LONDON.- The Royal College of Art and Hyundai Motor Group announce winners of the inaugural Hyundai Awards for Excellence in Sustainability and Creative Practice 2024. Each year students from across the RCA are invited to submit projects that question societal cultural norms, work towards solving the climate crisis or communicate world challenges around sustainability.

RCA students graduating in 2024 have been invited to submit within three categories: Inspiration, Innovation and Aesthetics & Craft. This year’s judging panel included an esteemed list of experts including Peter Schreyer (Executive Design Director, Hyundai Motor Group), Eduardo Ramirez (Head of Europe Design Team, Hyundai Design Centre), Roberto Kuehn (Exterior Design Centre Creative Manager, Hyundai Design Centre) and Professor Dale Harrow (Director of the Intelligent Mobility Design Centre at the RCA).

The Aesthetics & Craft award was awarded to Kahee Jeong (MA Painting), for ‘Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going’, a series of works exploring the relationships between humans and nature, created using natural, non-toxic, handmade paints and reused objects.

Paul Baule (MA Digital Direction) was this year’s winner of the Inspiration award for his project ‘WOOD YOU’, an immersive installation combining historic satellite images of deforestation in the Amazon with 3D animation and acoustics to create a personal interplay between humans and the forest. The project features nine video-playheads that jump back and forth in time to show the year-by-year change of deforestation between 1985 and 2020. It was created in consultation with Amazon specialists at the University of East Anglia and has been designed as a tool to transform audiences' emotional experiences into real-world impact.

The Innovation award was awarded to Ankita Khanna and Yohaan Kukreja (MA Design Products) for their project ‘RAW Materials’. The project was created in response to the annual practice of rice straw burning in India, which creates air pollution resulting in significant health issues, economic losses and soil degradation. It features the world’s first rice straw-derived, biodegradable composite and sheet material, designed for footwear production in the fast fashion industry. Through the creation of this bio-derived and biodegradable material, Khanna and Kukreja reshape the supply chain to prioritise sustainability.

The Hyundai-Kia Innovation Laboratory, the first industry-funded research lab launched at the IMDC, was established in 2016 to foster the creative exploration of the future of mobility. In the laboratory, the team collaborates on research projects that conceive and explore new areas in mobility systems, vehicle design, digital technology integration and transport experiences.

The annual Hyundai Awards recognise the interdisciplinary dialogue between art and design, and the importance of employing different perspectives in tackling global issues. They provide opportunities for the entire RCA student community to refine their understanding of mobility challenges and creativity while developing an understanding of relevant industry propositions.