Addressing the question 'To Have or To Be?'

2009.1.14

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Philosopher Erich Fromm raised the question "to have or to be" in 1976, presenting his analysis of two modes of human existence: having and being. More than 30 years have passed since then, but the question is still intriguing.

Living in a materialistic world where money is often considered the ultimate value, it can be confusing whether we are respectable individuals as we are said to be, or are merely an accessory to a society helping the money flow.

Some contemporary artists pondered this question, the results of which are showing at Korea Foundation Cultural Center Galleries in Sunhwa-dong. It displays works by 14 artists who answered the question in their own way.

The exhibition is titled "Encounter: Dublin, Lisbon, Hong Kong and Seoul."

"We hold exhibitions of Korean contemporary artists in different countries every year, but found out that the exhibits are even less well-known in Korea," said Jienne Liu, curator of the exhibition, at a press conference last week.

"So we decided to bind the exhibitions that we held in Dublin, Lisbon, and Hong Kong last year under the theme 'To Have or To Be,' and throw an exhibition here," Liu said.

This time, the local artists of Dublin, Lisbon, and Hong Kong also participate in the exhibition. Works by Anthony Haughey from Dublin, Antonio Julio Duarte from Lisbon, and Wilson Shieh and Lui Chunkwong from Hong Kong are featured.

The exhibition is divided into two parts, one led by the theme "to have," and the other one by "to be."

In the first division, Jung Yeon-doo, now a world famous video artist, tries to show how vain the idea of possession can be. Jung took photos of typical leisure spots like the beach, but instead of appearing peaceful and joyful, the scenes look fake and artificial.

"At first glance, it might look like a natural scene, but if you take a closer look, you can see that Jung built the sets and created the whole scene from scratch," explains Liu. "It implies how the people of today are ... at the border of truth and falsity."

Nearby, a large porcelain sculpture named "Translated Vases" stands. It is a work by Yee Soo-kyung, who glued broken pieces of ceramic together with 24K gold.

"Gold is commonly used when amending ceramics in Korea, but foreigners were surprised to see it when it was showcased in other countries," said Liu. This Korean-style sculpture signifies life, which is made upon fragments of ceramics that are metaphors for trial and error. The more mistakes we make, the more mature our lives get.

High up on the wall in the next division, a screen plays out an unbelievable scene. Someone keeps on pouring tea into a teacup, but it never overflows. In fact, it manages to hold the exact same amount hour after hour. The video is "Being There," by Hwang Haesun.

"Hwang makes the viewers doubt the difference between reality and fiction, thus realizing the futility of human desire," explained Liu.

The exhibition runs through Jan. 21 at Korea Foundation Cultural Center Galleries in central Seoul. Admission is free. For more information, call (02) 3789-5600 or visit www.kfcenter.or.kr

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)