Korean artist Haegue Yang wins prestigious German Wolfgang Hahn Prize

With the Wolfgang Hahn Prize, the Gesellschaft für Moderne Kunst in Cologne, Germany honours exceptional contemporary artists on an annual basis. For 2018, the Gesellschaft für Moderne Kunst am Museum Ludwig has announced that the Wolfgang Hahn Prize is awarded to the Korean artist Haegue Yang.

Born in Seoul in 1971, Haegue Yang is the first Asian artist to be selected for the prize. The award ceremony will take place during Art Cologne on April 17, 2018.

The criteria for selection are the consistent development of the artist’s oeuvre over a number of decades and international recognition among experts. An additional prerequisite is that the nominated artist is less known in Germany and that his or her work is not yet adequately represented in the collection of the Museum Ludwig.

The prize money of maximum 100.000 euros goes to the acquisition of a work or group of works by the artist for the collection of the Museum Ludwig. The award winners are also honoured with an exhibition in the museum, accompanied by a publication.

The jury is comprised of the Director of the Museum Ludwig, a guest jury member, and the members of the Executive Board of the Gesellschaft für Moderne Kunst.

The name of the award honours the memory of the Cologne-based collector and painting conservator Wolfgang Hahn (1924–1987), who was committed on many levels to the art of the European and American Avant-Garde in Cologne. We continue to foster the spirit of his exemplary dedication as a collector, a founding member of our organisation, and head of the museum’s conservation workshops.

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Image: © Courtesy of the artist, Photo: Studio Haegue Yang