ars viva 2027

Three Powerful Voices in Contemporary Art

Since 1953, Kulturkreis der deutschen Wirtschaft, a consortium of German busi- nesses, has awarded the annual ars viva prize for visual arts to outstanding young artists living in Germany. Over the decades, the award has turned the spotlight on over 350 artists; past winners have included Georg Baselitz, Rosemarie Trockel, Candida Höfer, Wolfgang Tillmans, Omer Fast, Cemile Sahin, and Sung Tieu. 

The 2027 ars viva prizes go to Hemansingh Lutchmun (b. 1995; lives and works in Frankfurt/Main and Goodlands, Mauritius), Yoora Park (b. 1991; lives and works in Düsseldorf and Seoul) and Luciano Pecoits (b. 1999; lives and works in Munich and Vienna). Lutchmun makes films, sculptures, and installations that scrutinize the enduring structures of colonial history and their influence over contemporary ideas of spirituality, and belonging. Park combines audio, sculpture, video, and installation art in meticulously composed spatial ensembles. Sound serves as the central medium: an invisible, physically perceptible force that shifts perceptions and raises questions concerning control, reproduction, and representation. Pecoits brings an eye schooled by source criticism to the study of historic materials, archives, and insti- tutional narratives. His work revolves around the question of how history is recounted, stabilized, or obscured in art institutions. 

This publication presents the three award-winning artists’ oeuvres. With contributions by Diedrich Diederichsen, Kerstin Renerig, and Alexandra Symons-Sutcliffe.