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.
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| 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)
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