Artist Tak Young-jun nabs 24th SongEun Art Award
A scene from Tak Young-jun's choreographic film "Love at First Sight on Monday" (2024) / Courtesy of the artist and SongEun Art and Cultural Foundation
Artist Tak Young-jun, the winner of the 24th SongEun Art Award / Courtesy of SongEun Art and Cultural Foundation
Artist Tak Young-jun, whose focus lies in exploring the intersections between queer identity, religious belief systems and architectural forms, has been named the winner of the 24th SongEun Art Award on Tuesday.
His winning piece, “Love at First Sight on Monday,” is the third installment in his ongoing choreographic film series, inspired by the Norwegian author Lars Mytting’s 2019 epic novel “The Bell in the Lake.”
Set in a Scandinavian village in 1880, the book weaves a tale of a love triangle involving a young townswoman, a pastor and a German architect, all while grappling with the sweeping tides of modernization and the mystical local legend of church bells.
Tak’s film brings the story’s theme of transcendent love to life through evocative choreography. Dancers move gracefully against the backdrops of an 11th-century Norwegian church and the silhouette of a retired jumbo jet.
Established in 2001 by the SongEun Art and Cultural Foundation, the annual SongEun Art Award aims to recognize next-generation artistic visionaries in Korea under the age of 45.
Tak was selected as the grand prize winner from a pool of 598 applications, narrowed down to a shortlist of 20 creatives and collectives for the award’s 24th edition.
He will receive 20 million won ($13,800) and the opportunity to hold a solo exhibition at SongEun Art Space in southern Seoul, along with a spot in the Seoul Museum of Art’s yearlong Nanji Residency program.
Additionally, two of his works will be acquired for the collections of the SongEun Art and Cultural Foundation and the Seoul Museum of Art.
Tak’s “Love at First Sight on Monday” will remain on display until Feb. 22 as part of a group exhibition featuring the prize’s finalists at SongEun Art Space.
The SongEun Art Award stands as one of the country’s most prestigious honors in contemporary art, alongside the Korea Artist Prize and the Hermes Foundation Missulsang. Its past recipients, such as Jun So-jung, Kim Young-eun and Yoo Hwa-soo, have notably expanded their influence in Korea and internationally, underscoring the award’s impact.