The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea announced Monday its four sponsored artists, who are also candidates of the Korea Artist Prize, for this year: Kim Min-ae, Lee Seul-gi, Chung Hee-sung and Jung Yoon-suk.

As part of the sponsorship program, they will hold an exhibition of their new works at MMCA Seoul from Oct. 31 to March 29, 2021. 

Among the four artists, the Korea Artist Prize winner will be selected in December after a jury reviews the exhibition.

Kim, a Royal College of Art graduate, is a sculptor and installation artist. Based in France, Lee works in craft with a unique style based on traditional craft and folk art. 

 

Chung combines photographic art with texts and installations, expanding the boundaries of photography. Artist Jung has delved into humanity through documentary films featuring personal lives and social issues.

The MMCA and co-organizer SBS Culture Foundation have awarded the Korea Artist Prize since 2012 in an effort to promote talented Korean artists and help them expand their artistic activities at home and abroad. 

“This year’s sponsored artists are from diverse fields, varying from sculpture to film,” said MMCA Director Yun Bum-mo. “We are expecting the four artists’ exhibition to showcase broader types of arts compared with past years.” 

 

The sponsored artists were selected by a five-person jury comprising MMCA Director Yun; Lee Young-chul, a professor of Fine Art at Kaywon University of Arts & Design; Lolita Jablonskiene, a curator at Lithuanian National Gallery; Christopher Lew, a curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art; and Patrick Flores, a professor of Art Studies at the University of the Philippines. 

Each of the four artists will receive 40 million won ($33,450) in prize money, and the winner of the Korea Artist Prize 2020 will receive an additional cash prize of 10 million won.

In addition, the two co-organizers, the MMCA and SBS Culture Foundation, will provide the artists with 20 million won each from the Korea Artist Prize Promotion Fund, if they pursue projects overseas in the next four years.


By Park Yuna (yunapark@heraldcorp.com)