12th Hiroshima Art Prize: Mel Chin

Hiroshima, the first city in the world to experience an atomic bombing, established the Hiroshima Art Prize in 1989 with the aim of conveying the “Spirit of Hiroshima”—the desire for lasting world peace and the prosperity of humankind—to the world through art. The prize has been awarded once every three years. The Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art presents a commemorative exhibition for Mel Chin, recipient of the 12th Hiroshima Art Prize.

Mel Chin (1951–) has developed ideas motivated by complex social issues, including environmental problems, and has expressed them through his own distinctive methods that transcend conventional artistic categories. His unique and wide-ranging body of work—from sculpture, drawing, painting, video, animation, and video games to large-scale public installations—has engaged audiences from diverse backgrounds and fostered broader social awareness. He has also undertaken long-term projects that incorporate collaboration with local communities and scientific approaches, exploring how art can inspire social consciousness and responsibility. This exhibition, the first solo presentation of Mel Chin in Japan, serves as a career-spanning survey that brings together many of his most significant works alongside new pieces created specifically for Hiroshima. Through these works, the exhibition highlights the potential of art to catalyze social transformation and the transformation of one’s self.

Past recipients of the Hiroshima Art Prize (Prizes one through eleven, respectively)
Issey Miyake, Robert Rauschenberg, Nancy Spero and Leon Golub, Krzysztof Wodiczko, Daniel Libeskind, Shirin Neshat, Cai Guo-Qiang, Yoko Ono, Doris Salcedo, Mona Hatoum,  and Alfredo Jaar.

Contact
T +81 (0)82 264 1121 / F +81 (0)82 264 1198 / Inquiry form.