The Doosan Yonkang Foundation held the 17th Doosan Yonkang Arts Awards ceremony at The Grand Lotte in Seoul on the 13th, presenting the performing arts prize to playwright and director Kim Sang-hoon and the visual arts prize to artist Cho Ick-jung.
Kim, the performing arts honoree, works as a writer and director for the performance collective Negative Ion. His works use offbeat humor to upend familiar ways of thinking and conventions. He has drawn particular attention for experimental projects that raise fundamental questions about why theaters exist, incorporating digital spaces and augmented reality technology into the stage. The judges said his experimentation "is not merely a formal variation but a process of seeking an answer to the essential question of why theater must exist in this era."
"I have been able to work with joy because of my colleagues," Kim said. "I will take this award as encouragement and work with greater courage."
Cho, the visual arts honoree, has explored the violence embedded in society and individuals and the irrationality of relationships through a range of media including performance, video and installation. Cho has built a distinctive body of work by weaving youth culture, urban space, and the tensions and desires within communities into original narratives. "I will use this award as an opportunity to strengthen and develop my own qualities as an artist," Cho said.
The Doosan Yonkang Foundation will provide a combined 290 million won ($200,000) to the two recipients. Each category carries prize money of 30 million won, and the foundation will provide Kim with 150 million won worth of production funding for a performance at Doosan Art Center and Cho with 80 million won worth of support for an exhibition at Doosan Gallery and an overseas residency.
The Doosan Yonkang Arts Awards were established in 2010 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Park Too-byung, known by the pen name Yonkang, the founding chairman of Doosan. The awards select and support artists aged 40 and under with strong growth potential in the performing and visual arts, and a total of 48 individuals or teams have received the prize through this year.