Hong Kong-based Irish entrepreneur Bill Condon has just launched the inaugural edition of the Multitude Art Prize, a pan-Asian award featuring some of the best and brightest on the Asian contemporary art scene.

Condon, who is a founding member of the chambers of commerce in both Hong Kong and Macau and has been involved in a number of start-ups in Hong Kong, said the programme will be held annually in a different Asian city and will feature five winning artists or artist groups.

"We put together a very important international programme and we seem to have a hit a chord. Corporates see it as a really interesting pan-Asian platform," he said.

Various projects
Since coming to Asia, Condon has worked in food and beverages, publishing, the internet and property, and among his directorships are the Ireland Fund for China.

The total prize money is $100,000 (€77,000) and the prizewinners this year included Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan from the Philippines, Ha Za Vu Zu from Turkey, Moon Kyungwon and Jeon Joonho from Korea, the Raqs Media Collective from India and Yao Jui-chung from Taiwan.

The programme is a collaboration between the Multitude Foundation and Wuhan Art Terminus (WHAT) and the inaugural exhibition takes place at the Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art (UCCA) in Beijing’s trendy 798 art district. The exhibition runs until June 16th.

“I’d like to do something with this in Ireland at some stage,” said Condon.