A ghostlight in dark times: Stan Douglas’ survey at the Hessel Museum
by Paola MalavassiAug 04, 2025
•make your fridays matter with a well-read weekend
by Sukanya GargPublished on : Jul 11, 2019
Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul was named the winner of UK’s largest prize for international contemporary art, the Artes Mundi 8. The Palme d'Or winning artist, best known for his feature-length films, was selected from a shortlist that included Trevor Paglen, Bouchra Khalili, Otobong Nkanga and Anna Boghiguian.
Weerasethakul was announced the winner of the bi-annual award, with a prize sum of £40,000, at a ceremony held at the National Museum Cardiff on January 24, 2019.
After bagging the award, the artist said, "Art is the practice to discover one’s own voice and to be able to speak honestly and truthfully. Truth in art fosters empathy and in the world we are living in we need more empathy as well as art that communicates real truths. I worked in the medium of film first because it was an escape, but then I discovered that it can be subversive. It is a language that can move beyond criticism and has the ability to mirror suffering, fear, and hope. Film creates another layer of identity that counters the other seemingly fixed narratives in our world."
Karen Mackinnon, the Director and Curator of Artes Mundi, was delighted to announce Weerasethakul as the winner of Artes Mundi 8. He said, “In these turbulent times, art that engages with pertinent social concerns offers meaning to our lives; it can challenge, teach and console.” The judges chose Weerasethakul as the winner for his unique approach to his gallery installations in which he interrogates film and cinema as an expanded artistic and cultural practice, in the process creating liminal spaces in which imagination is a radical strategy of resistance. His multifaceted works are as much about the vastness of human imagination as they are about political oppression and personal freedom.
In a statement, the Artes Mundi 8 jury said, "When times are tough it is sometimes not safe to talk about politics explicitly and Apichatpong Weerasethakul provides us with some subtle tools of resistance: the methodology of camouflage demonstrated in Invisibility is a powerful weapon in these turbulent times. While in the West Weerasethakul is better known as a feature film director, the jury wished to pay homage to the vigorous interrogation in his gallery work of filmmaking, storytelling and the political and social position of the artist."
The jury panel at the Artes Mundi 8 included Oliver Basciano, Chair of the Jury and International Editor at ArtReview; Katoaka Mami, Deputy Director and Chief Curator, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; Laura Raicovich, independent curator from New York City; and Anthony Shapland, Creative Director, g39, Cardiff.
Apichatpong Weerasethakul's winning piece, alongside the other shortlisted works, was on display at National Museum Cardiff until February 24, 2019.
by Mrinmayee Bhoot Sep 25, 2025
At one of the closing ~multilog(ue) sessions, panellists from diverse disciplines discussed modes of resistance to imposed spatial hierarchies.
by Mercedes Ezquiaga Sep 23, 2025
Curated by Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, the Bienal in Brazil gathers 120 artists exploring migration, community and what it means to “be human”.
by Upasana Das Sep 19, 2025
Speaking with STIR, the Sri Lankan artist delves into her textile-based practice, currently on view at Experimenter Colaba in the exhibition A Moving Cloak in Terrain.
by Srishti Ojha Sep 18, 2025
In Tełe Ćerhenia Jekh Jag (Under the starry heavens a fire burns), the artist draws on her ancestry to depict the centrality of craft in Roma life and mythology.
make your fridays matter
SUBSCRIBEEnter your details to sign in
Don’t have an account?
Sign upOr you can sign in with
a single account for all
STIR platforms
All your bookmarks will be available across all your devices.
Stay STIRred
Already have an account?
Sign inOr you can sign up with
Tap on things that interests you.
Select the Conversation Category you would like to watch
Please enter your details and click submit.
Enter the 6-digit code sent at
Verification link sent to check your inbox or spam folder to complete sign up process
by Sukanya Garg | Published on : Jul 11, 2019
What do you think?