Eunju Hong, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, will be awarded this year’s media art prize from the Ingvild and Stephan Goetz Art Foundation for her project proposal “Somnium”. She will receive 5,000 euros for the realization of her work, and she will also be able to exhibit her work in the Academy Gallery in the fall.
Hong is planning a video installation titled “Somnium,” inspired by the 1609 book of the same name by astronomer and imperial court mathematician Johannes Kepler. In it, Kepler tells the story of a boy’s journey to the moon with his witch mother. Because it describes a possible lunar civilization from a scientific perspective, “Somnium” is considered one of the earliest science fiction novels. At the same time, Kepler also deals with the fate of his mother, who was accused of witchcraft and indicted during the Württemberg witch trials in 1615. It was only thanks to her son’s years of efforts that she was acquitted six years later. In addition to the fascination for Kepler’s book, various optical instruments and the influence of new technologies on society also play a role in Hong’s artistic work.
The media art prize of the Ingvild and Stephan Goetz Art Foundation is based on a cooperation between the Academy of Fine Arts Munich and the Goetz Collection. It is advertised annually for an initial period of three years in order to promote young artists in the field of media art. Eunju Hong’s project proposal won out from numerous applications. A jury made up of employees from the Goetz Collection, the Munich Academy of Fine Arts, the Ingvild and Stephan Goetz Art Foundation as well as external art experts decided on the award of the prize.