Lee Ufan Awarded 2026 Wolfgang Hahn Prize by Museum Ludwig

Korean artist Lee Ufan has been selected for the 2026 Wolfgang Hahn Prize by Museum Ludwig in Cologne. The award ceremony is scheduled for November 6, 2026, and will be accompanied by a five-month solo exhibition at the museum. Born in 1936, Lee works between Kamakura and Paris and is recognized for his minimalist paintings and sculptural installations that emphasize process and materiality. He was a key figure in both Korea's Dansaekhwa movement and Japan's Mono-ha group during the 1960s. The prize includes up to EUR 100,000 (USD 116,000) for acquiring his works for the museum's collection. Guest juror Mami Kataoka, director of Tokyo's Mori Art Museum, praised Lee's six-decade career for exploring existential meaning beyond East-West dichotomies. The prize, now in its 32nd year, honors internationally acclaimed artists who are less represented in Germany. Lee's ongoing Relatum series, begun in 1972, investigates relationships between matter, viewer, time, and space and has been exhibited globally.