National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea Recognizes Kwon's Unique Blend of Sound, Robotics, and Post-Humanistic Philosophy

Courtesy of MMCA

In a recent announcement, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) revealed Kwon Byung-jun as the winner of the prestigious Korea Artist Prize 2023. Kwon's journey in the arts began as a singer-songwriter in the early 1990s, later transitioning into a hardware engineer and researcher specializing in experimental electronic musical instruments and stage devices for performing arts in 2005. 

▲ Kwon Byung-jun, the 2023 Korea Artist Prize winner, presents a live theater featuring his self-made robots, powered by open-source software and 3D printing, Courtesy of MMCA

For this year's Korea Artist Prize exhibition, Kwon curated a live theater featuring his own robotic creations, playfully referred to as his "band members." These mechanical actors, such as "Ochetuji Ladderbot" (2022) and "Robot Crossing a Single Line Bridge" (2023), are a departure from traditional industrial machines, programmed to engage in seemingly useless actions that challenge the utility-driven mindset of industrial society.

The jury commended Kwon's pieces for their "sense-stimulating approach to post-humanistic philosophy present throughout the contemporary era." The works were recognized for applying a superb, synesthetic form of theater to explore age-old themes in art, addressing questions of scientific and technological developments alongside humanity.

▲ Artist Kwon Byung-jun, Courtesy of MMCAThe Korea Artist Prize, co-organized by MMCA and SBS Foundation since 2012, underwent significant reforms this year. The cash prize for shortlisted creatives increased from 40 million won ($30,100) to 50 million won. The exhibition format evolved to showcase both new and earlier pieces, offering a more comprehensive insight into the artists' oeuvre. The final jury review process now includes open discussion sessions involving judges, artists, and members of the public.

The finalists for this edition included Kwon Byung-jun, Lee Kang-seung, Gala Porras-Kim, and Jun So-jung. The exhibition featuring the works of these artists is on display at MMCA's Seoul branch until March 31.

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Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com