[소마미술관] Line drawings show complex emotions

2009.2.26

---

Line drawings are usually regarded as rough sketches for more complex art. Simple drawings, however, can be very expressive and highly artistic in their own right.

Soma Museum of Art in Bangi-dong introduces 250 such drawings by 18 artists from Asia.

The exhibition, "Emotional Drawings," was planned by and took place at the National Museum of Modern art in Tokyo, Japan last summer. It then took place at the museum's Kyoto branch in November and Seoul is its third stop.

"Emotional drawings feature the personal feelings of the artists, which the audience can immediately connect to," said Kenjiro Hosaka, assistant curator of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, at a press conference last week. "We tried to choose diverse artists who express their emotions in unique styles of drawings."

When you look around the exhibition, however, you will notice some paintings, animations and even installations, which are not commonly referred to as "drawings."

"It is meaningless to raise the question, 'Is this a painting or a drawing?'" said Kim So-yeon, a Korean artist who participated in the exhibition.

"If I can quickly visualize what I felt at a certain moment, I call it a drawing. It is born at the moment when my imaginations are maximized, which is usually the starting point of my work."

In the exhibition, Kim displays oil paintings done in brisk, quick strokes as done with a pencil.

Naoyuki Tsuji, a Japanese artist, meanwhile, made a video clip by drawing and erasing many images on a single paper with charcoal. Viewers can see the traces of the erased charcoal.

Some artists showcase drawings in a more traditional way. Japanese artist Chiyuki Sakagami depicts his imaginations about fish and birds through tiny paranoiac drawings. Jose Legaspi, a Filipino artist, expresses the anguishes of his life as a homosexual through charcoal drawings.

According to Soma, some of the original contributions to the exhibit, like some erotic drawings by Indian artist Mithu Sen, were removed for the Seoul show because they were deemed too sensational for Korean audiences.

"Emotional Drawing" runs through April 19 at Soma Museum of Art in Bangi-dong, southeastern Seoul. Tickets are 3,000 won for adults, 2,000 won for students and 1,000 won for kids. The museum is closed on Mondays. For more information, call (02) 425-1077 or visit www.somamuseum.org

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)

[세계의 핸드백 구경하기]Handbags from all over at Jewellery Museum

2009.2.23

---

If diamonds are a girl`s best friend, handbags are their life-long partners.
Only women know what it means to carry the hottest "it-bag" down the street. For half of the world`s population, a handbag expresses one`s wealth, fashion sense and personality.
Handbag fans now have a chance to see all the representative bags from the 19th century to present. More than 80 handbags from all over the world are displayed at the exhibition "Handbag, My Love," on the second floor of World Jewellery Museum in Hwa-dong.

Lee Kang-won, museum director, collected the exhibits herself as traveled the globe for more than 30 years with her diplomat husband. It is the first museum in Asia devoted entirely to jewelry.

According to the museum, handbags started out in early 16th century when people hung their belongings on their belts or on their girdles.

Men began to stop using such bags when pockets appeared in pants in the late 16th century. Meanwhile, they became more popular among women as their clothes turned slimmer in the 19th century, and became too small to hold their belongings.

"The handbag as we know today is an item that only became popular since then," said Elaine Kim, Lee's daughter and deputy director of the museum.

The handbags on show vary in style and are made from materials including wood, leather, silk, plastic, silver and gold.

Some pieces were very rare, so it was hard to track them down.

"This is a very precious item," said Kim, pointing to a brass chatelaine.

"My mother found this at a small village in Belgium, where they still preserve the old style of living. It belonged to an old lady, and mother practically had to beg her for it," she added with a giggle.

A chatelaine is mainly comprised of a gold chain that looks like a fancy belt. European ladies used to wear them on their waists with their purse, bible, keys, sewing kit, spectacle holders, notebooks and even umbrellas dangling on them. It is considered an early type of handbag, used in the 1890s.

While at the museum, take a look around the first and third floors. About 1,000 pieces of dazzling jewelry from all over the world are on permanent exhibition.

The exhibition runs through May 30th at World Jewellery Museum in Hwadong, central Seoul. Tickets are 5,000 won for adults, 3,000 won for students and 2,000 won for children under seven-years old. The museum is closed on Mondays. For more information, call (02) 730-1610 or visit www.wjmuseum.com

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)

[사진작가 김아타 베니스로] Atta Kim to hold show in Venice

2008.2.19

---

In 1988, a young Korean photographer barely in his 30s gave his word that his work would be found in Aperture, the world's most renowned photography magazine, in 10 years.

Exactly 10 years later, his words came true. What is more, in 2004, the Aperture Foundation published his first book, "The Museum Project."

The ambitious young man is Kim Atta, 52, now a world famous photographer. He is invited to hold a special solo exhibition, "Atta Kim: ON-AIR," at the 53rd Venice Biennale this year.

Venice Biennale is one of the three most prestigious art festivals in the world. Kim is the second Korean artist to be honored with the opportunity since painter Lee U-fan held his in 2007.

"I didn't know what I was doing back then," Kim reminisced about his early days with a hearty laugh in a recent interview with The Korea Herald. "But I sure was full of confidence."

Kim has not changed a bit since then. Many believe he could become the 21st century's most talented artist. He does not immediately agree with the expectations, nor does he deny them.

"Every individual is a big energy ball with great potential. You can't imagine how great each one of us is. It simply depends on how much you can express what you've got," he said.

Atta Kim [Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald]

Kim's confidence comes from his oriental philosophy. He explained that each individual is a miniature universe, carrying all the values of the world that have been accumulated since the early days of mankind.

According to Kim, we don't really know what we have until it's taken away.

"All things eventually, however, disappear," the signature phrase used in his representative "ON-AIR project," is like his motto.

A part of the "ON-AIR project" is the "City Series."

Kim set up cameras in different spots of the world's major cities and set them on time-lapse mode for eight hours.

Although the places were crowded with people and cars, only the still objects appeared clearly in the results, with all the moving things leaving trails of dust.

"Many New Yorkers went off crying seeing the one I took in New York," Kim said. "They couldn't bear to see their vigorous city empty. But I told them just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not there. The void does not mean emptiness but actually means everything."

This unique philosophical base of Kim's works has attracted Westerners.

"Oriental philosophy is usually something that cannot be confirmed with eyes. They liked how I could show them what it is through actual images," he said.

Kim has held numerous exhibitions in the world since 1986. He was the first Asian to hold a solo exhibition in New York, and his works are possessed in notable collections and museums such as the Microsoft Art Collection and Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas.

This year will be another busy one for Kim. Two major exhibitions are to be held in New York and China before the Biennale, and two books containing Kim's photos and essays will be published by German firm Hatje Cantz Publishers in April.

Kim, however, does not look a bit tired after following such a tight schedule.

"I do it because it is fun," he said. "By creating the images, I learn about wisdom, life and the world, one by one. Doing work extends my limit of freedom, and makes me comfortable."

For Kim, the camera is simply a tool, a note to write down what he learns. No wonder he does not like being called a photographer.

"If you have to call me something, I'd prefer 'artist,'" he said.

The artist's special exhibition in Venice will showcase about 30 pieces from the "ON-AIR project," including ones from the Indalla series, the City series and the Monologue of Ice series.

The "Indallah Series" will be the main part, featuring four of his newest works. This series was what made it possible for the artist to participate in this year's Biennale.

Kim took 10,000 shots in each major city, and put them together to make a single photo, which surprisingly, turned out to be totally gray. The photos also imply Kim's philosophy that "the void is not emptiness, but is actually everything."

The Organizers of the Biennale were practically drawn into the series, including Daniel Birnbaum, director of the Visual Arts Sector and curator of the upcoming event.

At the end of the interview, Kim gave his word once again that he is really going to show the world something at Venice this summer.

"They haven't really seen the essence of Asian culture. I am going to show them what a valuable thing it is."

"Atta Kim: ON-AIR" at the Venice Biennale will run from June 4 to Nov. 22 in Palazzo Zenebio in downtown Venice, Italy.

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)

[씨 킴] Gallery president, collector paints his dreams

2009.2.16

---

It is good to have many dreams. It is even better to achieve them.

Kim Chang-il, Arario Gallery president, is one of those fortunate people who has had many of his dreams fulfilled.

His start was ordinary, working at his mother's express bus terminal after college. But not being able to suppress his deep interest in art - even though he did not study it formally - Kim succeeded in establishing one of Korea's finest art galleries eight years later. One by one, he collected impressive art pieces and soon the art industry came to recognize him as a high-profile art collector.

Kim is now one of the biggest figures in the world art market. He was the first Korean ever to make the list of the world's 100 most powerful collectors, as selected by British magazine Art Review. He has also been included in many other lists by foreign art magazines since 2005.

But his ambitions did not end there. At the age of 48, Kim decided to become an artist himself. Kim is also known for his third profession, as an artist, with the professional name "Ci Kim." He has been featured in five solo exhibitions so far.

Kim's latest exhibition, "To Make a Rainbow," is currently at Arario Gallery in Cheonan, 83.6 kilometers south of Seoul. For the exhibition, Kim recreated his paintings and installation works from the past, and added little bits of "Ci Kim Charms" - in the words of the curator - by throwing tomatoes on them.

The artist threw tomatoes on canvases carrying outdated images like Time Magazine covers with war photos or Audrey Hepburn portraits. Juice and chunks of the tomato oozed out, became gooey and dried up over time, growing fungus which disappears and comes back depending on the weather.

Strange traces and colors all over the canvas make the work look somewhat ancient. It is Kim's "rainbow" which symbolizes time and memories. The act of throwing tomatoes signifies the tests and trials he meets as an artist while finding his rainbow and taking steps to achieve his dreams.

"All my three professions follow my instincts, and are linked to one another," Kim said in an e-mail interview.

"Going over interior designs and drawings as a businessman and training my eyes to be an accurate art collector were all fertilizers that made Ci Kim," he said.

Regardless of one's dreams and talents, however, conservative Korean society is not an easy place for a businessman who did not even major in art to suddenly gain approval as an artist. Kim was no exception, as people often cast a doubtful eye at him.

"Those glances are the source of my energy," Kim said.

"Making big shifts in professions are not strange in other countries, but it still is in Korea. I will work even harder, to overcome those gazes," Kim said.

It might be his surviving strategy, but Kim is modest. He does not yet sell his work inside Korea or even sign it because of the public perception of him as a businessman or collector.

"I don't want to cause misunderstandings that my works are sold through inappropriate personal networks based on my career. But I do have plans on selling them in Korea sometime in the future." Only some foreign buyers and overseas art museums like the one in Leipzig, Germany, possess Kim's works.

"After 10 years? I will probably be doing what I'm doing now, running the gallery, collecting work, and most of all, doing my art," he said. Ci Kim's exhibition runs through March 29 at Arario Gallery in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. For more information, call (041) 551-5100 or visit www.arariogallery.com

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)

[오페라 갤러리 전시] Artists depicting timeless emotions

2009.2.13

---

Emotions like love, loneliness and comfort do not follow a certain trend, but will always be deep inside all hearts.

Artists Sylvain Tremblay and Samy Briss depict these universal, eternal feelings on canvas in their own ways. Their works are currently on display at the exhibition "Timeless" at Opera Gallery Seoul in Cheongdam-dong.

Tremblay's works easily arouse viewers' sympathies. The human figures in his work are expressed with thin and long shapes without any eyes, nose nor mouth, but their gestures or the background colors hint at the characters' sentiments.

"People on the canvas are like stones. Wind blows and light shines on them but their essences are still. That's why I didn't paint the details of their faces," the Canada-based artist said.

"Time is not important. What is important is what is inside them. Their essence."

The artist filled the background with vivid colors and geometrical shapes that remind of Klimt's works. He finished them with varnish, turning the canvas luminous.

"If you look closely, you can see your reflection on the varnish. So while you try to get to know the inner feelings of the figures on the paintings, you might as well be able to take a deep look inside your own self."

Tremblay started his career in the commercial art industry but decided to be a free artist as his passion for fine art grew stronger. Now at the age of 43, he is a representative artist of Canada, gaining attention in major cities across Europe.

On the other hand, Samy Briss focuses on a certain emotion: consolation.

Mothers tightly hug their children, lovers happily embrace, and birds and fish peacefully float around in his paintings. Briss uses lots of blue.

"The blue spaces represent holy, spiritual sanctuary where our true vulnerability can be revealed," said Kim Young-ae, curator of the exhibition.

Born in Romania, the artist moved to Tel Aviv, the culture capital of Israel in his 30s. Ever since, the Byzantine style influenced his work, making it serene and sacred. He made many sculptures and wall paintings in Tel Aviv, and is still vigorously engrossed in his works at an age nearly 80.

The exhibition runs through March 10 at Opera Gallery Seoul in southern Seoul. For more information, call (02) 3446-0070 or visit www.operagallery.com

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)

[고상우 전시] Artist shows true love in different light

2009.2.11

---

Belief in true love is the theme of the latest exhibition by Koh Sang Woo, an up-and-coming artist renowned for experimentation with photo negatives.

The New-York based artist has titled his third solo show "I know someone who believes Love comes before money and status."

"Beauty is just skin deep, plastic beauty is only a surface change ... Money is only a statement, money is not timeless," Koh wrote in a poem while preparing for this exhibition.

To visualize his beliefs, the 31-year-old artist has resorted back to his particular style of "reversing" photographs and ideas that has grabbed the attention of critics in the United States and Korea.

For the exhibition, Koh used negatives, which reverse colors. He also used only amateur models that were wide and short, instead of more customary slim and tall women.

It took hours for Koh to get a satisfying shot. He glued flowers and paper hearts on the models and painted over them. The camera was always still, set to autofocus, so Koh had to change the colors of his subjects by repeatedly repainting them until just the right color came out. By the time he was almost finished, he knew by heart how each color changes on negative film.

Because this complex procedure was more than just pressing on the shutter button, Koh refuses to be called a photographer. "I am an artist," he said at a press conference on Friday.

Reborn in the hands of the artist, the finished photos look a lot different than the real subjects.

"The women in the finished works are not who they used to be. They are totally different beings, existing regardless of sex, age, race, or any bias or standards," said Koh.

One of the two couples who modeled for Koh's recent series are a current TV announcer and her poet husband, who wed in 2006. Her marriage was a surprise at the time because famed female TV broadcasters often marry wealthy men. Her special love story inspired Koh.

"I am planning to hold the exhibition in many countries, and I want to show the world that this kind of pure love story exists in Korea," Koh said.

Koh was born in Seoul but moved to the United States in 1994. He graduated from School of Art Institute of Chicago. A chance mistake with his photos led him to explore the "transformative images" of photo negatives. His struggle to adapt to American society was a main theme in his earlier exhibitions.

The exhibition runs through Feb. 28 at Gallery SUN contemporary in central Seoul. For more information, call (02) 720-5789 or visit www.suncontemporary.com

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)

[멀티플 다이얼로그] Kang seeks balance in homage

2009.2.9

---

The "Multiple Dialogue ?" exhibition at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Gwacheon will send your eyes spinning.

TV screens form an 18 meter high tower in the center of the room, and the countless colorful squares glued on the walls that surround the tower add to the confusion.

Artist Kang Ik-Joong installed his work "Samramansang," which means "all creations" in Korean, around the "The More The Better," by prominent video artist Paik Nam-june.

"These are the biggest and most representative installation works ever of the two world famous artists," said Lim Dae-geun, curator of the exhibition.

The current exhibition is a sequel to an exhibition of the same name that the artists held at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York in 1994.

However, this exhibition is more like Kang's way of paying homage to late Paik, who was not only his artistic mentor but also someone he most sincerely respected.

Kang told the press on Thursday that he could never forget how considerate and full of insight Paik was.

Before their exhibition at the Whitney Museum, Paik sent an e-mail to the museum saying '"I am very flexible. It is important that Ik-Joong has the better space."

"He was a shaman who sees stars even in daylight," Kang reminisced.

Influenced by Paik, Kang himself also became an acclaimed artist. Even those who do not recognize his name right away would probably have seen the glowing wall filled with moon jar paintings covering the construction site of Gwanghwamun since 2007. It is Kang's art piece named "Mountain-Wind (Dream of Kwang Hwa)."

For "Samramansang," Kang covered the 200 meters long spiral wall around Paik's masterpiece with 60 thousand works and little objects. He used various videos, sounds, media, and objects to create "all creations" possible.

"It occurred to me that Paik Nam-june wanted to make the TV tower look like a rocket," Kang said, pointing to Paik's work.

"As his junior, I felt it was my responsibility to light it up, help it shoot through the sky."

According to Kang, his work is supposed to be a mountain. So naturally, the best way to absorb it is to climb up.

"Viewers can see the 'Samramansang' we encounter while we climb a mountain," Kang explained.

Birds chirp, water flows, and recordings of monks chanting sutra play from tiny moon jars installed on the walls. A yellow moon made from a glow lamp shines through an old wash basin, and lights streak down from a waterfall made of white LED lights.

"As Paik's video tower heads upwards, I tried to even things out by making a waterfall that goes down. And because Paik's videos pulse quickly, I made mine breathe slowly," said Kang.

Kang made efforts to make his work to balance, mix and communicate with Paik's works "like bibimbap," as Paik used to say when referring to his art.

The exhibition runs until Feb. 7, 2010 at National Museum of Contemporary Art in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. Admission is free. The museum is closed on Mondays. For more information, call (02) 2188-6114 or visit www.moca.go.kr

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)

[클림트전] Last chance to see Gustav Klimt's art outside Austria

2009.2.6

---

Works by famous Austrian artist Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) are currently showing at Hangaram Art Museum at the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-dong.

The exhibition "Gustav Klimt in Korea 2009" showcases 100 of the Austrian artist's most representative works, including 30 oil paintings and drawings.

Most of the works are from Belvedere Museum in Austria, which owns most of Klimt's works. Twenty other art galleries in 11 countries also contributed to the exhibition.

The painting "Kiss," Klimt's most well known work in Korea, however, did not make it to Seoul.

This exhibition is the first solo exhibition of Klimt in Asia and also the biggest. The Belvedere Museum also announced that Klimt exhibitions outside Austria will no longer happen after this exhibition. Belvedere Museum has been limiting the number of Klimt's artworks to be shipped outside Austria for the sake of preservation.

The exhibition runs through May 15. Tickets are 16,000 won for adults, 8,000 won for adolescents and 5,000 won for kids. For more information, call (02) 334-4254 or visit www.klimtkorea.co.kr

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)

[파란 눈의 '선비' 인터뷰] Blue-eyed 'seonbi' defines life in Korean

2009.2.6

---

At first sight, he looks like just another foreigner sitting at a hotel cafe waiting for the airport limousine bus. But this gentleman is different. All this becomes apparent when the blue eyed German bows slightly and says "Annyeonghaseyo (Hello)" in a perfect Korean accent.

The man is Werner Sasse, 68, chair professor of the cultural anthropology department at Hanyang University. It has been only two and a half years since he settled down for good in Korea, but that he is fluent in Korean is not so surprising considering that he had come here every year since 1966 for research.

Sasse studied Korea at the University of Bochum in Germany. He was the first to graduate from the department, and naturally the first to get a professorship. He later established the Korea department at University of Hamburg, and taught there from 1992 until his retirement.

He fell in love with Korea in 1966, when he first visited here to help his father-in-law by teaching German technology to Korean technicians in Naju in South Jeolla Province.

To young Sasse, the Korean mentality at that time was very attractive.

"You wouldn't believe how poor Korea was then," he said during an interview with The Korea Herald. "But Koreans were still so cheerful, friendly, and very positive about the future."

The strong personal ties are another aspect of the Korean culture he is drawn to.

"Let's take the current economic crisis for example. Germans would start saving money at the news, but Koreans, if one has money, he will invite his friends over!" he exclaimed.

Soon after his retirement, Sasse dashed back to Korea, leaving his own country and family behind.

"My kids are all grown up, and they live their lives. I plan to die here," he said without hesitation. As much as he loves the country, he has become even more like a Korean than real Koreans.

As he tugged on his standard Western style jacket, Sasse said, "I don't like this. 'Hanbok' (traditional Korean clothing) is much more comfortable and beautiful. I normally wear hanbok in the countryside, but I can't wear it in the city because people will stare at me thinking I'm crazy," he said with a chuckle.

If you think wearing hanbok is taking his love of all things Korea a bit far, you do not know the half. He lives in a proper "hanok," or Korean traditional house, in Damyang, Jeolla Province.

He almost seemed offended when asked if it is not uncomfortable.

"Why do you think it would be?" he asked in return. "I don't need air conditioning in the summer. I live half inside and half outside, always connected with nature, which I love. Because I get so much exercise passing the yard every time I go to the bathroom or the kitchen, I don't need to go to a health club. It's natural living," he said.

Knowing his love for Korea, his concerns for Korea could not sound more sincere.

"Back then (in 1960s), people were very proud of their culture, were interested in it, and knew their history. But now, people are still proud of the culture but are not interested in it, and don't know about their history," he said.

He cannot forget a remark from a Korean student who recently took his class on Korean poems. "At the end of the semester, she left a note that said 'I knew every single poem you taught in class through high school. But now, I love them.' Reading that, I thought 'There, I did something right!'"

These days, Sasse enjoys doing oriental style abstract paintings with black Chinese ink on "hanji," or Korean paper. His talents are quite remarkable. He held several exhibitions during the last few years on the recommendation of art professors and collectors, and they were finished in success.

"It just comes out from me," he said, mentioning how he once wanted to be a painter in high school but had to give up, because his father was against it.

"Once the brush touches the paper, it is the brush that does the painting. Besides, I simply love hanji." He plans on holding another exhibition this spring.

Involved in so many things, it is hard to describe him in one word. What does he think of himself?

"Seonbi," he suggests promptly. "Korean seonbi of Joseon dynasty, studied, painted, and read literature."

He hesitated, however, when asked to translate the word into English.

"It is hard to translate, that's why I said it in Korean," he said, drumming his fingers. "'Hmm ... 'Educated country scholar?' No, it seems too serious ... 'Bohemian?' No, too free ... Perhaps somewhere in between."

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)