Looking back to the 2013 Fukuoka Prize Awards Ceremony. I remember how nervous I felt about taking part in such a grand ceremony, but also what an unforgettably wonderful occasion it was. It was particularly delightful to meet Fukuoka citizens who worked so hard to develop their city’s links to Asia, and to learn more about the work of the other 2013 prize recipients– Nalini Malani’s socially transformative artworks; Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s magical movies; and Nakamura Tetsu’s humanitarian work in Afghanistan. I am so sad that Nakamura Tetsu is not here to celebrate this anniversary with us, but his work will always live on.
Receiving the Fukuoka Prize inspired me to develop new connections across Asia, and to connect visual arts to academic research. The results included the books New Worlds from Below (2017) (*1) and Japan’s Living Politics (2020) (*2) and the photo exhibition Living Politics (2018) (*3).
The Fukuoka Prize brings people from around Asia together, crossing boundaries both between nations and between the arts, social action and research. Today, when international tensions threaten to deepen divisions in the region, this bridge-building project is more important than ever. The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the importance of new media of communication across borders, and I look forward to seeing the Fukuoka Prize honour those who are creatively using new media to build cultural communication and understanding.
To all those involved in the work of the Fukuoka Prize Committee and all the citizens of Fukuoka, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

(*1) New Worlds from Below (2017)
    Co-editor：Tessa Morris-Suzuki＆Eun Jeong Soh (ANU Press)
(*2)Japan’s Living Politics (2020)
    Sole author：Tessa Morris-Suzuki (Cambridge University Press)
(*3) Living Politics (2018)
    This Exhibition was held in March 2018 alongside the international conference for the Australian Research Council Laureate Project. The exhibition contained the collections of images which the researchers have brought back from their fieldwork.
Reference: https://madeinchinajournal.com/2020/01/31/living-politics-exhibition/