Shanghai, China, June 29, 2017 — Rockbund Art Museum (Shanghai) and HUGO BOSS are delighted to announce the finalist artists for the third edition of the HUGO BOSS ASIA ART Award for Emerging Asian Artists today. After much deliberation by the jury members, the finalist artists of HUGO BOSS ASIA ART 2017 are: Li Ming (China); Tao Hui (China); Yu Ji (China); and Robert Zhao Renhui (Singapore).

Since its establishment in 2013, the HUGO BOSS ASIA ART Award has become a well-respected contemporary art award in Asia. It continuously reflects on current topics and explores the future of art in Greater China and Southeast Asia. “The HUGO BOSS ASIA ART Award is a wonderful element in our Arts Sponsorship program. We are very happy to offer this platform to young talents for the third time, especially in such an important cultural context as Asia,” says Dr. Hjördis Kettenbach, Head of Cultural Affairs, HUGO BOSS AG.

A group exhibition showcasing works of the four finalist artists will be shown at Rockbund Art Museum from Oct 27, 2017 to Jan 7, 2018, presenting newly commissioned works as well as existing works by the finalists. The winner of the Award will be announced in November; the Award carries a stipend of RMB 300 000.

Exploring new opportunities of contemporary art from Greater China and Southeast Asia

The biannual award contributes towards artistic and cultural exchanges in the broader historical and social contexts of Greater China and Southeast Asia, giving voice to emerging artists in the field of contemporary art in this region while simultaneously bridging boundaries so as to encourage inter-cultural communication.

In 2017, the Award continues to focus on emerging talents at the forefront of artistic exploration in Greater China and Southeast Asia, instigating long-term dialogue between contemporary art and their rich, diverse and continuously mutating contexts.

New Selection Process

For HUGO BOSS ASIA ART 2017 a new selection process has been adopted on the basis of the previous two editions, incorporating a separate committee of nominators. Rockbund Art Museum invited twelve nominators and five jury members to contribute to the selection.

Larys Frogier, the Director of Rockbund Art Museum and Chair of the HUGO BOSS ASIA ART jury, elaborates on the new selection process: “I am extremely grateful to the HUGO BOSS ASIA ART 2017 nominators and jury members for researching, selecting, sharing and supporting promising emerging artists in Asia.

As a new fundamental process in the selection of the artists, the nominators play an essential role since they contribute in drafting the decisive first list of artists to propose to the

HUGO BOSS ASIA ART jury. The solid expertise and engagement of the nominators in specific Asian art contexts, their independent and on-going support to emerging Asian artists, as well as their fresh and precious observation of contemporary art in Asia allow this first list to be closely connected to audacious artistic practices and creative transformations.

“The emerging Asian artists thus selected are highly relevant for the HUGO BOSS ASIA ART Award. With the jury examining the nominators' selection, additional opportunities arise for exchanges in new contexts, topics and practices, since the jury is able to conduct further, in-depth research on the nominated artists.”

Exhibition and Education Activities

The group exhibition of the finalist artists of HUGO BOSS ASIA ART 2017 will be presented at Rockbund Art Museum from October 27, 2017. The exhibition will evolve from the previous editions with a new curatorial conceptualization and cooperation. As the designated curator, Li Qi, Senior Curator at Rockbund Art Museum, will fully engage with the artists in terms of commissioning new productions, selecting highlights from the artists’ previous oeuvre. The Rockbund Art Museum will also produce a publication for the Award.

“The four finalist artists demonstrate competence and versatility in their practice as well as in their acute insights and reflections on personal and social engagements. Not only do we appreciate their contributions to new forms of expression and experiences in contemporary visual art, but we also recognize their knowledge and intelligence across disciplines. In the finalist exhibition, the audience can expect encounters with the artists’ most recognized works, and will partake in the artists’ vision of the promising potential and new directions of contemporary art with the new commissions,” says Li Qi.

A series of public and education activities including talks, seminars, forums, and workshops will be held along with the Award to further explore the academic and social value of the finalist artists. Parallel to the exhibition, the public and educational programs make up another platform of the Award committed to exploring and presenting different artistic and social contexts in present-day Greater China and Southeast Asia. This will extend, complement and enrich the topics generated by the finalist artists while connecting with the general public.