HOFA Announces the Second Edition of the Digital Art Awards, in Collaboration with Exhibition Partner PhillipsX in Hong Kong, proudly backed by Lightyear

HONG KONG SAR –
Media OutReach Newswire – 9 March 2026 –
Celebrating a new generation of digital artists working across generative systems, AI, immersive media and experimental formats, with winners selected by a panel of leading experts and exhibited at Phillips’ Asia headquarters in the West Kowloon Cultural District during Hong Kong Art Basel Week 2026.

Refik Anadol, ‘Sense of Healing’, 2023, AI Data Sculpture (Courtesy of the Artist)

The awards ceremony will take place on 24 March 2026, featuring the four key categories of Still Image, Moving Image, Innovation and Experiential
and followed by a private sale exhibition hosted by Phillips in Hong Kong, from 25–28 March 2026.

As a highlight of Hong Kong’s spring art calendar, the awards celebrate the growing cultural significance of digital art and spotlights the visionary artists redefining visual culture through cutting-edge technologies.

Thirty two international finalists will be selected for their work pushing the boundaries of digital creativity. Each of the four category winners will receive a $10,000 USDC commission towards a new artwork.

The thirty two finalists include several prominent figures in digital and generative art, such as
Erick Calderon (Snowfro) Founder of Art Blocks,
Botto,
Sarah Meyohas,
William Mapan,
Sasha Stiles and
Mario Klingemann – underscoring the calibre of talent the awards are already attracting with over two hundred applications across more than fifty countries.

Refik Anadol is nominated for the
Honorary Career Award for
Sense of Healing, an AI Data Sculpture that emerges from Refik Anadol Studio’s long-term research into creating meditative art based on neurological data.

Finalists and winners will be selected by a panel of leading experts in art, hospitality and technology, including
Irini Mirena Papadimitriou, Exhibitions Director at Diriyah Art Futures,
Thomas Heyne, Co-Founder and CEO at Scorpios,
Dorothy di Stefano, Art Curator and Creative Strategist at Molten Immersive Art,
Danielle So, Hong Kong Head of Auction, Modern & Contemporary Art, Phillips,
Sebastien Borget, Co-Founder & Global of The Sandbox, SANDchain, President of Blockchain Game Alliance and Co-Founder of Artverse,
Jean-Michel Pailhon, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer at Grailcapital,
Simonida Pavicevic, Co-Founder and Curator at HOFA,
Justin Gilanyi, Founder of WhereArt.Works and Curator at SILK, and
Matt Zhang, Founder and Managing Partner at Hivemind Capital.

The Digital Art Awards are proudly backed by Lightyear, a subsidiary of Hivemind Digital Group. A full-stack digital culture partner, Lightyear provides infrastructure, liquidity and market expertise, and hands-on delivery for digital ownership and engagement across physical and digital experiences. Lightyear is committed to championing artists and organizations pushing the boundaries of digital culture.

Hashtag: #HOFA #PhillipsX

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