On the 5th, the renowned British art magazine ArtReview unveiled its ‘2024 Power 100’ list. Since 2002, the annual ‘Power 100’ has involved experts from around the globe in an in-depth and comprehensive evaluation to select 100 individuals who have made significant contributions to the global art and cultural scene through their activities and influence.

This year’s list includes individuals who have significantly impacted the contemporary art world over the past year, ranging from collectors, artists, critics, and curators to museum officials. Among the Koreans, artist Haegue Yang, Hyun-Sook Lee, founder and chairwoman of Kukje Gallery, Doryun Chong, the deputy director of M+ in Hong Kong, and Byung-chul Han, a former professor at the Berlin University of the Arts, were named on the list.

Haegue Yang, who has been active internationally, rose from 71st place last year to 48th this year. ArtReview highlighted her solo exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in London, her survey show at the Arts Club of Chicago, and her participation in group exhibitions at the Lahore Biennale in Pakistan, the Vienna Secession in Austria, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York as reasons for her selection.

In 2017, Yang became the first Asian female artist to receive Germany’s prestigious Wolfgang Hahn Prize and was also awarded the Korea Culture and Arts Award (Presidential Commendation) from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea. Last year, she became the first Korean artist to win the 13th Benesse Prize, hosted by the Singapore Biennale.

Hyun-Sook Lee, founder and chairwoman of Kukje Gallery, ranked 96th this year and has consistently appeared on the ‘Power 100’ list for a decade. ArtReview cited her role in establishing the global recognition of Kukje Gallery’s artists, including Ha Chong Hyun, Lee Ufan, and Park Seo-Bo, and her contribution to making Dansaekhwa a familiar art movement among international audiences.

Doryun Chong, deputy director and chief curator of Hong Kong's M+, was ranked 30th alongside museum director Suhanya Raffel. Since its opening in November 2021, M+ has rapidly grown into a globally renowned contemporary art institution, attracting 2.8 million visitors last year alone. Chong curated M+’s first large-scale retrospective of renowned architect I. M. Pei and exhibitions featuring artists such as Lee Mingwei, Zhang Peili, Haegue Yang, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

Lastly, Byung-Chul Han, a Korean-born philosopher based in Germany, ranked 39th this year, down from 24th last year. Although Han is not directly involved in the art world, his sharp critiques of neoliberal capitalism society have profoundly influenced the art community. This year, Han published “The Spirit of Hope,” a book that explores the meaning of hope in a society rife with anxiety.

References

• ArtReview, 2024 Power 100

Ji Yeon Lee has been working as an editor for the media art and culture channel AliceOn since 2021 and worked as an exhibition coordinator at samuso (now Space for Contemporary Art) from 2021 to 2023.