M+ Hong Kong Announces the Six Artists Shortlisted for the Second Edition of the Sigg Prize

M+, Asia’s first global museum of contemporary visual culture in the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong, is pleased to announce the six artists shortlisted for the second edition of the Sigg Prize. Established in 2018, the prestigious Sigg Prize recognises outstanding artistic practice in the Greater China region. The shortlisted artists will be invited to present works created in the past three years in the Sigg Prize 2023 exhibition to be opened on 23 September 2023.

The six shortlisted artists are: Jes Fan (born 1990, lives and works in Hong Kong and New York), Miao Ying (born 1985, lives and works in New York), Wang Tuo (born 1984, lives and works in Beijing), Xie Nanxing (born 1970, lives and works in Beijing and Chengdu), Trevor Yeung (born 1988, lives and works in Hong Kong), and Yu Ji (born 1985, lives and works in Berlin).

Founded by Dr Uli Sigg in China in 1998 and formerly the Chinese Contemporary Art Award (CCAA), the Sigg Prize was established by M+ in Hong Kong in 2018. The inaugural Sigg Prize was held in 2019 and awarded to Hong Kong–based artist Samson Young.

The Sigg Prize is open to artists born or working in the Greater China region, with the aim of highlighting and promoting on an international scale the diverse and dynamic artistic work and cultural discussions taking place in the region. The shortlisted artists were selected by an esteemed international jury chaired by Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+. Members of the jury are: Maria Balshaw, Director, Tate, London; Bernard Blistène, former Director, Musée national d’art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris (2013–2021); Gong Yan, Director, Power Station of Art, Shanghai; Glenn D. Lowry, Director, Museum of Modern Art, New York; Dr Uli Sigg, collector and member of the M+ Board, Switzerland; and Xu Bing, artist, Beijing. In making their selection, the jury affirmed the prize’s commitment to bringing the most current and important work from the Greater China region to a wider international audience.

Selected at a jury meeting in November 2021, the six artists represent different generations and gender identities. Working with a wide range of mediums from painting, sculpture, and video to installation, the artists have each demonstrated their unique vision and approaches to urgent contemporary issues, such as the emotional and social impact of the global pandemic and critical reflections on the intricate and interrelated histories of Asia.

The Sigg Prize 2023 exhibition to be opened at M+ in September 2023 will showcase the creative expressions of the six finalists in the past three years. The exhibition is curated by Isabella Tam, Curator, Visual Art, M+. During the exhibition, members of the Sigg Prize jury will gather to select the winner based on their exhibition presentations. The final result will be announced in early 2024. A cash prize of HKD 500,000 will be awarded to the winner, and HKD 100,000 will be awarded to each of the other shortlisted artists to encourage their future practice.