Art Basel Hong Kong Names Finalists for 50K Emerging Artist Award
Three artists are shortlisted for the newly established prize, which includes an opportunity to exhibit in Macau. Save to My Ocula
Art Basel Hong Kong‘s inaugural MGM Discoveries Prize will be presented at this year’s fair, which returns to Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 28 to 30 March 2025.
The 50,000 USD award will be split between the artist and their gallery, and includes an opportunity to exhibit in Macau.
The three shortlisted artists are Shin Min, Kayode Ojo, and Saju Kunhan.
Shin Min (represented by P21, Seoul) makes collages and sculptures about oppression, labour, and violence.
New York-based artist Kayode Ojo (represented by Sweetwater, Berlin) makes photographs and sculptures that speak to contemporary culture and social aspirations; and Saju Kunhan (represented by Tarq, Mumbai) is a painter who is informed by familial migration histories.
Finalists were selected from the 22 galleries participating in the fair’s Discoveries sector this year, a dedicated section for new solo projects by emerging artists.
The jury comprises art world directors including Aaron Cezar (Delfina Foundation), Antonia Carver (Art Jameel), Christopher K. Ho (Asia Art Archive), X Zhu-Nowell (Rockbund Art Museum), and Park Seungho (chairman of PARKSEOBO FOUNDATION).
The award is conceived with MGM China Holdings Limited, who owns casino and resort operations in the Greater China region, with two locations in Macau. The company has partnered with Art Basel Hong Kong since 2017. —[O]
Main image: Kayode Ojo, Black Tongue New Year's Eve (New York) (2024). Courtesy the artist and Sweetwater, Berlin.
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