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| A scene from artist Kim Hee-cheon's single-channel video "Deep in the Forking Tanks" (2019) / Courtesy of the artist, Fondation d'entreprise Hermes |
By Park Han-sol
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| Artist Kim Hee-cheon / Courtesy of Fondation d'entreprise Hermes |
"Kim's work utilizes technology used by everyone in their daily lives to address the most challenging and urgent questions that have emerged in the current digital era ― namely, the reconstruction of the human body, emotions, memory, imagination and ultimately, self-awareness," the international jury of six said in its comment.
"His pieces lay bare our existence that constantly oscillates between the real and the virtual, hope and uncertainty and pleasure and danger."
Launched in 2000 by Hermes Korea with an aim to recognize rising talents in Korea's contemporary art scene, the biennial Hermes Foundation Missulsang awards the winning creators with 20 million won ($15,200) in prize money and provides extra financial support to help them produce new projects.
Kim's new works will be unveiled at his solo exhibition scheduled to take place at the Atelier Hermes, a gallery nestled in the French luxury design house's flagship store in Gangnam, southern Seoul, during the second half of next year.
The jury of the 20th edition of the art award consisted of Kim Sun-jung, artistic director of Art Sonje Center; Lee Sook-kyung, artistic director of the upcoming Gwangju Biennale and senior curator of international art at the Tate Modern in London; Chong Do-ryun, deputy director and chief curator of M+ in Hong Kong; Guillaume Desanges, president of the Palais de Tokyo in Paris; Hou Hanru, artistic director of the National Museum of 21st Century Arts (MAXXI) in Rome; and Laurent Pejoux, director of the Fondation d'entreprise Hermes.
Previous recipients of the prestigious art prize include Do Ho Suh in 2003, Kim Sung-hwan in 2007, Yangachi in 2010 and Jeong Geum-hyung in 2015.
Visual artist Ryu Sung-sil, the winner of the award's 2021 edition, transformed Atelier Hermes into a garish pet crematorium last year for her solo show, "The Burning Love Song," as a kitschy commentary on Korea's neoliberal society and its fixation with money-making schemes and material well-being.
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