HONG KONG, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Lingnan University today, 13 April, hosted its University Assembly with guest of honour Prof Arieh Warshel, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry in 2013 and widely recognised as one of the founding figures of computational chemistry. In his lecture Electrostatic Basis of Biological Actions, Prof Warshel shared insights from his decades of research and presented an integrated account of his life's work, from fundamental physical principles and the laws governing electrons to the construction of the "microscopic world" of biological systems. He further extended this framework to the study and application of biomolecules, and highlighted the role of computational tools and artificial intelligence in advancing medical and pharmaceutical research.
The University Assembly was held in the Chan Tak Tai Auditorium on the Tuen Mun campus. There was an audience of around 600 people, including Lingnan's senior management, staff, students, and young scholars.
Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University, warmly welcomed Nobel Chemistry Laureate Prof Warshel, in honour of his visit to engage with Lingnan students and learn about the University's latest developments. He said, "Leading scholars are a cornerstone of Lingnan's competitiveness and help drive the University's academic development and international exchange. Following Nobel Laureate in Physics Prof Samuel C.C. Ting's joining Lingnan, we are delighted to host world-class scholar Prof Warshel at one of our signature academic events. This initiative enhances the campus internationalisation, providing faculty and students with invaluable opportunities to interact with outstanding scholars and to advance interdisciplinary inquiry. It not only inspires students to combine frontier research with societal needs, but also facilitates the translation of research outcomes into practical applications that deliver tangible benefits for society and sustainable development."
In his lecture Electrostatic Basis of Biological Actions, Prof Warshel provided a systematic overview of more than four decades of research on biological reactions. He also shared how his interest in chemistry began. When he first entered university, he was uncertain about his academic direction. Encouraged by a friend who recognised his keen observational ability, he chose to study chemistry, a decision that sparked his lifelong passion for the field.
Prof Warshel is best known for developing multiscale molecular modelling of complex chemical systems, enabling the simulation of biomolecular systems and protein reactions at multiple levels. This work transformed the understanding of biochemical processes and led to his award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2013.
Prof Warshel guided the audience from fundamental physical principles, tracing the development from classical theories such as Maxwell's equations and energy models to modern computational approaches. He emphasised that the key to understanding the complexity of biological systems lies in translating microscopic electronic interactions into macroscopic dielectric environments. The electrostatic models he pioneered have enabled scientists to calculate electrostatic free energy within proteins with remarkable precision.
These computational approaches have advanced the understanding of enzyme catalysis and the molecular basis of cancer-related mutations. Enzymes, as highly efficient natural catalysts, accelerate reactions not primarily through mechanical strain, but through electrostatic preorganisation that lowers activation barriers. Using the Ras protein (Rat sarcoma protein) as an example, Prof Warshel explained that mutations can disrupt electrostatic balance in GTP hydrolysis (Guanosine Triphosphate hydrolysis), leading to uncontrolled cell growth and contributing to tumour formation.
The influence of electrostatic interactions extends beyond reaction rates to energy transport and macromolecular dynamics in living systems. Processes such as proton transfer within cells and ion transport across membranes are governed by electrostatics. At the molecular level, systems such as ATP synthase (Adenosine Triphosphate synthase) operate under strict electrostatic constraints. These insights have been applied to the study of complex biological processes, including protein folding and cardiac hypertrophy.
Prof Warshel concluded that the missing link between the structure and function of biological macromolecules lies in electrostatic interactions. This highlights the fundamental role of physical principles in biology and underscores the importance of electrostatics in guiding future developments in precision medicine and bioengineering.
During an in-depth discussion session with students and faculty, Prof Warshel encouraged young people to pursue excellence, and integrate knowledge and translate it into a meaningful contribution to society.
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Nobel Chemistry Laureate Prof Arieh Warshel speaks at Lingnan University Assembly
- LG presents celebratory visual tributes at New York's Times Square, London's Piccadilly Circus, and Seoul's Gwanghwamun.
- The campaign highlights the major cities that have served as hubs for Paglen's artistic practice.
SEOUL, South Korea, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A new visual asset celebrating the 2026 LG Guggenheim Award recipient Trevor Paglen will be presented in the heart of the world's most iconic cities including New York, London, and Seoul.
LG Corp. announced a global display of celebratory visual tributes created by the Guggenheim using the distinctive graphic identity of the LG Guggenheim Art and Technology Initiative. These tributes present excerpts of landscapes perceived by machines and AI from Trevor Paglen's practice, courtesy of the artist. These celebratory visual tributes will be displayed on LG's prominent digital billboards at Times Square in New York, Piccadilly Circus in London, and Gwanghwamun in Seoul.
These three cities represent important landscapes in Paglen's career. An American artist based in New York, Paglen has garnered international acclaim through major exhibitions at prestigious institutions such as London's Barbican Centre and Tate Modern. His ties to the Korean art community are equally profound; he was previously honored with the 'Nam June Paik Art Center International Art Award' in 2018, and his selection as this year's LG Guggenheim Award recipient further solidifies this enduring connection.
The commemorative display is expected to engage a global audience of approximately 30 million people throughout their duration. The tribute launched at New York's Times Square on April 6 for an eight-week run, and will be followed by five-week displays at London's Piccadilly Circus and Seoul's Gwanghwamun starting April 13. This wide-reaching activation leverages the high-traffic nature of these landmark locations—averaging 250,000 daily visitors in Times Square, 300,000 in Piccadilly Circus, and 130,000 in Gwanghwamun—to bring Paglen's visionary practice to the forefront of public consciousness.
Paglen is the fourth artist to be recognized as part of the LG Guggenheim Art and Technology Initiative, a five-year, multifaceted collaboration designed to research, honor, and promote artists working at the intersection of art and technology. Selected by an international jury of leaders in contemporary art, Paglen will receive an unrestricted honorarium of $100,000 in celebration of his groundbreaking contributions to this field.
Trevor Paglen is an artist whose work brings visibility to digitally invisible structures, helping audiences better understand current technologies and their underlying logic. Drawing on sustained engagements with landscape renderings, advanced technologies, and the history of photography, he reveals how power, secrecy, and surveillance influence what we see–and what remains unseen–within digital systems.
Paglen has presented solo exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (2019); Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Washington, DC (2018); Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt (2015); Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Michigan State University, East Lansing (2015); Protocinema, Istanbul (2013); Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, the Netherlands (2013); and the Vienna Secession (2010). His work has also been included in group exhibitions at leading museums such as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (2009, 2010, and 2018); Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid (2014); Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2011); and Tate Modern, London (2010), among many others.
In recognition of his work, Paglen received the MacArthur Fellowship in 2017 and the Electronic Frontier Foundation Award in 2014, honoring him as a groundbreaking investigative artist. His work is in the collections of the Guggenheim; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Cleveland Museum of Art; Dallas Museum of Art; FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais, Dunkirk, France; Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston; Israel Museum, Jerusalem; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Mudam Luxembourg, Luxembourg City; Museum of Modern Art, New York; National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; Pérez Art Museum Miami; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and more.
The 2026 LG Guggenheim Award recipient Trevor Paglen will be recognized at the Young Collectors Council (YCC) Party on May 14. Paglen will deliver the lecture-performance "The Lizard People Are Here!" at Guggenheim New York on May 18. Please visit guggenheim.org/calendar/ for more information.
About the LG Guggenheim Art and Technology Initiative
Since launching in 2022, the LG Guggenheim Art and Technology Initiative has championed artists across a range of media, backgrounds, geographies, and career stages as part of a five-year collaboration between the Guggenheim and LG to research, honor, and promote artists working at the intersection of art and technology. Unique in its focus and approach, the initiative represents an unprecedented investment in technology as an artistic medium. It enables the Guggenheim to broaden its investigations into this innovative field, providing essential support to the visionary artists whose work explores how technology shapes–and is shaped by–society.
About LG
LG is a technology innovator and global leader in consumer electronics, advanced materials, and automotive components. Founded in 1947, LG was a driving force behind South Korea's modernization. The company produced South Korea's first radio and television sets and today is a global leader in organic light-emitting displays (OLED), electric car batteries, and advanced industrial plastics. The LG group of companies operates in more than 60 countries that together generate USD 140 billion in annual revenue. LG Corporation (LG Corp.) is the holding company for industry-leading LG subsidiaries, such as LG Electronics, LG Display, LG Energy Solution, LG Chem, to name a few. For more information about the LG group of companies, visit lgcorp.com.
For additional information:
https://lgartssponsorship.lg.co.kr/en/
SEOUL, South Korea, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A new visual asset celebrating the 2026 LG Guggenheim Award recipient Trevor Paglen will be presented in the heart of the world's most iconic cities including New York, London, and Seoul.
LG Corp. announced a global display of celebratory visual tributes created by the Guggenheim using the distinctive graphic identity of the LG Guggenheim Art and Technology Initiative. These tributes present excerpts of landscapes perceived by machines and AI from Trevor Paglen's practice, courtesy of the artist. These celebratory visual tributes will be displayed on LG's prominent digital billboards at Times Square in New York, Piccadilly Circus in London, and Gwanghwamun in Seoul.
These three cities represent important landscapes in Paglen's career. An American artist based in New York, Paglen has garnered international acclaim through major exhibitions at prestigious institutions such as London's Barbican Centre and Tate Modern. His ties to the Korean art community are equally profound; he was previously honored with the 'Nam June Paik Art Center International Art Award' in 2018, and his selection as this year's LG Guggenheim Award recipient further solidifies this enduring connection.
The commemorative display is expected to engage a global audience of approximately 30 million people throughout their duration. The tribute launched at New York's Times Square on April 6 for an eight-week run, and will be followed by five-week displays at London's Piccadilly Circus and Seoul's Gwanghwamun starting April 13. This wide-reaching activation leverages the high-traffic nature of these landmark locations—averaging 250,000 daily visitors in Times Square, 300,000 in Piccadilly Circus, and 130,000 in Gwanghwamun—to bring Paglen's visionary practice to the forefront of public consciousness.
Paglen is the fourth artist to be recognized as part of the LG Guggenheim Art and Technology Initiative, a five-year, multifaceted collaboration designed to research, honor, and promote artists working at the intersection of art and technology. Selected by an international jury of leaders in contemporary art, Paglen will receive an unrestricted honorarium of $100,000 in celebration of his groundbreaking contributions to this field.
Trevor Paglen is an artist whose work brings visibility to digitally invisible structures, helping audiences better understand current technologies and their underlying logic. Drawing on sustained engagements with landscape renderings, advanced technologies, and the history of photography, he reveals how power, secrecy, and surveillance influence what we see–and what remains unseen–within digital systems.
Paglen has presented solo exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (2019); Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Washington, DC (2018); Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt (2015); Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Michigan State University, East Lansing (2015); Protocinema, Istanbul (2013); Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, the Netherlands (2013); and the Vienna Secession (2010). His work has also been included in group exhibitions at leading museums such as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (2009, 2010, and 2018); Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid (2014); Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2011); and Tate Modern, London (2010), among many others.
In recognition of his work, Paglen received the MacArthur Fellowship in 2017 and the Electronic Frontier Foundation Award in 2014, honoring him as a groundbreaking investigative artist. His work is in the collections of the Guggenheim; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Cleveland Museum of Art; Dallas Museum of Art; FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais, Dunkirk, France; Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston; Israel Museum, Jerusalem; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Mudam Luxembourg, Luxembourg City; Museum of Modern Art, New York; National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; Pérez Art Museum Miami; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and more.
The 2026 LG Guggenheim Award recipient Trevor Paglen will be recognized at the Young Collectors Council (YCC) Party on May 14. Paglen will deliver the lecture-performance "The Lizard People Are Here!" at Guggenheim New York on May 18. Please visit guggenheim.org/calendar/ for more information.
About the LG Guggenheim Art and Technology Initiative
Since launching in 2022, the LG Guggenheim Art and Technology Initiative has championed artists across a range of media, backgrounds, geographies, and career stages as part of a five-year collaboration between the Guggenheim and LG to research, honor, and promote artists working at the intersection of art and technology. Unique in its focus and approach, the initiative represents an unprecedented investment in technology as an artistic medium. It enables the Guggenheim to broaden its investigations into this innovative field, providing essential support to the visionary artists whose work explores how technology shapes–and is shaped by–society.
About LG
LG is a technology innovator and global leader in consumer electronics, advanced materials, and automotive components. Founded in 1947, LG was a driving force behind South Korea's modernization. The company produced South Korea's first radio and television sets and today is a global leader in organic light-emitting displays (OLED), electric car batteries, and advanced industrial plastics. The LG group of companies operates in more than 60 countries that together generate USD 140 billion in annual revenue. LG Corporation (LG Corp.) is the holding company for industry-leading LG subsidiaries, such as LG Electronics, LG Display, LG Energy Solution, LG Chem, to name a few. For more information about the LG group of companies, visit lgcorp.com.
For additional information:
https://lgartssponsorship.lg.co.kr/en/
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
A Visual Tribute to Trevor Paglen to be Featured in the Heart of New York, London, and Seoul to Celebrate the 2026 LG Guggenheim Award
A Visual Tribute to Trevor Paglen to be Featured in the Heart of New York, London, and Seoul to Celebrate the 2026 LG Guggenheim Award
