Apichatpong Weerasethakul Wins £40,000 Artes Mundi 8 Prize at National Museum Cardiff

Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul received the Artes Mundi 8 award, the UK's largest contemporary art prize, during a ceremony at National Museum Cardiff. The £40,000 honor recognized his gallery installations and films, which judges described as offering subtle resistance tools amid political censorship. A panel including Karen MacKinnon, Kataoka Mami, Laura Raicovich, Anthony Shapland, and ArtReview's Oliver Basciano selected Weerasethakul from a shortlist featuring Trevor Paglen, Bouchra Khalili, Otobong Nkanga, and Anna Boghiguian. In his acceptance speech, the Palme d'Or winner emphasized art's role in discovering authentic voice and fostering empathy through truth. He noted film initially served as escape but evolved into a subversive language capable of mirroring suffering, fear, and hope while challenging fixed narratives. The judges highlighted his rigorous examination of filmmaking, storytelling, and artists' socio-political positions through gallery work.