간송미술관 봄 전시 리뷰

To resist or to obey: Paintings of colonial period

 

Gansong Art Museum will start its first exhibition of the year on Sunday, to the delight of art fans.

The museum opens its doors to the public only two times a year, once in spring and once in autumn.

The exhibition this spring, “The 100th Anniversary of Joseon’s Ruination,” aims to show how artists reflected the time of despair onto canvas.

 

Painting of butterflies by Lee Gyung-seung Gansong Art Museum

“Considering how paintings are a mirror of a period’s overall cultural capacity, we can see how the frustration of society during the Japanese invasion period is reflected in Joseon paintings from that era. This will also be an opportunity to think about the current situation of Korean contemporary art where artists who continue the traditional methods of painting and those who studied overseas coexist,” said Choi Wan-su, research director at the museum.

Over 100 paintings by 28 artists of the Joseon Period will be on display, from Seo Byung-geon, who was 60-years-old in 1910 when Japan annexed Joseon, and Go Hee-dong, who was 25 at the time.

Some of the artists expressed resistance towards Japan in their work while some turned pro-Japanese and created submissive paintings. Some simply renounced the troublesome world and went on with their lives, painting butterflies.

The exhibition runs from Sunday through May 30. Admission is free. To get to the museum, take the subway to Hanseong University Subway Station, Line 4. For more information, call (02) 762-0442.

By Park Min-young    (claire@heraldm.com)