Connecting people through art 

The Han Nefkens Foundation is pleased to announce that Thai artist Chantana Tiprachart is awarded the Han Nefkens Foundation - Southeast Asian Video Art Production Grant 2026.

Organised in collaboration with leading international institutions—Museion - Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Bolzano Bozen (Italy), Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art (Japan), Rockbund Art Museum (China), The Outpost Art Organisation (Vietnam), Nottingham Contemporary (UK), and theInternational Film Festival Rotterdam (The Netherlands), the Southeast Asian Video Art Production Grant aims to strengthen the international visibility of artists from Southeast Asia by supporting their production of new video art. It is aimed at artists who have developed a solid professional trajectory but have not yet had a major international exhibition opportunity.

Chantana Tiprachart (b. 1991, Thailand) will now receive $15,000 to produce a new work over a nine-month period which will then be presented across all partner institutions between 2027 and 2028.

Tiprachart stated: “Support from the Han Nefkens Foundation is essential for my next project. The core struggle of making art today often stems from a lack of people who truly "see" the work, paired with a lack of spaces where an artist can breathe and create without interference. Throughout our region, the cultural climate is often stifled by rigid beliefs, prejudice, and limitations on expression. Finding a community that genuinely understands the artist’s journey is like finding room to breathe. This grant isn't just funding; it is the vital oxygen that proves creative liberty is possible when there is a foundation of true understanding. Staying true to one’s vision is difficult in a society that overlooks art’s role as a mirror and a chronicle of our era.” […]

The jury unanimously selected Tiprachart, recognising her distinctive artistic voice and evolving practice: “The jury is pleased to award the South East Asian Production Grant to Chantana Tiprachart. Tiprachart’s practice reflects a compelling evolution from filmmaker to an artist navigating the expanded field of screen-based media. Her work is marked by intimacy and interiority, locating the social and political within quiet, everyday spaces. Her camera lingers attentively on gestures, textures, and sound, rendering visible and audible the subtleties that often go unnoticed. In a time defined by noise, speed, and information overload, her commitment to stillness and reflection feels both urgent and necessary.”

“The jury was particularly resonant with her background in communication and her understanding of art as a tool for engagement and awareness. Her work thoughtfully examines structures of looking, the act of gazing and being gazed upon, and considers how systems shape perception and lived experience. Moving between film and other screen-based technologies, including surveillance and charged forms of documentation, she reflects on the frameworks that define contemporary life and influence our experience of intimacy.” […]

The 2026 Han Nefkens Foundation Southeast Asian Video Art Production Grant jury was chaired by Han Nefkens in the presence of Hilde Teerlinck and Alessandra Biscaro, respectively Director and Coordinator at the Han Nefkens Foundation. The jury consisted of Takeshi Matsuoka (Chief Curator), Kazune Shimizu (Curator), Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art (HCMCA); Eva Langerak (Curator and Coordinator Art Directions & Lightroom), IFFR (International Film Festival Rotterdam); Bart van der Heide (Director), Museion (Bolzano, Italy); Salma Tuqan (Director), Nottingham Contemporary (UK); X Zhu-Nowell (Artistic Director), Rockbund Art Museum (Shanghai, China), Le Thuan Uyen (Artistic Director), The Outpost Art Organisation (Hanoi, Vietnam).

The Foundation and the institutions are grateful to the invaluable support of an international panel of experts, including Zoe Butt (Thailand); Hera Chan (Hong Kong); Max Delany (Australia); Iharada Haruka (Japan); Fang Tze Hsu (Taiwan); Chanel Kong (Hong Kong); Sheau Lim (Malaysia); Minh Nguyen (Vietnam); Grace Samboh (Indonesia); Jeppe Ugelvig (Denmark); Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand); Pongsakorn Yananissorn (Thailand).