자연을 담은 전시들 [가볼만한 전시 4곳!]

지금 당장 휴가가 가장 필요한 사람은 방금 휴가를 다녀온 사람이라던데..ㅋ

하지만 휴가를 다시 떠날 수는 없으니 ㅠ-ㅠ

아래의 전시들이라도 한 번 다녀오시는게 어떨까요?!

좀 멀긴 해요;; 4곳 중 3 곳이 제주도;;ㅋㅋ

 

Four exhibitions that echo nature

 

Summer has gone. A recent survey showed those who most urgently need time off are the ones who have just returned from vacation. For those suffering from serious vacation hangovers, here are four nature-friendly exhibitions that might provide you with a refreshing breather in the midst of your often-hectic life.

Three exhibitions are currently underway on Jeju Island, proving that the island is still a great place to visit whether it is summer or not.

The Jeju Museum of Art, a new venue which opened three months ago, is hosting four inaugural exhibitions called "Eye of the Pacific Rim."

Among them, the most in touch with nature is the main exhibition "SU:MBISORI." "Sumbisori" -- in Jeju dialect -- is the sound female divers make when they emerge from the water before taking another deep breath and diving in again to hunt for shellfish.

"It is the sound of healing and an outcry for survival to maintain our lives. This semi-cathartic function of sumbisori is like an artistic masterpiece that originates from a casual encounter that overwhelms our entire body and cuts through our soul, resonating in our hearts, and enables us to recharge ourselves with energy," said curator J.W. Stella.

At the exhibition, 36 local and international artists showcase paintings, photos, installations or media works that look at Jeju Island's wind, water, lights and sounds.

Exhibits are divided into two styles; nature that claims to be art, and artificial works that remind us of some part of nature.

For example, Kim Ju-yon built an elaborate 5-meter-high and 2-meter-wide newspaper tower and planted water-soaked seeds in between the layers. Plants and moss soon sprouted, turning the tower green.

With the exhibition soon to end, Kim's work, "Metamorphosis" is also coming full-circle, with the greenery dying and turning a brownish color, letting visitors witness nature's life cycle.

Meanwhile Kim Ki-chul "shows" the sound of rain through artificial devices. Nylon strings connected to low, suspended speakers look like streaks of rain when light is reflected on them. Sounds of raindrops, which Kim had recorded, gently vibrate throughout the room.

Further south on Jeju Island, the "Jeju Botanical Garden Art Project" is underway at Botanical Garden Yeomiji in Seogwipo.

This is the first year of the project, which aims to be the first Korean biennale held in a garden. Naturally, all 10 participating teams focused on a garden theme for their works.

Among the exhibits, Kang Ik-joong's "Mixed with the Wind and Connected to the Ground" will be the first to greet visitors.

Kang, wanting to "bring Cheonjiyeon waterfall -- a famous waterfall in Jeju Island -- into the garden," turned the garden's center pillar and elevator into a 15-meter-high waterfall.

LED bars cling to a giant green mesh covering the pillar, mimicking a waterfall as lights flash down. Forty-eight waterfall paintings are on display to complement the centerpiece.

Do not forget to visit Dumoak Gallery while you are in Seogwipo. It is a photo gallery that was opened by photographer Kim Young-gap in 2002 who, at the time was suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease, but continued to photograph Jeju Island until his death in 2005.

At the front gate of the gallery, which used to be a school, thousands of basalt rocks greet visitors and the playground is filled with unusual shaped rocks and little sculptures, forming a maze. The highlight of the gallery is, of course, Kim's beautiful photos of the island, which he loved so much that he spent 20 years of his life there; his ashes were scattered in the gallery's front yard.

For many in Seoul who do not have enough time to travel to Jeju, a possible alternative is the Savina Museum of Contemporary Art in Anguk-dong where the exhibition "Green Utopia" provides a short escape from the hot and dusty city. Thirteen artists showcase 30 works that depict nature in a positive and optimistic light.

A mini willow tree forest by Lee Hyun-jean is actually a work of video-recorded willow trees projected onto ribbons, but they look, feel and smell like real willows as you wander through the installation.

Beside the willows, Won Seoung-won put up a very refreshing photo of her dream room; under the deep blue ocean a man happily swims with different kinds of fish, while water plants grow in every nook and corner of the room.

"SU:MBISORI" runs through Sep. 30 at Jeju Museum of Art in Jeju City, Jeju Island. For more information, call (064) 710-4300 or visit www.jmoa.jeju.go.kr

"Green Utopia" runs through Oct. 24 at Savina Museum of Contemporary Art in Anguk-dong, central Seoul. For more information, call (02) 736-4371 or visit www.savinamuseum.com

"Jeju Botanical Garden Art Project" runs until September 2011 at Botanical Garden Yeomiji in Seogwipo city on Jeju. For more information, call (064) 735-1100 or visit www.yeomiji.or.kr

Dumoak Gallery is located in Seogwipo city. For more information, call (064) 784-9907 or visit www.dumoak.co.kr

(claire@heraldm.com)

By Park Min-young