National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea’s ‘Artist of the Year 2026’: Artists to Talk with Audiences Ahead of Award Announcement

[Financial News] A day before the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) announces the winner of ‘Artist of the Year 2026,’ four artists will discuss their work with jurors and visitors. Visitors can also ask questions and explore both the artists’ creative intentions and art-world criticism.
According to MMCA on the 12th, the exhibition companion event ‘Artist-Jury Talk’ will be held at the Seoul branch’s Multi-Project Hall from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the 27th. Participating as the supported artists are Lee Hae-min-seon, Lee Jung-woo, Jeon Hyun-seon and Hong Jin-hwon.
The four artists will introduce their practices and new works and answer questions from Korean and international jurors. The presentations will take place in the order of Lee Hae-min-seon, Lee Jung-woo, Jeon Hyun-seon and Hong Jin-hwon, with time for visitors to ask each artist questions.
The jurors attending are Jung Hyun, a professor at Inha University; Kim Ji-yeon, director of exhibition space d/p and publishing house Sohwansa; and Emma Enderby, director of KW Institute for Contemporary Art. Also taking part are Charmaine Toh, senior curator in Tate’s International Art department; Ho Tzu Nyen, artistic director of the 16th Gwangju Biennale; and Lee Chu-young, acting head of MMCA’s Curatorial Department.
‘Artist of the Year’ is an artist-support and award program jointly organized by MMCA and the SBS Foundation since 2012, supporting the creation and exhibition of new work. ‘Artist-Jury Talk,’ introduced in 2023 to broaden communication between artists and the public, will be followed by a second round of closed-door judging. The final winner is scheduled to be announced on the 28th.
The format, which brings together artists’ explanations and jurors’ questions, allows visitors to consider not only the finished works but also the artists’ intentions and differences in interpretation. Ahead of the award announcement, it also gives visitors a chance to compare the four artists’ practices and develop their own criteria for appreciating the work.
Registration will open on the MMCA website at 10 a.m. on the 12th, with places available for up to 250 people on a first-come, first-served basis. The talk is free, but a separate ticket costing 2,000 won is required to view the exhibition. A recording will later be posted on MMCA’s official YouTube channel.
Yoon Tae-wook, acting director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, described the event as “a meaningful forum for sharing the present of Korean contemporary art and reflecting together on its future possibilities.”
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