(from the left) Yoonyoung Park & Hyejin Park, Yifeng Wei & Penny Dan Xu ⓒHyundai Blue Prize+
The final
awardees of the global open-call program ‘Hyundai Blue Prize+’ for emerging
curators have been announced for 2025.
After selecting
five finalist teams in July for Hyundai Blue Prize+ 2025, Hyundai Motor Company
reviewed their final exhibition proposals through an in-depth evaluation by the
jury panel, ultimately selecting two teams as the final awardees: Hyejin Park &
Yoonyoung Park, and Yifeng Wei & Penny Dan Xu.
Hyejin Park and
Yoonyoung Park, curators based in Seoul, unpack AI through the constructive
lens of the Capitalocene, examining its connections to broader economic and
resource systems. Their proposal traces AI’s dependence on natural resources
and various forms of labor, as well as the process by which emotions and
identities are utilized as new forms of capital.
Regarding their
proposal, the jury commented that it “invites us to look behind the scenes and
under the surface of AI and today’s digital technologies,” and “asks the
questions: What choices should we make when we relate to these technologies,
and what forms of coexistence can we create?’”
Exterior view of Hyundai Motorstudio Beijing ⓒHyundai Blue Prize+
Yifeng Wei and
Penny Dan Xu, curators based in Dublin and London respectively, explore the
dissolving boundaries between technology, science, and spirituality. Their
proposal reimagines modern technology beyond a conventional framework and
speculates on alternative futures, inviting audiences to perceive technologies
as an alchemical medium. It asks whether empirical inquiry can merge with
spiritual imagination to shape new cosmologies for the technological era.
Regarding their
proposal, the jury commented that “the curatorial selection and design
effectively convey the exhibition concept through visually striking works and a
multisensorial experience, further enhanced by accompanying programs designed
to engage a wide range of audiences.”
The exhibitions
by both teams will be presented at Hyundai Motorstudio Beijing in 2026 and
2027. Further details about the program and the two winning teams can be found
on the Hyundai Blue Prize+ website (https://hyundaiblueprize.com/).
