way we perceive the world.
The exhibition, which runs July 24 to Dec. 6 at MMCA Seoul, features newly commissioned works by Lee Haeminseon, Lee Jung-woo, Jeon Hyun-sun and Hong Jin-hwon. The four artists, who work in painting, installation, photography, video and digital media, explore how images, technology and memory shape the way we perceive the world.
Lee Jung-woo examines how generative artificial intelligence and data-driven technologies construct reality and historical narratives. His video installation “The Left Handed Gun” investigates biases embedded within AI video generation models, exposing the limitations of technological systems.
Lee Haeminseon investigates the traces of time embedded in objects and landscapes through painting and installation. Her new painting “Lingering Snow” focuses on snow that has not yet completely melted, investigating the relationship between lingering traces and their absence.
Jeon Hyun-sun expands painting into an immersive spatial environment by combining geometric structures with layered narratives. The painterly installation composed of 30 canvases titled “Even Rabbits Dig a Second Burrow” invites visitors to navigate the images by following paths of their choosing, constructing individual perspectives and modes of viewing along the way.
Hong Jin-hwon employs photography, film and web programming to investigate the power structures surrounding images. His new installations “Dark Adaptation” and “Light Adaptation” investigate the innate power of contemporary visual systems through the stark contrast of darkness and light, questioning the boundaries between visibility and invisibility.
The exhibition marks the state museum’s 14th edition of the annual exhibition to support emerging contemporary artists, jointly organized with the SBS Foundation since 2012. Four artists receive funding worth 50 million won ($34,300) for new commissions each year for the exhibition.
The final winner of the four artists will be announced in October following public discussions and a second round of judging by a panel of Korean and international jurors.
The public roundtable will be open to in-person museum visitors and a recording will also be made available online. The winner will receive an additional 10 million won as part of the prize award.
"The annual Korea Artist Prize has consistently introduced the experimental directions and new discourses of contemporary Korean art and offers an opportunity to gain a more nuanced understanding of our time through the works of four artists,” MMCA director Kim Sung-hee said.
The exhibition also features public programs, including tours led by stand-up comedian and writer Won So-yoon and poet Yoo Hee-kyung, providing diverse interpretations of the artists' works.
A documentary introducing the four artists will also air on SBS and Netflix, according to the museum.
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