Multidisciplinary artist Xin Liu has won the inaugural K11 Artist Prize, an award created by the K11 Art Foundation in 2023 to highlight emerging Asian talent.
Born in Xinjiang, China in 1991 and living in New York, Liu was selected among eight artists for his interdisciplinary work that connects art and science. The artist studied measurement, control technology and instrumentation at Tsinghua University in Beijing, and later earned an MA in media arts and science from MIT and an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. His educational experiences have inspired him to approach his work as a scientific experiment.
“This is the first year for us, and celebrating Xin is special in this context,” said Alia Al-Senussi, president of the K11 Art Foundation International Board. “Xin is distinguished by an innovative interdisciplinary practice deeply inspired by its Chinese identity and heritage.”
Liu’s 2023 solo exhibition at Pioneer Works, “Seedings and Offspring,” featured sculptures, videos and virtual reality installations that explored themes of space travel and immortality. He is currently the Artist-in-Residence at Rice University’s Houston Asian American Archive and the Art Curator of the Space Exploration Initiative at the MIT Media Lab.
As part of the award, Liu will be mentored by the K11 International Council, including Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Sarah Arison, Basma Al Sulaiman, Eugenio Re Rebaudengo and Olga Re Rebaudengo. Melissa Ling, Shota Nakamura and Greg Ito were among the other artists shortlisted for the award.
