The National Gallery 2025 Artist in Residence ming wong presents a new work inspired by Saint Sebastian and Derek Jarman

On 15 January 2026, the National Gallery’s 2025 Artist in Residence, ming wong, presents a new film work and installation responding to the depictions of Saint Sebastian in the Gallery’s collection, as well as to the work of seminal British artist and filmmaker Derek Jarman (1942-94).

wong’s new short film, 'The dance of the sun on the water|Saltatio solis in aqua', sees the artist re-enact scenes from Jarman’s ‘Sebastiane’ (1976) within the setting of the National Gallery. Performed in Latin alongside a group of actors of Asian descent and various genders – a deliberate act of ‘mis-casting’– the film reimagines Jarman’s work in dialogue with historic artworks from Carlo Crivelli (about 1430/5-about 1494) to Gerrit van Honthorst (1592-1656). 

Honouring Jarman’s anachronistic approach to history, wong explores the evolving representations of Saint Sebastian across time. His film stages moments of temporal collision to highlight the enduring relevance of martyrdom today to both the secular and the devout. Through this iconic saint, wong brings renewed focus to the representation of martyrs and the affective role they play in people’s lives.

Saint Sebastian, a Roman centurion and Christian martyr, is best known for being shot with arrows as punishment for his faith. The Gallery holds14 paintings of the saint, spanning the Renaissance to the Baroque, including the Pollaiuolo brothers’ The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian (completed 1475), which traces the development of his iconography across generations of artists.

Celebrated for both his beauty as well as his suffering, 19th-century writers, painters and filmmakers have read queer narratives into Sebastian’s evolving image. Jarman’s 'Sebastiane' exemplifies these ideas, remaining an iconic work of British cinema for its radical retelling of the martyrdom and its entirely Latin script.

As part of the National Gallery Artist in Residence programme, wong has been invited to respond to the collections of the National Gallery and this year’s partner museum, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea. He began his residency in March 2025 and is working over the course of the year in the National Gallery’s on-site artist’s studio, benefiting from the close proximity to the collection and archives. This will culminate in a publication and a presentation, as well as a permanent acquisition for Glynn Vivian Art Gallery.

The award is a collaboration with the Contemporary Art Society, generously supported by Suling Mead, who will acquire an artwork produced during the residency for Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. The jury panel to select wong consisted of Caroline Douglas, Director, Contemporary Art Society; Michael Landy, Artist; Karen MacKinnon, Curator, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea; Joe Scotland, Director, Studio Voltaire, London; Angelica Sule, Director, Film and Video Umbrella, London; and chaired by Daniel F. Herrmann, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Projects, National Gallery, London. The jury were excited by wong’s career-long dialogue with the cinematic canon, and how his use of homage could be a way to celebrate, subvert and explore the collections of the National Gallery and Glynn Vivian Art Gallery.

The Artist in Residence programme invites a mid-career artist to develop their practice in the context of the museum and to benefit from unparalleled access to the Gallery’s collection. The partnership between the National Gallery and Glynn Vivian Art Gallery gives wong the opportunity to respond to both the National Gallery’s collection of masterpieces in the Western European tradition as well as the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery collection, which covers a broad spectrum of visual arts from the original bequest of Richard Glynn Vivian (1835‒1910) to 20th- century Welsh and contemporary art, including oil painting, china and glassware.

wong is the fifth Artist in Residence to be chosen since the launch of the Gallery’s new Modern and Contemporary Programme, following the appointment of Rosalind Nashashibi in 2020, Ali Cherri in 2021, Céline Condorelli in 2023 and Katrina Palmer in 2024.

ming wong says: ‘It’s such an exciting time to be granted this opportunity to re-navigate myself in the journeys of European art as the National Gallery celebrates 200 years with a rehang of its collection. There isn’t a better time to reimagine the stories that these characters and creatures inhabiting these worlds can tell one another, and their exchanges that cross centuries and civilisations beyond the frames.’

Daniel F. Herrmann, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Projects at the National Gallery, says: With genuine compassion, curiosity and grace, ming wong’s work asks how the images and culture around us create notions of ourselves and others. We are excited to be working with him during his residency at the National Gallery, particularly as we reflect on the Gallery’s 200-year history.

Caroline Douglas, Director of the Contemporary Art Society, says: ‘We are delighted to be embarking on a fifth iteration of the Artist in Residence programme with ming wong and the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. Every artist in residence has brought unique new perspectives to the collection and the institution of the Gallery itself, challenging our ideas and making us see the familiar with fresh eyes.’ 

Karen MacKinnon, Curator, Swansea Council’s Glynn Vivian Art Gallery says ‘We’re delighted to be working with the National Gallery and Contemporary Art Society on the Artist in Residence programme. Internationally acclaimed artist ming wong makes extraordinary interdisciplinary works involving video, performance and installation which challenge fixed notions of identity and authenticity. We can’t wait to see how our collections can inspire ming wong to create one of his playful and thought-provoking artworks; it will be an honour to be gifted one of these into Glynn Vivian’s permanent collection.’

Exhibition supported by 

The 2025 National Gallery Artist in Residence is a collaboration with the Contemporary Art Society, generously supported by Suling Mead, who will acquire an artwork produced during the Residency for the National Gallery’s project partner, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery.

Notes to editors

Publicity images can be obtained from https://press.nationalgallery.org.uk/ 

'ming wong: The dance of the sun on the water/Saltatio solis in aqua'  
15 January – 5 April 2026
The National Gallery
 Admission free

The National Gallery

The National Gallery is one of the greatest art galleries in the world. Founded by Parliament in 1824, the Gallery houses the nation’s collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the late 13th to the early 20th century. The collection includes works by Artemisia Gentileschi, Bellini, Cezanne, Degas, Leonardo, Monet, Raphael, Rembrandt, Renoir, Rubens, Titian, Turner, Van Dyck, Van Gogh and Velázquez. The Gallery’s key objectives are to care for and enhance the collection and provide the best possible access to visitors. Admission free. nationalgallery.org.uk  

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About the National Gallery Artist in Residence

Over the course of one year, the National Gallery Artist in Residence has access to the unique National Gallery’s on-site Artist’s Studio, the Gallery’s staff and its archives and research resources. The residency includes a publication and the display of work at the National Gallery, which travels to the UK Partner Museum. A work from the residency will then be acquired for the partner museum by the Contemporary Art Society.

The residency replaces the previous Associate Artist scheme. The Artist in Residence is selected by a jury. The Contemporary Art Society’s contribution is generously supported by Suling Mead.

Previous artists in residence were Rosalind Nashashibi in 2020, Ali Cherri in 2021, Céline Condorelli in 2023 and Katrina Palmer in 2024. 

About ming wong

ming wong (b. 1971, Singapore) lives and works in Berlin. His work contends with cinema and popular culture to consider how identity is constructed, reproduced and circulated. Through imperfect translations and reenactments of classic world cinema in which the artist plays all of the characters, wong’s videos, photographs, installations, and performances uncover the slippages that haunt ideas of ‘authenticity’ and ‘originality’. Recent exhibitions include ‘AUUUUDITORIUM’, Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai (2024); ‘Signals: How Video Transformed The World’, Museum of Modern Art, New York (2023); ‘Pier Paolo Pasolini: Tutto è santo. The political body’, MAXXI, Rome (2022); ‘Wayang Spaceship’, Singapore Art Museum (2022). ming wong has participated in the Biennale of Sydney (2024); Aichi Triennale (2022); Seoul Mediacity Biennale (2021); Dakar Biennale (2019); Dhaka Art Summit (2018). His recent performance piece ‘Rhapsody in Yellow’ has been seen at steirischer herbst, Graz (2022); Berliner Festspiele (2023), SpielArt Festival, Munich (2023), Kunstfestspiele Herrenhausen, Hannover (2024) and the Esplanade Singapore (2024). He represented Singapore at the 53rd Venice Biennale (2009) with his solo exhibition ‘Life of Imitation’, which was awarded a Special Mention. His work ‘Life of Imitation’ is currently on display at Tate Modern.

About the Contemporary Art Society

The Contemporary Art Society champions the collecting of outstanding contemporary art and craft in the UK. Since 1910 the charity has donated thousands of works by living artists to museums, from Picasso, Bacon, Hepworth and Moore in their day, through to the influential artists of our times. Sitting at the heart of cultural life in the UK, the Contemporary Art Society brokers philanthropic support for the benefit of museums and their audiences across the entire country. Their work ensures that the story of art continues to be told now and for future generations. www.contemporaryartsociety.org 

About Glynn Vivian Art Gallery

Swansea Council’s Glynn Vivian Art Gallery plays a vital role in local society and as part of the creative ecosystem across Wales. Through exhibitions, collaborative projects, social engagement, learning, outreach and education we work with local audiences and communities. Our programmes focus on excellence, equality, health and wellbeing, supporting artists and the most vulnerable in our society. We support local artists through exhibitions, awards, acquisitions and employment, as well as bringing some of the world’s leading artists to Wales. We present major exhibitions and new commissions, working in partnership with many local, national and international organisations. Our collection of artworks and ceramics belongs to the people of Swansea and forms an important part of the city’s cultural memory. Glynn Vivian Art Gallery is an Arts Council of Wales, Arts Portfolio organisation and a part of Plus Tate and Visual Arts Group Wales. glynnvivian.co.uk
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