Taiwanese artist and filmmaker Chia-Wei Hsu is the winner of the tenth Eye Art & Film Prize (2024). In his work, Hsu probes the cultural history and geopolitics of Southeast Asia. The jury was impressed by the way “he weaves these big themes with small, personal stories, bringing back forgotten histories to life and opening up new perspectives to the audience.”
Chia-Wei Hsu was selected as the winner by an international jury and receives a cash prize of EUR 30,000 and a (joint) exhibition in Eye Filmmuseum. This Eye Prize allows the winner to develop new work. The prize is supported by Ammodo.
In his work, Hsu intertwines geopolitical developments and local life in Southeast Asia, presently, and in the past. In the border region between Thailand and Burma, together with veterans of the Cold War and local soldiers, he created video installations that delve deep into the history and mythology of the region, as well as into the personal experiences of the soldiers.
Jury chair Bregtje van der Haak, director of Eye Filmmuseum: “We are delighted that Chia-Wei is the tenth winner of the Eye Art & Film Prize. The jury is intrigued by his highly original fusion of archaeology and technology. Hsu doesn’t confine himself to a single form or visual language; rather, he meticulously searches for a fitting form for each new work. In his intricate video installations, Hsu merges film and contemporary art in suprising ways, always making the underlying (digital) technologies visible. Every new project is like the exploration of a new territory, diving deep into history and bringing it to life, using interviews, VR, cinematic language and archaeological measuring methods.”
Bio Chia-Wei Hsu
Chia-Wei Hsu was born in 1983 in Taichung, Taiwan. After studying at the School of Plastic Art at National Taiwan University of Arts, Hsu set off for France where he continued his studies at Le Fresnoy – Studio national des arts contemporains in Lille. Having graduated in 2016, he participated in many group exhibitions, such as at Eye Filmmuseum as part of the exhibition A Tale of Hidden Histories (2019). He has also been invited to take part in the biennials or triennials in Venice, Shanghai, Gwangju, Busan, Sydney, Melbourne, Aichi and, most recently, Chiang Rai. He has had solo exhibitions for the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, Art Basel Hong Kong, the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven and ISCP in New York. He won the Annual Grand Prize at the 15th Taishin Arts Award in 2017 and the Tung Chung Art Award in 2018. Hsu worked as a curator for 2019 Asian Art Biennial.
Filmography/installations (selected)
Huai Mo Village (2012), Marshal Tie Jia—Turtle Island (2012), Ruins of the Intelligence Bureau (2015), Spirit-writing (2016), Stones and Elephants (2019), A Performance in the Church (2021), Earthcraft (2022), The Actor from Golden Triangle (2023), A Performance in the Church (documentary, 2023).
Eye Art & Film Prize
The Eye Prize has been awarded annually since 2015 to an artist or filmmaker who is building an exceptional oeuvre and making an outstanding contribution to new developments at the intersection of the visual arts and film. The award consists of a cash prize of EUR 30,000 intended for the production of new work.
Since 2023, the Eye Prize has been supported by Ammodo. The previous winners are Hito Steyerl (2015), Ben Rivers (2016), Wang Bing (2017), Francis Alÿs (2018), Meriem Bennani (2019), Kahlil Joseph (2020), Karrabing Film Collective (2021), Saodat Ismailova (2022) and Garrett Bradley (2023).
Jury & Recommending Committee
Chia-Wei Hsu was selected as the winner by an international jury chaired by Bregtje van der Haak (Netherlands). The members of the jury were Nalini Malani (India, visual artist), Chris Dercon (Belgium/France, managing director of Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris), Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese (Lesotho/Germany, filmmaker/visual artist) and Hila Peleg (Israel/Germany, curator/filmmaker).
The list of nominees was submitted to the jury by the international advisory board, consisting of Andrea Lissoni (Italy/Germany), Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand), Cuauhtémoc Medina (Mexico), Eva Sangiorgi (Italy/Austria), Farah Clémentine Dramani-Issifou (Benin/France), Hoor Al Qasimi (United Arab Emirates), Júlia Rebouças (Brazil) and Rajendra Roy (US). This committee is chaired by Jaap Guldemond, Director of Exhibitions at Eye Filmmuseum.
Partner Ammodo
Ammodo has contributed to the Eye Art & Film Prize since 2023. Ammodo is a Dutch foundation that stimulates the development of art, architecture and science. Ammodo does so by supporting leading art projects and groundbreaking academic research as well as initiatives concerning social and ecological architecture. Ammodo also produces documentaries to raise the profiles of the pioneers in these fields.
