MMCA Announces Lee Haeminseon, Hong Jinhwon, Lee Jungwoo, and Jeon Hyunseon as 'Artist of the Year 2026' Recipients

Creative Grant of 50 Million Won for Each Artist
Final 'Artist of the Year' Winner to Be Announced in October

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art announced on January 19 that it has selected four artists-Lee Haeminseon, Hong Jinhwon, Lee Jungwoo, and Jeon Hyunseon-as the sponsored artists for the 'Artist of the Year 2026' award.

Four sponsored artists of the 'Artist of the Year 2026' (from left: Lee Haeminseon, Lee Jungwoo, Jeon Hyunseon, Hong Jinhwon). Courtesy of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

'Artist of the Year' is a major annual exhibition and award program operated by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art since 2012. Each year, four sponsored artists are selected and provided with opportunities to create new works and exhibit them, helping to discover new discourses in contemporary Korean art.

The selected artists demonstrate contemporary sensibilities and the potential for artistic expansion through a variety of media, including painting, video, photography, and sculpture. Lee Haeminseon explores the conditions of objects and existence through painting, while Hong Jinhwon questions the power structures and dynamics inherent in photography and images. Lee Jungwoo visualizes the invisible forces of technological systems, such as generative AI and data bias, through video, and Jeon Hyunseon experiments with the temporality and spatial expansion of images, focusing on painting.

The first round of judges consisted of seven members, including international experts. The final winner will be announced in October after a public panel discussion and final review following the exhibition's opening. The exhibition will be held at the Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art from July 24 to December 6, showcasing both new and previous works by the artists.

Each of the four sponsored artists will receive a creative grant of 50 million won, and the final 'Artist of the Year 2026' will be awarded an additional prize of 10 million won. The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the SBS Cultural Foundation also continue to operate a fund supporting the participating artists' overseas projects.