The Boghossian Foundation International Prize 2024 for Visual Arts, Design and Crafts, and Jewellery

Boghossian Foundation – Villa Empain, Brussels

Reflecting its mission to bridge East and West through the arts, the Boghossian
Foundation International Prize celebrates artists whose work fosters a better
mutual understanding among cultures. Each year, an international jury chaired
by Albert Boghossian rewards at least three winners in the fields of Visual arts,
Design and crafts, and Jewellery.
The Prize includes an amount of 12.000€, an exhibition at the Boghossian
Foundation and an invitiation for a one month stay at the artists’ residency of the
Villa Empain.
Chaired by Albert Boghossian, the jury gathered on 18 November some of the
leading figures of the international art scene: Daniel Blanga Gubbay (Director of
Kunstenfestivaldesarts), Bernard Coulie (doctor in philology and oriental history
and former rector of UCL), Chris Dercon (managing director of the Fondation
Cartier), Julia Garimorth (chief curator at the Musée d’art Moderne de la Ville de
Paris), Jean-Noël Jeanneney (historian), Alfred Pacquement (art historian and
museum curator), Louma Salamé (director of the Boghossian Foundation – Villa
Empain).
The laureates are:
Kate Crawford (1974) and Vladan Joler (1977) for the Visual Arts Prize
Kim Mupangilaï (1989) for the Design and Crafts Prize
Joy Harvey (1993) for the Jewellery Prize

Visual Arts Prize
Kate Crawford (1974) and Vladan Joler (1977) explore the hidden impacts
of artificial intelligence through their art. Their work delves into the global
networks of labor, resources, and control that power modern technologies.
Notable projects like Anatomy of an AI System and Calculating Empires ex
pose the social, environmental, and economic costs of AI, urging a critical dia
logue on technology’s role in shaping global power dynamics. Their impactful
installations have been showcased in many exhibitions, such as at MoMA, the
V&A Museum, and many more well known institutions.
Design and Crafts Prize
Kim Mupangilaï (1989) is a Belgian-Congolese designer based in New York,
merging her dual heritage to create innovative and culturally rich designs.
Graduated in Graphic Design and Interior Architecture from LUCA School of
Arts/KU Leuven in Belgium, her work delves into the intersection of Congolese
art and Belgian Art Nouveau, seeking to deepen the understanding of cultural
narratives. Recognized internationally, she has exhibited at prestigious events
and collaborates with institutions to challenge conventional design education,
with a focus on inclusivity and the acknowledgment of African influences. Her
creations seamlessly blend striking aesthetics with thoughtful functionality, em
bodying a dialogue between tradition and modernity.
Jewellery Prize
Joy Harvey (1993) is an Italian jewelry artist who combines scientific insight
with traditional craftsmanship. With a background in Pure Chemistry,
she founded La Luce jewelry studio, blending Florentine goldsmithing,
Armenian techniques, and digital innovation. Harvey’s work explores themes
of imperfection, aging, and societal perceptions of beauty, challenging
conventional ideals. Her pieces, featured in prestigious exhibitions like the
2024 PMA Craft Show and the LVMH Maestri d’Eccellenza Prize, are one-of-a
kind and provoke emotional reflection on the evolving nature of beauty.

Visual Arts Prize
Kate Crawford (1974) is an international leading scholar of artificial intel
ligence and an artist. She holds a professorship at USC in Los Angeles, a
Senior Principal Researcher role at MSR New York, and was the inaugural
Visiting Chair for AI and Justice at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. Her
award-winning book Atlas of AI (2021) reveals the social and environmental
impacts of AI, and has been translated into twelve languages. Vladan Joler
(1977) is an academic, researcher and artist who holds a professorship in
new media at the University of Novi Sad in Serbia. His work blends data in
vestigations, counter cartography, and data visualization, and he co-founded
Share Foundation, an organization dedicated to protecting the rights of people
online. Over the past decade, Crawford and Joler have collaborated extensively
to create acclaimed projects such as Anatomy of an AI System (2018) and
Calculating Empires (2023), which investigate the global networks of labor,
data, and resources underpinning contemporary technologies. Their work
has been widely recognized and exhibited at renowned institutions including
MoMA, the V&A Museum, Fondazione Prada, and the European Parliament.
Artistic practice
The artistic practice of Kate Crawford and Vladan Joler critically examines glo
bal networks of power embedded in technological systems, particularly artificial
intelligence. Their work highlights the extractive processes—spanning labor, re
sources, and data—that sustain modern technologies. With a focus on fostering
cross-cultural understanding, their transnational collaboration bridges dis
ciplines to interrogate the manifold impacts of technological systems. Their
projects Anatomy of an AI System and Calculating Empires map in intricate
detail the complex layers of technology, history, power, and geopolitics. By
exposing the interconnectedness of workers, consumers, and ecologies across
continents, their work reveals the urgent need for global dialogue and equitable
governance in the face of advancing AI systems.
Focus on the works selected for the jury
Anatomy of an AI System (2018) visualizes the lifecycle of an Amazon Echo,
from resource extraction in the Congo to data processing in the UAE and even
tual e-waste in Pakistan. This detailed map reveals the hidden costs—social,
environmental, and economic—of AI technologies.
Boghossian Foundation
Villa Empain, Centre for art and dialogue between Eastern and Western cultures
Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, 67 – 1050 Brussels
www.boghossianfoundation.be
Calculating Empires (2023), a large-scale installation, traces the evolution of
technological power from historical empires to modern AI. By examining five
centuries of colonialism, automation, and centralization, the project questions
the forces shaping our current sociotechnical structures. Both works form the
centerpiece of an international exhibition series, engaging audiences worldwide
to reconsider their relationship with technology.

Design and Crafts Prize
Kim Mupangilaï (1989) is a Belgian-Congolese, New York-based Interior
Architect, Designer, and Professor at Parsons School of Design. Her work
explores the
intersections of identity, culture, and history, crafting narratives that challenge
conventions and inspire cross-cultural dialogue. By merging her dual heri
tage with contemporary design practices, Kim creates designs that resonate
globally, bridging untold stories and cultural preservation through innovative
approaches. After earning a Bachelor’s in Graphic Design and a Master’s in
Interior Architecture from the LUCA School of Arts in Belgium, Kim relocated
to New York in 2018 to establish her practice. Her designs reflect resilience,
ancestry, and the complexities of identity, pushing the boundaries of collec
tible design through materiality and storytelling. Kim’s innovative approach
has earned her global recognition, including a nomination and selection as
an Honoree for the AD100 List Middle East & Africa 2024. Her Bina Chair,
recognized by Hypebeast as one of the 100 Most Collectible Designs of the
21st Century, was also featured in the landmark design triennial OBJECTS:
USA 2024 hosted by R & Company. Her designs have been featured in major
exhibitions, including at Cooper Hewitt Museum and the Brooklyn Museum’s
new café installation in 2024. In 2025, she will debut new pieces at the FOG
Design+Art Fair in San Francisco, continuing her exploration of storytelling
through design. Her ongoing research into Art Nouveau and Congolese colo
nial history underscores her commitment to layered narratives and cross-cultu
ral dialogue. Featured in books and prominent publications like Architectural
Digest, Vogue, Hypebeast, and Surface Magazine, her work has also appeared
on the covers of Milk Decoration Magazine and Sabato Magazine.

Artistic practice
Kim Mupangilaï’s artistic practice represents the intersection of her Belgian
and Congolese roots. Through her work, she explores the fusion of these
two cultural influences, seeking to delve into the complex layers of heritage,
adaptation, and cultural identity. In particular, her exploration into the
relationship between Congolese art and Belgian Art Nouveau has become a
central focus. This body of work is not merely personal; it is a cross-cultural
dialogue that blends functional design with profound aesthetic depth. For
her upcoming project, Kim envisions a studio designed to spark creativity
and foster collaborations that push the boundaries of inclusive design.
This space will support research initiatives and create opportunities for
impactful partnerships with museums, educational institutions, and voices
from underrepresented communities. With the support of the Boghossian
Foundation, Kim aims to continue her inquiry into how Congolese influences
shaped European design, ultimately creating a deeper understanding of cultural
appropriation versus appreciation.
Focus on the works selected for the jury
The exhibition Hue Am I/Hue I Am (2023) is a testament to her ability to blend
both heritage and innovation. The works selected for this jury explore her Belgian-
Congolese duality, each piece reflecting the layers of her identity. One of the
key pieces, the Bina Chair (2023), made from teak, raffia, and volcanic stone,
challenges perceptions of balance and stability, embodying the fusion of her
cultural heritage. The Mwasi Armoire (2023), another significant work, draws
inspiration from African shields and traditional Congolese craftsmanship, blending
modern design with ancient symbolism. Kim’s use of natural materials such as
volcanic stone, teak, and rattan creates functional art that is both aesthetically
rich and purpose-driven. The exhibition’s broader context touches upon themes
of identity, the complexity of cultural adaptation, and the fine line between cultural
appropriation and appreciation, making it a powerful statement in contemporary
design.

Jewellery Prize
Joy Harvey (1993) was born in Italy, where she currently lives and works.
Graduated in Pure Chemistry from the University of Bologna in 2017, Joy’s
artistic path transitioned from science to craft, deeply influencing her jewelry
work. In 2021, she co-founded La Luce, a jewelry studio that reflects her
unique blend of artistic and scientific insights. Harvey’s dedication to crafts
manship is rooted in a blend of Florentine goldsmithing and Armenian tech
niques, alongside contemporary digital technology. Her work has been reco
gnized internationally, with accolades including a finalist position in the 2024
LVMH Maestri d’Eccellenza Prize and a featured role in the 2024 PMA Craft
Show as an artist, representating Italy alongside a contingent a selected artists.
Artistic practice
As both a scientist and an artist, Joy Harvey’s practice is informed by the inter
section of knowledge and creative expression. Her approach draws from an
eclectic mix of techniques from various cultures, merging ancient methods
with modern innovations. For Harvey, beauty is not an absolute concept but
one shaped by individual experiences, culture, and biology. Her jewelry pieces
are not only aesthetically driven but serve as a platform for exploring deeper
emotional and philosophical themes. Each piece she creates, from the alloys
to the final polish, embodies her vision of human imperfection, growth, and the
complexities of age. Harvey’s jewelry is a testament to her journey of reconci
ling her fears of aging and invisibility, challenging societal perceptions of youth
and beauty.

Focus on the works selected for the jury
The selected works for this jury exemplify Joy Harvey’s ability to blend delicate
artistry with profound conceptual depth. One such piece, the Flower wreath,
showcases her mastery of both traditional and modern techniques. The wreath
contrasts the polished, golden ideal of beauty with the natural, imperfect brass
flowers, symbolizing the complementary relationship between youth and aging.
Through these works, Harvey addresses the cultural obsession with perfection
and youth, while embracing the value of aging and imperfection.

Her pieces, all one-ofa-kind, are intended to evoke emotional responses
inviting the viewer to reflect on beauty not as a fixed state but as a dynamic,
evolving concept. Harvey’s artistic evolution is captured in her increasingly intri
cate and conscious designs, where every patina and imperfection adds to the
narrative of growth and selfexpression.

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