M+, Asia's first global museum of contemporary visual culture in the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong, is pleased to present the Sigg Prize 2023 exhibition. The exhibition opened to the public free of charge from Saturday, Sept. 23 2023 at the Main Hall Gallery.
Established by M+ in 2018, the Sigg Prize was formerly the Chinese Contemporary Art Award, founded by Dr. Uli Sigg in China in 1998. The Sigg Prize is a biennial award recognizing important artistic practices in Greater China. Open to artists born or working in the region, it aims to highlight and promote diverse works on an international scale.
The Sigg Prize 2023 exhibition brings together works by six shortlisted artists: Jes Fan, Miao Ying, Wang Tuo, Xie Nanxing, Trevor Yeung, and Yu Ji. Their presentations touch on pertinent issues and contemporary topics of everyday life, which include responses to the disruption bought on by the COVID-19 global pandemic. With their takes on cultural kinship, Jes Fan and Trevor Yeung highlight experiences of isolation and interior trauma, which are closely tied to changes in social and institutional systems. Xie Nanxing and Yu Ji look for balance between vulnerability and resilience through their painting and sculptural practices. Drawn to the interconnection of past, present, and future, Wang Tuo and Miao Ying explore ways to evaluate history and the contemporary moment.
To mark the exhibition opening, M+ is hosting an opening ceremony today with the attendance of Bernard Chan, Chairman of the M+ Board; Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+ and Chairwoman of the Sigg Prize; members of the Sigg Prize 2023 jury and the shortlisted artists; Doryun Chong, Deputy Director, Curatorial and Chief Curator, M+; and Isabella Tam, Curator, Visual Art, M+.
Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+ and Chairwoman of the Sigg Prize, underscores the importance of the prize for the development of contemporary art in the region: 'A cornerstone of M+, the Sigg Prize provides a platform for celebrating and introducing artists from Greater China to a broad audience. This edition of the prize is especially meaningful as it addresses the urgent issues of the environment and sustainability, history and the most recent collective experiences of a global pandemic.'
Isabella Tam, Curator, Visual Art, M+ and curator of the Sigg Prize 2023 exhibition, discusses the show's pertinence in our current time: 'From the COVID-19 pandemic and changing geopolitical climate to the evolution of artificial intelligence, the shortlisted artists aim to bring conversations about contemporary issues we are facing to a wider audience. The exhibition gives voice to artists at the forefront of contemporary art in the region, while giving a glimpse into the insightful dialogues taking place in this part of the world.'
During the opening, Hong Kong-based Japanese artist Ryo Ikeshiro will carry out a sound performance that manifests different facets of the living experience in Hong Kong, from the clamour of the city to the quietness of abandoned sites and the natural sound of the environment as well as their digital abstraction mediated by technology. The performance shows the city has been a source of inspiration for artists working in this part of the world.
M+ will also hold Sigg Prize 2023 Finalists in Conversation, a panel discussion taking place at Grand Stair on Saturday, 23 September 2023 at 15:00. The six shortlisted artists will discuss their practices and upcoming projects with Isabella Tam, Curator, Visual Art, M+ and Ariadne Long, Assistant Curator, Visual Art, M+. The free talk will be held in English and Mandarin, with simultaneous interpretation available in Cantonese, English, and Mandarin. Please refer to the M+ website for more event details.
Exhibition details
Sigg Prize 2023 exhibition is curated by Isabella Tam, Curator, visual Art, M+, assisted by Ariadne Long, Assistant Curator, Visual Art, M+, and Chloe Wong, Curatorial Assistant, M+.
Period: 23 September 2023 – 14 January 2024
Location: Main Hall Gallery Free admission
Members of the jury
Maria Balshaw (Director, Tate, United Kingdom)*
Bernard Blistène (honorary Director, Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris)
Gong Yan (Director, Power Station of Art, Shanghai)
Glenn D. Lowry (Director, Museum of Modern Art, New York)*
Suhanya Raffel (Museum Director, M+, Hong Kong)
Dr Uli Sigg (collector and member of the M+ Board, Switzerland)
Xu Bing (artist, Beijing)
*Polly Staple (Director of Collection, British Art, Tate, United Kingdom) and Stuart Comer (The Lonti Ebers Chief Curator of Media and Performance, Museum of Modern Art, New York) served in place of Maria Balshaw and Glenn D. Lowry respectively for the second jury meeting in September 2023.
Members of the Sigg Prize jury will select one winner among the six shortlisted artists based on the exhibition presentations during the exhibition. The final result of Sigg Prize 2023 will be announced in early 2024.
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