The portrait of the artist, courtesy of the artist andGallery Hyundai. Photo byKanghyuk Lee (snakepool)
Ayoung Kim, a trailblazing media artist whose work bridges the physical and virtual worlds, has been named the recipient of the 2025 LG Guggenheim Award. This prestigious international prize, launched in 2023, recognizes artists who push the boundaries of contemporary art through technology.
A distinguished jury of museum directors, curators, scholars, and art professionals conducted a four-month evaluation of artists from around the world, ultimately selecting Ayoung Kim for her innovative use of digital media, artificial intelligence, and immersive storytelling. Previous recipients include AI artist Stephanie Dinkins (2023) and Net Art pioneer Shu Lea Cheang (2024).
Kim expressed gratitude for the recognition, emphasizing the critical role of artists in navigating the complexities of technological advancement. “As technology evolves, human life grows increasingly intricate. Artists must explore the latent possibilities within technology and express them most intuitively,” she stated. “I am neither a technological determinist nor a pessimist, but I have always sought to use technology as a tool for critical reflection on society.”
A celebration of Kim’s achievement will be held at the Guggenheim Museum in New York on May 8, 2025. In addition, she will participate in a special event at the museum, where she will discuss her artistic vision and the intersection of geopolitics, mythology, and emerging technologies in her work.
The portrait of the artist, courtesy of the artist andGallery Hyundai. Photo byKanghyuk Lee (snakepool)
This recognition comes at a pivotal moment in Kim’s career. She is preparing for two major solo exhibitions: "Many Worlds Over" at Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart in Berlin (February 28 – July 20, 2025) and a large-scale retrospective at MoMA PS1 in New York (November 6, 2025 – March 16, 2026).
Her Berlin exhibition will highlight "Delivery Dancer’s Arc: 0° Receiver" (2024), a work commissioned by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). The piece builds on Kim’s "Delivery Dancer" (2022–present) series, which explores the intersection of platform economies, labor, and speculative futures. The exhibition will also include her acclaimed works from "Syntax and Sorcery" (2022), such as "Delivery Dancer’s Sphere" (2022) and "The Evening Peak Time Returns" (2022), along with other media installations and game-based simulations.
At MoMA PS1, Kim’s work will be presented in its most comprehensive form to date, with all three pieces from the "Delivery Dancer" series shown together for the first time. The exhibition will offer a curated selection of her key works, reflecting both her signature artistic approach and her latest creations. This will be her first major solo show in the United States, marking a significant milestone in her international career.
Kim’s artistic practice is distinguished by her hybrid narratives, integrating historical and speculative elements. She explores themes such as biopolitics, border control, memory, and digital consciousness, using video, virtual reality (VR), game simulations, sonic fiction, and interactive media to construct immersive environments.
Her work has been featured in some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, including MoMA New York, M+ Hong Kong, the Sharjah Biennial, Ars Electronica, the Busan Biennale, the Gwangju Biennale, and Palais de Tokyo in Paris. She is also the recipient of numerous international awards, including the Golden Nica Award at Prix Ars Electronica (2023) and the ACC Future Prize (2024).
As the LG Guggenheim Award continues to highlight the intersection of art and technology, Kim’s recognition reaffirms her status as one of the most innovative media artists of her generation. With her upcoming exhibitions in Berlin and New York, her influence is set to expand even further, bridging the worlds of contemporary art, technology, and speculative futures.
Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com
The portrait of the artist, courtesy of the artist andGallery Hyundai. Photo byKanghyuk Lee (snakepool)
Ayoung Kim, a trailblazing media artist whose work bridges the physical and virtual worlds, has been named the recipient of the 2025 LG Guggenheim Award. This prestigious international prize, launched in 2023, recognizes artists who push the boundaries of contemporary art through technology.
A distinguished jury of museum directors, curators, scholars, and art professionals conducted a four-month evaluation of artists from around the world, ultimately selecting Ayoung Kim for her innovative use of digital media, artificial intelligence, and immersive storytelling. Previous recipients include AI artist Stephanie Dinkins (2023) and Net Art pioneer Shu Lea Cheang (2024).
Kim expressed gratitude for the recognition, emphasizing the critical role of artists in navigating the complexities of technological advancement. “As technology evolves, human life grows increasingly intricate. Artists must explore the latent possibilities within technology and express them most intuitively,” she stated. “I am neither a technological determinist nor a pessimist, but I have always sought to use technology as a tool for critical reflection on society.”
A celebration of Kim’s achievement will be held at the Guggenheim Museum in New York on May 8, 2025. In addition, she will participate in a special event at the museum, where she will discuss her artistic vision and the intersection of geopolitics, mythology, and emerging technologies in her work.
The portrait of the artist, courtesy of the artist andGallery Hyundai. Photo byKanghyuk Lee (snakepool)
This recognition comes at a pivotal moment in Kim’s career. She is preparing for two major solo exhibitions: "Many Worlds Over" at Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart in Berlin (February 28 – July 20, 2025) and a large-scale retrospective at MoMA PS1 in New York (November 6, 2025 – March 16, 2026).
Her Berlin exhibition will highlight "Delivery Dancer’s Arc: 0° Receiver" (2024), a work commissioned by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). The piece builds on Kim’s "Delivery Dancer" (2022–present) series, which explores the intersection of platform economies, labor, and speculative futures. The exhibition will also include her acclaimed works from "Syntax and Sorcery" (2022), such as "Delivery Dancer’s Sphere" (2022) and "The Evening Peak Time Returns" (2022), along with other media installations and game-based simulations.
At MoMA PS1, Kim’s work will be presented in its most comprehensive form to date, with all three pieces from the "Delivery Dancer" series shown together for the first time. The exhibition will offer a curated selection of her key works, reflecting both her signature artistic approach and her latest creations. This will be her first major solo show in the United States, marking a significant milestone in her international career.
Kim’s artistic practice is distinguished by her hybrid narratives, integrating historical and speculative elements. She explores themes such as biopolitics, border control, memory, and digital consciousness, using video, virtual reality (VR), game simulations, sonic fiction, and interactive media to construct immersive environments.
Her work has been featured in some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, including MoMA New York, M+ Hong Kong, the Sharjah Biennial, Ars Electronica, the Busan Biennale, the Gwangju Biennale, and Palais de Tokyo in Paris. She is also the recipient of numerous international awards, including the Golden Nica Award at Prix Ars Electronica (2023) and the ACC Future Prize (2024).
As the LG Guggenheim Award continues to highlight the intersection of art and technology, Kim’s recognition reaffirms her status as one of the most innovative media artists of her generation. With her upcoming exhibitions in Berlin and New York, her influence is set to expand even further, bridging the worlds of contemporary art, technology, and speculative futures.
