We are thrilled to announce that artists John Torres and Shireen Seno (b.1975, 1983, Philippines) have been chosen as winners of the third Han Nefkens Foundation, Mori Art Museum, M+, Hong Kong and Singapore Art Museum—Moving Image Commission.
The Moving Image Commission 2025 Jury: "We are thrilled to announce the selection of Shireen Seno and John Torres for the third edition of the Han Nefkens Foundation Moving Image Commission, marking them as the first artists from the Philippines to be recognized in this program. Their proposal, A Cure for Colonial Amnesia, demonstrates their longstanding commitment to world-building through filmmaking, addressing profound themes of labour, memory and resistance. This innovative work, which harmonizes sound, archives, and space, invites us to explore how historical reflections are woven into the socio-political landscapes and daily lives of individuals. We are excited to support their journey to uncover and capture the healing and resilience within the complex history of the Philippines. Their unique and earnest perspectives on the everyday experiences of the Filipino people promise to deliver deep insights that will resonate throughout the region.”
Seno and Torres said: “We are filmmakers in different stages of our career and we have never co-directed. We are also parents to two little ones. It is in this space between film and art that we get to work together as we reflect on our role as artist-parents responding to the world while thinking about our personal histories and navigating new and other ways of making sense of things. The Han Nefkens Foundation's support provides not just financial backing but also recognition of the unique perspective we bring as filmmakers transitioning into new artistic territory. We are deeply grateful for this opportunity to continue to grow and challenge one another. We hope our journey might inspire others who find themselves at a similar crossroads between film, art, and life.”
Seno and Torres will receive 100,000 USD for the production of a screen-based video artwork. The focus of the Han Nefkens Foundation is upon working with and helping artists, as such while the foundation does not receive any copy of the produced artwork, an edition of the newly completed work will be donated to and presented in each collaborating museum.
Seno and Torres were selected by a final jury chaired by Han Nefkens and composed of the directors of each museum - Kataoka Mami, Director, Mori Art Museum; Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+, Hong Kong and Eugene Tan, Director, Singapore Art Museum - in the presence of Hilde Teerlinck, and Alessandra Biscaro, respectively General Director and Coordinator of the Han Nefkens Foundation.
The four artists on the shortlist, prior to the final selection were Che-Yu Hsu (b. 1985, Taiwan), Riar Rizaldi (b. 1990, Indonesia), John Torres and Shireen Seno (b. 1975, 1983, Philippines) and Yashaswini Raghunandan (b. 1986, India).
The original long-list of artists was scouted by curators Kyongfa Che (Japan), Inhan Cho (South Korea), Raphael Fonseca (Brazil), Honor Hager (New Zealand), Shai Heredia (India) Christina Li (Hong Kong), Carol Yinghua Lu (China), Norberto Roldan (Philippines) and Frankie Su (Taiwan).
In order to underline the artist’s career, the Han Nefkens Foundation, Mori Art Museum, M+, Hong Kong and Singapore Art Museum—Moving Image Commission appraises promising artists aged 35 and above, of Asian nationality or living in Asia and who have established a solid trajectory but have not been given a major opportunity to exhibit extensively worldwide.
