The winners of the BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize 2022 were announced on Tuesday night (December 19) at a ceremony hosted by The Hon John KC Lee, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. In his opening remarks, Mr Lee congratulated the outstanding young Academy Fellows for their pioneering research and commitment in advancing STEAM education in Hong Kong. He also encouraged the young researchers to continue to innovate and apply their findings for the benefit of society.
The ceremony was attended by over 400 guests, including renowned scholars and experts from universities, researchers and innovative enterprises. They shared their insights and experiences with the young scientists in a stimulating Fireside Chat moderated by Mr Adriel CHAN, Vice Chairman of Hang Lung Properties. Guests were also introduced to the four Hong Kong scientists who won the Future Science Prize this year, namely the Life Science Laureate Deng Hongkui, Physical Science Laureates Zhang Tao and Li Yadong, as well as the Mathematics and Computer Science Laureate Sun Binyong. Interactive exhibits highlighting their research work were also on display.
Among the shortlisted artists, nine were from Hong Kong, making it the most represented city in this year’s competition. Two-thirds of the shortlist was composed of women, a record in the history of the prize. Sameen Agha, a Pakistani artist, received the Grand Prize for her sculptural work A Home is a Terrible Place to Love, which depicts a house being dismantled and reconstructed. She is the first woman to win the prize in its 20-year history.
In the Visual Arts category, Noormah Jamal was awarded the First Prize for her painting Did the Seed Grow?, a canvas adorned with bare branches and potted plants. The empty expressions of the figures in her painting emphasize their sense of helplessness. In addition to the cash award, Noormah Jamal was given a commission by a major local bank to produce a public art installation.
The other three finalists, all from Hong Kong, were Angus Cheng for his photo-based project The Way It Was, Andy Lau for his mixed media piece Red Bean Stalk and Demet, who won the Public Vote Prize with his painting Paint Palette Emulation. The winners were presented their prizes at a gala dinner held at the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. Proceeds from the auction will be used to support the SAF’s Make It Better program, which has been running since 2013, and provides expressive arts workshops for underprivileged children in Hong Kong. This year, the programme will expand to serve over 6,000 underprivileged children and teenagers in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. In addition, it will launch a new programme called Making It Happen, which aims to empower young people through the power of the arts and encourage them to make positive contributions to their communities.