Lawrence Lek, a Malaysian Chinese artist based in London, has been awarded the 2024 Artist Award at Frieze London. The annual award, now in its sixth year, is presented to an early- to mid-career artist to create a commission at Frieze London 2024 in October. This year, the judging panel included curator Canan Batur, director of Artangel Mirian Zilfiqar, director of Frieze London Eva Langret, and artistic director at Forma Chris Rawcliffe.
Lek’s forthcoming commission, Guanyin: Confessions of a Former Carebot, will follow the main character from the artist’s Sinofuturist cinematic universe, an ongoing science fiction narrative that frames much of his work. Through virtual storytelling and mechanical sculpture, the installation will focus on Guanyin, who is named after the Buddist goddess of mercy and works as what the artist calls a Carebot—a cyborg therapist. The project will be inspired by video games, in which the player navigates an “open world” format, finding clues and completing tasks. This immersive installation will place viewers alongside Guanyin as she traverses this futuristic world.
Represented by London’s Sadie Coles HQ, Lek creates work that spans video games, filmmaking, and electronic music. His projects often address spiritual and existential themes, examined through science fiction themes. Noteworthy solo exhibitions include “NOX” at LAS Art Foundation, Berlin, and “Black Cloud Highway” at Sadie Coles HQ, both in 2023.
Previous recipients of the Frieze London Artist Award include Himali Singh Soin in 2019, Alberta Whittle in 2020, Sung Tieu in 2021, Abbas Zahedi in 2022, and Adham Faramawy in 2023. The award is realized through a partnership with the contemporary arts organization Forma, which helps foster the ideas and projects of artists from around the world.
