The Han Nefkens Foundation announces the 'Eurasia Moving Image Commission', a $120,000 initiative that marks the Foundation’s most significant commission to date.
Initiated by the Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (M HKA) (Belgium), the Han Nefkens Foundation – Eurasia Moving Image Commission will supercede Europe and Asia to focus on Eurasia. For the first time four museums have elected to participate in the commission: M HKA (Belgium), The New Taipei City Art Museum (Taiwan), Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma (Finland) and Art Sonje Center (Korea).
Han Nefkens, Founder, Han Nefkens Foundation: “The Han Nefkens Foundation has grown and expanded its network considerably since we started in 2009. For this - our third collaboration with M HKA - I firmly believe that strong and long-term working relationships such as this can only improve the positive impact they bring for artists and institutions alike, and I am truly delighted to be working for the first time with Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, The New Taipei City Art Museum and Art Sonje Center on this new project, and excited to see where it will take us.”
Nav Haq, Associate Director, M HKA: “The concept of Eurasia evokes myriad different ideas across geographical, political and cultural paradigms. Home to almost three quarters of the world’s population, Eurasia is thus home to a great plurality of cultures. It is a space where historical, contemporary and futuristic visions coexist, interact and mutate. From the ancient world to the cultural imaginations to come, Eurasia has hosted the free-flow of exchange, and possesses more capacity than ever for trans-national thinking and civilisational transformation, refusing artificial distinctions of ‘Asia’ and ‘Europe’. With the growing multipolarity of the Eurasian supercontinent that we are witnessing in the 21st century, Eurasia once again becomes a new horizon. We seek to look across the contemporary Eurasian landscape in support of these valuable trans-cultural reflections offered by artists.”
Founded in 2009 in Barcelona, Spain, the Han Nefkens Foundation focusses on the production of video art. Today the Foundation works with a network of over forty museums and institutions across three continents; it unites not only art enthusiasts but puts artists on the map at the very highest level and establishes and builds long-term networks and connections between institutions internationally, nurturing the cultural infrastructure as a whole. The Han Nefkens Foundation is not only a ‘builder’ and a ‘connector’ of people within the cultural infrastructure, it has also come to be used a trusted resource for those working in the field of video art, with many curators in the field using them for research and advice for their own projects.
In all cases the participating institutions are the Jury for each selection and Han Nefkens himself has no voice. The Foundation does not collect any edition of the newly produced artworks, its focus lies with the production of artworks and allowing artists and institutions to function at their highest creative level.
Kiira Miesmaa, Museum Director, Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma: “We are delighted to collaborate with the Han Nefkens Foundation. Kiasma, part of the Finnish National Gallery, is renowned for its international collection, with media art long forming a central part of our profile. The Eurasia project provides an inspiring and innovative opportunity to further deepen our work with media art within the collection.”
Lai Hsiang-ling, Director, The New Taipei City Art Museum: “The New Taipei City Art Museum is honored to join this meaningful collaboration with M HKA, Kiasma, and Art Sonje Center. As a young institution rooted in Taiwan, NTCAM regards this partnership as both an artistic and conceptual bridge—one that extends beyond geography and fosters new forms of cultural connectivity. The Eurasia Moving Image Commission aligns closely with our mission: to cultivate dialogue between the local and the global, and to support artists whose practices push the boundaries of time, technology, and imagination. Through this collaboration, we look forward to engaging with the diverse narratives that shape the Eurasian continuum, where histories, imaginations, and identities intersect. Beyond presenting new commissions, NTCAM hopes to contribute to a sustained conversation on how art can reimagine connectivity across cultures, communities, and generations, while forging new pathways for future collaboration.”
Sunjung Kim, Artistic Director, Art Sonje Center: “Art Sonje Center is committed to embracing, encouraging, and nurturing the creative and experimental spirit of artists. Since its opening in 1998, we have consistently commissioned and produced new works in close collaboration with artists, presenting some of the most current and forward-looking practices in contemporary art. We believe the Eurasia Moving Image Commission not only fosters an organic and dynamic relationship between artists and participating institutions, but also provides a vital platform to explore and share the possibilities and challenges of contemporary art. As it deeply resonates with the mission and vision of Art Sonje Center, we are delighted and excited to embark on this new journey of the Eurasia Moving Image Commission.”
The initial recipient of this inaugural Eurasia Commission will be announced by the end of 2026.
