The Sigg Prize 2023 exhibition at M+ Museum in Hong Kong showcases the works of six shortlisted artists for the biennial award, which recognises important artistic practices in the region and aims to highlight and promote diverse works on an international scale. The six shortlisted artists are: Jes Fan, Miao Ying, Wang Tuo, Xie Nanxing, Trevor Yeung, and Yu Ji. Their works span various media and genres, such as installation, painting, video, sculpture, and performance.

The winner of the Sigg Prize 2023 is Wang Tuo, a Beijing-based artist who creates multi-channel cinematic installations that explore the relationship between history, memory, and fiction. His prize-winning work, The Northeast Tetralogy (2018-2021), is a set of four films (Smoke and Fire, Distorting Words, Tungus, Wailing Requiem) shown on multiple screens. The films are based on interviews with people from Northeast China, a region that has undergone dramatic social and economic changes in recent decades. Wang Tuo uses various cinematic techniques, such as re-enactment and animation, to create a complex and immersive narrative that blurs the boundaries between reality and imagination.

The Sigg Prize jury, when asked about why they chose Wang Tuo's work, stated that The Northeast Tetralogy is

...a pertinent and timely inquiry into the record and interpretation of history in the Greater China region and beyond. His interweaving of multi-dimensional narratives creates an elegant and resonating cinematic experience that fuses historical events and speculative narratives, offering deep contemplation on the relationship between archive and fiction. By addressing parallels in human history across time, Wang’s series layers rich cultural references, from classic literature to folklore and ethnic languages, to prompt viewers to reflect on our contemporary situation and the future.

The Sigg Prize 2023 is the second edition of the award, which was established in 2018 by M+ with the support of Dr Uli Sigg, a renowned collector of Chinese contemporary art. The prize is open to artists born or working in the Greater China region (Mainland China including Hong Kong SAR; Macau SAR; Taiwan). The prize winner is selected by an international jury composed of distinguished experts in the field of contemporary art. The winner is awarded HKD 500,000 and each finalist receives HKD 100,000.

The Sigg Prize exhibition runs from 23 September 2023 to 14 January 2024 at the Main Hall Gallery of M+ and is accompanied by a series of public programmes. It also features a bilingual catalogue that includes essays by the curators and jury members, as well as interviews with the artists.

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