2025 Gold Art Prize Winners Revealed

The Gold Art Prize, granted biennially to five Asian diasporic artists, has announced this year’s recipients: Berkeley-based Morehshin Allahyari, Los Angeles-based Jacqueline Kiyomi Gork, Berlin-based Dan Lie, Texas- and New York-based Kenneth Tam, and New York-based Stella Zhong. These artists work across various media, including sculpture, installation, and video. The Gold Art Prize was jointly founded in 2021 by art advisor Kelly Huang and Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization Gold House, with sponsorship from the Kahng Foundation. Along with USD 25,000 for each recipient, the winning artists will be featured in the award’s catalog, to be published in early 2026. In a press release, Huang stated: “This year’s awardees reflect an even broader range of diasporic backgrounds, and it’s an honor to celebrate each artist’s contributions to shaping the future of contemporary art.”

Art SG to Organize SEA Focus from 2026

After seven years of being led by STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery, SEA Focus—a major contemporary art fair in Singapore dedicated to Southeast Asian art—will be organized by Art SG, beginning in 2026. Commissioned by Singapore’s National Arts Council, SEA Focus has established itself as an anchor event of Singapore Art Week (SAW), providing a platform for established and emerging Southeast Asian artists to connect with global audiences. Emi Eu, executive director of STPI, will continue to serve as the artistic consultant for the 2026 edition, with John Tung as the event’s curator. In a press release, Art SG’s co-founder Magnus Renfrew said: “We . . . look forward to working with Emi and John. . . . Singapore’s art community is thriving, and we are fortunate to have such committed partners in shaping Art SG, SEA Focus, and SAW as a platform to experience the very best art from across Southeast Asia and around the world.” The forthcoming edition of SEA Focus will take place alongside Art SG from January 23–25 at Singapore’s Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands.

Haegue Yang Named Chair of Kunst-Werke Berlin

On September 16, South Korean artist Haegue Yang was appointed as the new chair of the executive board of Kunst-Werke Berlin, which superintends the KW Institute for Contemporary Art and the Berlin Biennale. Based between Berlin and Seoul, she succeeds German artist Katharina Grosse, who is departing after a four-year tenure. Yang steps into the role at a challenging time for creatives and art institutions in Berlin, as the city grapples with a EUR 130 million (USD 153 million) cultural budget cut and increased turmoil surrounding widespread censorship of pro-Palestine artists and artworks in Germany. Nevertheless, Yang expressed her gratitude in a statement, describing Kunst-Werke Berlin as “not only a space, but a driving force in the artistic ecosystem.” Grosse also voiced high hopes on Yang’s appointment: “It is of utmost importance to us on the board that Haegue Yang is a clear and business-wise voice from the perspective of artistic reality that accompanies the institution and knows how to represent it to the outside world.”

Cheruby to Debut Art Space in Shanghai

Art organization Cheruby is set to launch its flagship space, Cheruby House, in Shanghai’s Jing’an District on November 8. Founded in 2024 by Shanghai-based collector Cherry Xu, the organization is dedicated to bridging fashion and contemporary art through exhibitions and residency programs. Cheruby House will provide studio and exhibitions spaces for three artists each year, and host shows as well as other events and multidisciplinary programs. The venue will debut during Shanghai Art Week and the 15th Shanghai Biennale with an exhibition of its inaugural artist-in-residence, Mexican fashion designer and artist Bárbara Sánchez-Kane, followed by Thai multidisciplinary artist, musician, DJ, and graphic designer Tanat Teeradakorn in 2026. In a press release, Xu said the new space is “dedicated to experimentation, dialogue, and exchange,” adding that “Shanghai’s creative energy is extraordinary, and we want Cheruby to contribute to that ecosystem while fostering collaboration, critical engagement, and innovation that resonates also far beyond the city.”

Lina Ghotmeh to Design New Museum in Uzbekistan

Paris-based Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh has been commissioned to design the Jadids’ Legacy Museum in Bukhara—the former residence of Uzbek educator, journalist, and politician Usmon Khodjaev—marking her first project in Central Asia. Slated to open in 2027, the institution will be dedicated to celebrating the early 20th century Jadid reform movement, which advocated for reviving and modernizing Islamic education and culture in Uzbekistan. Khodjaev, who was also the first president of the People’s Republic of Bukhara, was a leading figure of the movement. Speaking with The Art Newspaper, Ghotmeh said: “Working on this museum is an honor, as it aligns with my fascination for history and heritage and my constant search for meaningful inspiration to shape the architecture of tomorrow.” Her previous projects include the Stone Garden housing tower in Beirut (2020) and the Serpentine Pavilion in London (2023), and she was also recently commissioned to design Qatar’s permanent pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

Seoul University Receives Major Bequest of Works by Suki Seokyeong Kang

Seoul’s Ewha Womans University has received an unprecedented donation of around 400 works by the late artist Suki Seokyeong Kang (1977–2025) from her family. A renowned Korean multidisciplinary artist, Kang worked across various mediums, including painting, sculpture, installation, and performance to explore themes of time and materiality; she was widely celebrated for reinterpreting traditional Korean concepts and methodologies in her contemporary practice. Kang studied ink painting at Ewha and later served as a professor for oriental painting at the university until her passing in April this year. The university has announced that it will establish a committee dedicated to preserving and studying the collection. Furthermore, the institution intends to organize exhibitions and seminars about Kang’s work.  

Christie’s to Sell Works From Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art

Christie’s has been consigned to sell approximately 80 works from the collection of the Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art. Slated to be sold across various sales in New York later this year, the selection is collectively expected to bring around USD 60 million. Top highlights include Claude Monet’s Nymphéas (1907), which which is expected to sell in the region of USD 40 million; Marc Chagall’s Le songe du Roi David (1966) and Le soleil rouge (1949); and Auguste Renoir’s Baigneuse (1891), which form part of a group of eight works to be sold at Christie’s marquee auctions in November. In December 2024, the DIC Museum announced its relocation and downsizing plans and officially ceased operations this year on March 31. Aiming to retain roughly 100 of its 384 works, the deaccession of approximately 280 works are expected to be completed by December 2026, with the works not consigned to Christie’s to be sold via alternative means outside of auction.