M+, Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK), has named Heidi Lau (born 1987, Oakland, works New York and Macau) and Wong Ping (born 1984, Hong Kong, works Hong Kong) as joint winners of the Sigg Prize 2025. For the first time, the jury recognises two artists whose works contrast in artistic approach, medium, and material, yet share equally profound reflections on contemporary life. Their works are on view in the Sigg Prize 2025 exhibition, presented with pieces by four other shortlisted artists in The Studio, on view with free entry until 4 January 2026.

Established in 2018 by M+, the Sigg Prize celebrates outstanding contemporary artists from Greater China and its diasporas. It brings global attention to the region’s vibrant cultural landscape and diverse artistic voices. The winners of the past two editions are Samson Young (2019) and Wang Tuo (2023). Each edition offers a total cash prize of HKD 1,000,000, with HKD 100,000 granted to every shortlisted artist. Winners of the 2025 edition will be awarded HKD 300,000 each.

In the Sigg Prize 2025 exhibition, Heidi Lau presents Pavilion Procession (2025), a large-scale installation of ceramic sculptures that features a programmed kinetic spider made of ceramic and mechanical parts. Inspired by ancient mythologies of Shanhaijing and the artist’s experience of grief and loss, the work demonstrates how material sensitivity and spatial composition can transform mourning into a shared experience. Wong Ping’s video installation Debts in the Wind (2025) takes shape in a playful mini theatre decorated with artificial turf, hairy golf balls, and a flagpole. His distinctive animated vocabulary and sharp humour invite audiences to reflect on the current times while exploring layered narratives in his imaginative world.

The Sigg Prize jury comments on both winners: ‘Heidi Lau’s Procession Pavilion manifests visceral energy and intricate references to mythology and hybridity, which she reimagines using clay as a medium and metaphor for mourning. Her spatial arrangement of fragile ceramic objects invites viewers to reconsider conventional standards of beauty and imperfection. The work is both emotionally resonant and conceptually rigorous, offering a compelling reflection on the human capacity to embrace sorrow and grief as a powerful source of creativity. Wong Ping’s Debts in the Wind creates a whimsical mise en scène that juxtaposes fantastical elements and real-life situations. Through a set of loosely connected narratives centred on a golf course, all voiced by Wong himself, he forms a poetic, stream-of-consciousness way of storytelling. What stood out is his sophisticated blend of mesmerising visuals and dark humour that informs his acute observation and sensitivity to mundane life.’

Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+, and chairperson of the Sigg Prize, remarks, ‘As an international jury, we had thoughtful discussions at two meetings in September 2024 and after the exhibition opened. We were deeply impressed by the works presented and decided to award two winners in this edition. Heidi Lau and Wong Ping, in their own compelling ways, demonstrate bold possibilities for expression through their distinctive use of medium and mature artistic languages, offering profound insights into the complexities of our shared experience. I sincerely congratulate both winners and deeply appreciate the finalists for their exceptional contributions. We are proud to see the Sigg Prize grow as a leading platform that recognises artists from the region and advances international discourse on contemporary art.’

Heidi Lau, winner of the Sigg Prize 2025, says, ‘I am deeply humbled that my work in the Sigg Prize 2025 exhibition resonates with the jury and audiences in Hong Kong and beyond. Receiving this recognition for a predominantly ceramic piece feels surreal, especially since the medium is often seen as secondary in contemporary art. This experience affirms my early conviction to devote my practice to this medium, which I believe has the power to create form and meaning out of the unknowable. Winning the prize signals a new chapter in my artistic practice, and it has inspired me to keep pushing the boundaries.’

Wong Ping, winner of the Sigg Prize 2025, says, ‘Making art often means facing unease, uncertainty, and ambiguity. Winning the Sigg Prize feels like a soothing remedy. It calmed my mind just enough to let me step into the next unknown with boldness. I am grateful to the jury for offering an external perspective and creating a new memory in my relationship with this work.’

The third edition of the Sigg Prize is chaired by Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+, Hong Kong. Members of the international jury include Maria Balshaw, Director, Tate, United Kingdom; Gong Yan, Director and Artistic Director, Power Station of Art, Shanghai; Mami Kataoka, Director, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; Glenn D. Lowry, the former David Rockefeller Director, The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Dr Uli Sigg, collector and member of the M+ Board, Switzerland; and Xu Bing, artist, Beijing.

The jury extends its recognition to the other shortlisted artists, whose works left strong impressions and added depth to the Sigg Prize 2025. Bi Rongrong (born 1982, Ningbo, works Shanghai) presents the ambitious, large-scale installation To Connect, To Cut, To Draw (2025), which builds on her ongoing exploration of the intersection between different textile crafts and life today. The thought-provoking works by Ho Rui An (born 1990, Singapore, works Singapore), Figures of History and the Grounds of Intelligence (2024) and A History of Intelligence in ((South)(East)) Asia (2025), prompt viewers to question the prevalence of emerging technologies in relation to how we understand power and networks. Hsu Chia-Wei (born 1983, Taichung, works Taipei and Maastricht) creates an immersive underwater soundscape in The Sound of Sinking (2025), bringing together technology and the complexity of regional history through his distinctive approach. With Bent (2025), Pan Daijing (born 1991, Guiyang, works Berlin) uses sound, material elements, and moving image to transform the architectural space into a haunting presence that lingers with the viewers, drawing them to reflect on their inner worlds and physical awareness.

The Sigg Prize 2025 exhibition is co-curated by Ariadne Long, Associate Curator, Visual Art, M+; and Pauline J. Yao, Guest Curator; assisted by Mankit Lai, Curatorial Assistant, M+. It is generously supported by Lead Sponsor Cathay and Hotel Partner Rosewood Hong Kong.

About Heidi Lau

Heidi Lau (born 1987, Oakland, works New York and Macau) received her BFA from New York University. Drawing on ancient mythology and Taoist philosophy, Lau proposes alternate configurations of time and space through her ceramic practice, channelling generative diasporic perspectives through ritual, grief, and memory. She has held solo exhibitions at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn (2022), and the Macau-China Collateral Exhibition at the 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia (2019). Her work has been presented in the Shanghai Biennale (2023); UCCA Dune, Beijing (2022); and the Shanghai Museum of Glass (2020).

About Wong Ping

Wong Ping (born 1984, Hong Kong, works Hong Kong) received his BFA from Curtin University in Perth. An animator and graphic designer, Wong creates vivid, dreamlike worlds that reflect modern society while alluding to social and political issues. He has held solo exhibitions at the Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna (2023); the New Museum, New York (2021); the Kunsthalle Basel, Basel (2019) and the Camden Art Centre, London (2019). His work has been presented at Somerset House, London (2024), and Leeum Museum of Art, Seoul (2022).

About M+

M+ is Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture. Located in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK), it is dedicated to collecting, exhibiting, and interpreting visual art, design and architecture, moving image, and Hong Kong visual culture of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The landmark M+ building on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbourfront was designed by the world-renowned architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron in partnership with TFP Farrells and Arup. It spans a total floor area of 65,000 square metres, featuring thirty-three galleries alongside a Learning Hub, Moving Image Centre, Research Centre, and Roof Garden, among other event and programming spaces. The M+ Facade is one of the largest LED screens in the world, showcasing commissioned artworks on the Hong Kong skyline every evening. The museum stewards a multidisciplinary permanent collection that includes objects from regions across Asia and beyond. A highlight is the M+ Sigg Collection, one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of Chinese contemporary art. Today, M+ is a nexus for researching and presenting contemporary visual culture, inspiring thought and curiosity.

About the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK)

WestK is one of the largest and most ambitious cultural hubs in the world and Hong Kong’s new cultural tourism landmark, spanning forty hectares alongside Victoria Harbour. WestK comprises a mix of landmark arts and cultural facilities, including world-class museums M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, intricately designed performing arts venues the Xiqu Centre and Freespace, the eleven-hectare Art Park with a waterfront promenade, and the upcoming WestK Performing Arts Centre.

Hosting over 1,000 exhibitions, performances, programmes, and events each year, WestK provides a vital platform for both emerging and established artists. WestK welcomes more than ten million visitors each year, evolving as the international cultural brand of Hong Kong and strengthening the city’s strategic role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.