Hao Jingban and Eisa Jocson Receive 2021 SeMA-HANA Media Art Award

Beijing-based artist and filmmaker Hao Jingban and Manila-based choreographer Eisa Jocson have been named recipients of the 2021 SeMA-HANA Media Art Award. Presented by Seoul Museum of Art, this prize was established in 2014 and recognizes artists participating in the Seoul Mediacity Biennale. Hao's 2021 work 'I Understand …' investigates civic movements and empathy's boundaries, while Jocson's new video 'Superwoman: Empire of Care' examines the precarious conditions of medical workers in the Philippines. The 2021 biennale edition, titled 'One Escape at a Time', explores connections between art and escapism under the artistic direction of Yung Ma. A jury including Ahn Kyuchul, Beck Jeesook, Yung Ma, Susanne Pfeffer, and June Yap selected the winners. ArtReview's Andrew Russeth described the biennale's atmosphere as bittersweet with moments of optimism and rebellion. In 2017, ArtReview contributor Aimee Lin noted Hao's meticulous examination of camera legitimacy and relational dynamics within her artistic practice. Stephen Wilson, writing for ArtReview in 2019, highlighted Jocson's use of the body as both artistic instrument and political protest against migrant labor commodification.