[손으로 말하다] Shows take a closer look at hands

2009.3.12

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They are too familiar to take notice of, and too common to think highly of. But hands are one of the most expressive and powerful things that humans possess.

And two exhibitions in central Seoul are taking a closer look them.

At Daelim Contemporary Art Museum in Tongi-dong, well-known U.S. art collector Henry Buhl is exhibiting his collection of hand-themed works under the title "The Buhl Collection: Speaking with Hands."

About 150 pieces of photographs and sculptures by 136 artists including Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso and Auguste Rodin are on show. Works of Korean artists No Sang-gyun and Seo Do-ho are also included.

Born into a wealthy Detroit family in 1930, Henry Buhl was able to collect art rather easily with his inheritance. Starting from the piece "Hands with a Thimble" by Alfred Stieglitz, Buhl now owns a hand-themed collection of over 1,000 works.

"He did not only collect hand-themed works, but he was actually a man famous for his helping hands," said Ryan Russo, curator of the exhibition.

After working for many years as a Wall Street financial expert, Buhl established SoHo Partnership, which helps homeless people find jobs, and The Buhl Foundation, which supports young artists through scholarships.

The exhibition "Speaking with Hands" has been held in other countries prior to the Seoul show.

"People all over the world loved the exhibition because a hand is a very universal theme. Everyone has it, and everyone can feel sympathy towards it," said Elga Wimmer, another curator of the exhibition.

At the Guggenheim Museum exhibition in New York in 2004, the exhibits were divided according to the meanings of the hands, such as merciful hands or saving hands. At the Seoul exhibition, however, the collection is displayed in chronological order.

Depending on the time, space and of course its owner, each hand shows a unique expression. Some shout in joy, some allure, some destroy, and some give hope.

The exhibition is also a chance to see the hands of famous figures such as Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Henry Moore, and Mother Teresa.

If the Henry Buhl collection features actual hands, the exhibition "The Great Hands" running at Gallery Hyundai spotlights unbelievable works done by meticulous hands.

Seeing the exhibits of 17 Korean artists, viewers are likely to be lost in admiration.

Hundreds of tiny Swarovsky diamonds are embroidered on a black canvas, making an image of a Buddha. In another work, thousands of colorful acrylic paint dots are dropped on the canvas through an injector to make a big image of a sweater.

Lee Jae-hyo bended nails and clumped them together to turn them into a chair-like sculpture. Jeong Gwang-sik delicately carved a gigantic piece of black Granite into a landscape painting.

"These works required an amazing amount of labor," said Koh Hee-kyeong, curator of the exhibition.

"There are some contemporary artists today who rely on a single sparkling idea without making arduous efforts. This exhibition will make viewers have second thoughts on what the role of an artists' hand is, and what the true meaning of art is," she said.

"The Buhl Collection: Speaking with Hands" runs through May 24 at Daelim Contemporary Art Museum in Tongi-dong, central Seoul. The museum is closed on Mondays. Tickets are 4,000 won for adults and 2,000 won for youth. For more information, call (02) 727-0667 or visit www.daelimmuseum.org

"The Great Hands" runs through April 5 at Gallery Hyundai in Sagan-dong, central Seoul. The museum is closed on Mondays. For more information, call (02) 2287-3500 or visit www.galleryhyundai.com

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)