Weekly News Roundup: February 28, 2025

Hyundai Motor Group Unveils New Cultural Collaboration Project

Hyundai Motor Company has announced a new partnership scheme, the “Hyundai Translocal Series,” that aims to foster cross-cultural exchanges between Korean and international art institutions over the next decade. The program will support joint research, commissions, exhibitions, and publications focusing on translocal themes that reflect our interconnected contemporary conditions. The inaugural exchange pairs the Cheongju Craft Biennale 2025 with Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery, exploring the theme of “craft and community” through commissioned works by eight artists from Korea and India. The co-curated exhibition will debut in Cheongju this September before traveling to New Delhi’s National Crafts Museum & Hastkala Academy, then to Manchester. A second exchange between Nam June Paik Art Center in Yongin and Pinacoteca de São Paulo will examine the theme of “media and performance,” beginning this year with a forum and research trips in both cities, followed by exhibitions at each museum from October 2026. “This participatory initiative connects institutions engaged in new artistic practices with multifaceted support, empowering them to collaborate and innovate across diverse creative landscapes,” said Euisun Chung, executive chair of Hyundai Motor Group. 

Sharjah Plans New Arts and Culture Complex

Sharjah has announced the construction of Sharjah Creative Quarter (SCQ), which will serve as a new cultural platform for local and international artists, creatives, and scholars. Designed by award-winning Mexican architectural firm Taller de Arquitectura - Mauricio Rocha and Daniel Rossello, the SCQ will comprise an integrated and interconnected complex of essential facilities such as co-working spaces and cafés. The buildings will maintain a continuous flow between indoor areas and their natural environment while embodying the principles of sustainability with the use of rammed earth, a material with low environmental impact. The new project will include: a museum of the Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi Collection, showcasing art and historical artifacts; the Irthi Museum, promoting Emirati and regional crafts; the Qasimi Archives and Sharjah Fashion Lab for next-generation fashion designers; and the Sharjah Design Center.

Busan to Host Korean Edition of Barcelona's New Media Art Festival LOOP 

From April 10 to June 10, Busan is set to host Loop Lab Busan, the Korean edition of Barcelona’s new media art festival LOOP. The two-month event is a collaboration between the Busan Museum of Art (BMA), LOOP Barcelona, and Busan-based culture agency A Fluxion. With an extensive series of exhibitions and forums presented alongside the art fair, the festival will span 23 venues across the port city, including the BMA, the F1963 cultural complex, and leading galleries such as Kukje and Johyun. Forums exploring crucial topics in new media art will take place at the Grand Josun Busan hotel and Domoheon, the former official residence of the Busan mayor, from April 22–26. Meanwhile, from April 24–26, Loop Lab Busan will gather around 40 local and international galleries at the Grand Josun Busan, spotlighting various digital art forms, including media installations, NFTs, and virtual and augmented reality works. The event marks Asia’s first art fair dedicated exclusively to digital art. 

MMCA Reveals Finalists for 2025 Korea Artist Award 

South Korea’s National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) has announced the four finalists for its KRW 50 million (USD 34,300) Korea Artist Prize 2025. The nominees are: Kim Young-eun, Kim Ji-pyeong, Im Young-joo, and artist collective Unmake Lab. Working primarily with sound as a medium, Kim Young-eun explores the relationship between historical narratives and auditory experiences. Kim Ji-pyeong challenges conventional approaches to ink painting through critical interpretations. In a practice spanning video, installation, performance, and virtual reality technology, Im Young-joo investigates the role of superstitious beliefs and religion in contemporary Korean society. Unmake Lab, an artist duo comprising Choi Bin-na and Song Soo-yon, employs artificial intelligence to interpret the history of industrialization in Korea. After the winner is announced in January of next year, new works by the four finalists’ new works will be on view at the MMCA from August 29 to February 22, 2026. 

Hong Kong’s 2025 Digital Art Fair Nixed

Hong Kong’s Digital Art Fair has canceled its upcoming edition for this year, with event organizers citing “reasons beyond its control.” The event was originally scheduled to run from March 26–30 at West Kowloon Cultural District. Founded in 2021, the event is the world’s first Web3.0 art fair, focused on innovative digital art forms such as VR, AI, and NFTs. Hong Kong’s Culture, Sports, and Tourism Bureau published a statement on Monday, confirming the fair’s application for the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund, while stating that it did not provide enough information to evaluate its “artistic merits, attractiveness to tourists and economic benefits,” thus leading to denied funding. The Bureau added that ticket sales had started before it received the funding application. “All ticket holders will receive a full refund automatically,” said the organizer, apologizing for any disappointment caused by the cancellation. The event was set to be held among other “Art March” events, introducing an expanded program of indoor and outdoor experiences. Adverts for the fair have been removed from the websites of the Hong Kong Tourism Board and InvestHK.

Subscribe to ArtAsiaPacific’s free weekly newsletter with all the latest news, reviews, and perspectives, directly to your inbox each Monday.