Media artist Kim Hee-cheon wins 20th Hermes Foundation Missulsang

Media artist Kim Hee-cheon has won the 20th Hermes Foundation Missulsang, Hermes Korea announced Monday.

The foundation awards a rising Korean artist every two years to support their artistic career, offering a solo exhibition at the nonprofit Atelier Hermes gallery in Seoul located at the building of the luxury brand’s flagship store.

“Kim Hee-cheon’s work deals with some of the most challenging and urgent questions of our age of digital domination, especially the questions of the restructuring of human physicality, emotion, memory, imagination and, eventually, self-identification," the jury review noted. "Ultimately, Kim's work reveals that our existence is infinitely swinging between the real and the virtual, between hope and uncertainty, and, finally between pleasure and danger.”

The winner was chosen by a six-member jury, reviewing applications and conducting interviews with selected candidates.

The winner is awarded 20 million won ($15,000) and will be given financial support to create new works for the artist’s solo show in the following year. The foundation also provides an opportunity for the winner to visit the foundation, major museums and galleries in France, according to the foundation.

Hermes Foundation Missulsang was launched in 2000 by Hermes Korea. The art award has awarded many talented rising artists over the years, including Ryu Sung-sil, the winner of the award last year.

By Park Yuna (yunapark@heraldcorp.com)