Artists' center opens in Ansan

A storage in Gyeonggi Creation Center [Gyeonggi Creation Center] Not all artists can afford to own storage rooms where they can keep their unsold paintings and sculptures. The bigger the works are, the bigger the problem gets. Artists should check with Gyeonggi Creation Center, Korea's biggest residential art center which opened last October in Ansan. It will open its storage rooms of more than 800 square meters to store art works. Both Korean and foreign artists who currently reside in Korea can apply for a spot. Divided in two floors, there are 32 storage rooms of different sizes. The rooms are furnished with atmosphere controllers. The center, which is affiliated with Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, will not only take care of the works but also promote them and arrange different exhibitions and auctions. "It is difficult for an artist to store and care for their works by themselves as the diversity of art works has increased. This program which offers professional preservation and management of the works is the most substantial program for contemporary artists," said a center official.

The center will accept applications until the end of the month and select works that are worth preserving. There is enough room to store works by at least 30 artists, according to the center. Selected works can be stored from March.

The rent is composed of insurance and a management fee. Artists can pay it also with their artworks. The lease is renewable on an annual basis.

Though the storage rooms are only open to local artists, the center's residency programs are open to artists who live outside Korea.

The center finished its pilot artist-in-residence program with 24 artists - 16 Korean and eight foreign - in December and is currently going over applications of over 850 artists - 400 Korean and 450 foreign - who signed up for the first official residency program.

Among them, 50 artists will be invited to research and create fresh artworks at the center starting from March. The center will pay transport costs for artists from other countries.

For more information, call (032) 890-4823 or visit www.gyeonggicreationcenter.org

(claire@heraldm.com)

By Park Min-young

[패션의 윤리학] 전시 리뷰

Museum presents 'ethical clothes'

 

With fashion trends changing by the minute, even during the worldwide economic crisis, many no-so-rich fashion addicts have only one choice: fast-fashion. Led by Zara, H&M and Mango, fashion brands started to provide cheap but extra trendy clothes that would last for usually just a single season.

The plan -- to buy a skirt, enjoy it for the season, throw it away and buy another one next year -- sounded perfect, until fast-fashion's harmful effects on the environment were revealed. Clothes, which are usually made of synthetic fiber, can take forever to degrade.

As an alternative, the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art is hosting the exhibition "Fashion Ethics 'Wear Good.'"

It is the second of the museum's cross-genre exhibition series that seeks new artistic possibilities through interactions with genres other than pure art. The first was on architecture.

From six different countries, fashion designers, contemporary artists and even architects got together to present some "ethical clothes" at the current exhibition.

"'Ethical Fashion' refers to clothes made of organic fabric or recycled materials, or those that are produced with third world labor recruited through fair trade. It has recently become a key issue in the fashion industry," said exhibition curator Hwang Rock-joo.

The pavilion looks like something in between a fashion show and a contemporary art exhibition. Most of the exhibits are fanciful, but no more than the designer-labeled clothes are on runways.

French designer Ana Paula Freitas made bags and dresses made of recycled aluminum can lids. They were all handmade by ladies from a local community in Brazil named "The Cia Lacre."

The silver shiny bags were so perfectly sewed -- complete to the inner pockets -- that people would probably never guess that they are looking at a bunch of can lids unless they were told.

Mark Liu from England showcased his "zero waste designs." Realizing that 15 percent of fabrics are wasted just in the cutting process of making clothes, he decided to create a design that uses 100 percent of the prepared materials.

"I noticed that eastern designs like Japanese Kimono or Indian Sari doesn't waste any of the fabric. I tried to create something like that in western styles, something that also have contemporary looks," Liu said at the press conference last week.

Pure white wedding dresses displayed at one corner of the exhibition will catch the eyes of many young women. Lee Kyung Jae made them of alternative fiber from eco-friendly materials such as corn or nettle.

Some designers gave ethical and modern touches to Korean traditional designs. Shoe designer Lee Kyum-bie is one of them. Lee transformed Korean traditional straw sandals into sophisticated high heels.

An actual fashion show was held at the opening day of the exhibition.

Twenty-six amateur models consisting of artists, critics and professors such as artist Nancy Lang and photographer Jeong Yeon-doo, strutted down the runway wearing their own ethnic clothes.

The exhibition runs through Oct. 4 at Gyeonggi Museum of Art in Ansan City, Gyeonggi Province. For more information, visit www.gmoma.org or call (031) 481-7007~9.

(claire@heraldm.com)

By Park Min-young

"패션의 윤리학" 제목을 단 패션쇼에 다녀왔어요.

사실 정통 패션쇼와는 거리가 먼 패션쇼였어요.

재활용품이나 자투리 원단을 사용한,

아니면 공정무역으로 만든 옷이나 신발, 가방등을 전시하는

일명 "윤리적 패션" 을 보여주는 쇼!

 

경기도 미술관에서 열고 있는 "패션의 윤리학" 전시의 오프닝때 한 거랍니다.

 

전시장 중 일부의 사진이예요.

 

저도 경기도 미술관은 처음 가봤는데,

(광화문에서 왕복 다섯시간 걸렸습니다 ㅠ-ㅠ  안산이 그렇게 멀줄이야;;;)

꽤나 큼지막한 공간이 여러 곳이 있는데,

다들 신기한 옷과 가방, 신발등으로 채워져있습니다.

 

정말 한 눈에 봐도 "윤리적" 패션 임이 티가 나는 것들도 있는 반면,

절대 티 안나는! 바로 백화점에서 팔아도 될 것 같은 옷들도 있었어요.

 

 

패션쇼에 참여한 낸시랭.

 

꼭 프로페셔널 모델이 아니라

미술인, 교수, 사진작가 등 유명인사들이 모여서

자신들만의 "윤리적 패션" 을 선보이는 쇼였는데요,

 

어머니의 20년 넘은 옷을 입고 나온 분도 계시고,

직접 만든 옷을 입고 나온 분도 계시고..

낸시랭 옷은 사실 딱 보기엔 특별히 윤리적일 것 같다는 느낌보다는

그냥 백화점에서 산 옷 같이 보였는데..나름 다 윤리적인 사연이 있다고들 하네요 ^-^

 

아, 낸시랭 바로 뒤에 있는 저 부풀어오른 드레스는 신문지로 만든 것!!!

작품들 중에 개인적으로 이경재 작가의

재활용 가능한 무공해 천연 원단으로 만든 웨딩드레스가 눈길을 끌었는데 +_+

사진이 안올라가네요;;흑

 

 

무용가 홍신자 교수는 덩실덩실 춤을 추며 나오심. ㅋ

그 외에도 사진작가 정연두 그리고 변정수씨 등도 패션쇼장에 등장하셨답니다 +_+

 

전시에 대한 자세한 설명은 앞으로 나올 기사 참조 >▽<

[도자기 축제] World's biggest pottery festival offers arts, fun

2009.4.25

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When the sun warms up but the air still feels cold it means pottery festival season has arrived again.

The 5th "World Ceramic Biennale Korea" starts today, in three Gyeonggi Province cities - Icheon, Gwangju and Yeoju.

Started in 2001, the biennale has grown to become the world's biggest pottery festival. Various exhibitions, seminars, workshops and experience programs related to ceramics are held.

The three host cities are referred to as the "ceramic belt," since more than a third of the nation's ceramic houses are located there.

Each city usually hosts its own pottery festival every year, but they are partly combined with the biennale every other year.

Yu Gwang-yeol, Korean ceramic master

Icheon

If you want to see some ceramics and enjoy a family picnic, Icheon may be a good choice.

It takes about an hour to drive from Seoul to get to Icheon, on the way which one can stop by to see traditional Korean style houses owned by rich ceramists of the 1980s.

In no time, you will reach Seolbong Park, with its fresh green grass and lake.

Icheon World Ceramic Center, the main building of the biennale, is located beside the lake.

On the first floor of the center, entries and award winners of the "The International Competition" are on display.

More than 1,700 artists from 70 countries submitted 3,196 entries this year. With the grand prize of 60 million won, it is by far the most popular competition in the world ceramic society.

The exhibits come in all shapes and colors, from simple, pure and minimal white porcelain works to big and dark steel-like ceramics.

"All possible techniques and ceramic works based on every culture in the world can be found here. The exhibition projects the current world trend in ceramics," said Suh Jeong-gurl, director of the biennale's curatorial department.

Upstairs, visitors can see larger pieces at the "World Contemporary Ceramics - Adventures of the Fire" exhibition.

A gigantic ceramic piece that looks like a burnt tree greets visitors at the entrance. It is "The Holy Spirit of Grand Cedar" by Japanese ceramist Tsuyoshi Shima. Shima burned the inside of a Japanese cedar tree and used it as a mold.

"It is almost impossible to bake a ceramic that big, but the ceramist seems to be extremely talented in handling earth and fire," said exhibition curator Choi Jeong-hee.

"As the subtitle of the exhibition is 'Adventures of the Fire,' we've selected works that truly test the limits of ceramics. Some works sublimated what would have been considered as fatal flaws in the old sense into amazing characteristics," Choi said.

Before leaving the city, take your kids to "The 23rd Icheon Ceramic Festival" also running under the pavilions in Seolbong Park. Focused on young visitors, the festival provides clay play sections and hands on pottery programs.

Yeoju

Looking for tips to decorate your house with some chic and elegant ceramics? Then Yeoju is the place to go.

Yeoju World Ceramic Livingware Gallery, the main building of the biennale in the city, is holding the exhibition "Ceramic Space & Life" which is filled with delicate ceramics, plus, according to the curator, "touches of unique interior."

"Ceramics have infinite potential. Its history as a genre of contemporary art is not long, but more and more artists are advancing into the fine arts field with ceramics," said Suh.

Park Seong-chil, a well-known Korean interior designer, transformed the building's second floor into eight different places, each themed after the seven days of the week, plus a resting place.

The first seven rooms feature moon, fire, water, wood, steel, soil and light, corresponding to the days of the week. The interiors use clever materials, like roofs covered with "hanji" (Korean traditional paper), tables filled with water or walls built with charcoal blocks.

Outside, "The 21st Yeoju Ceramic Festival" is underway. Try spinning the potter's wheel and take home your own hand made potteries. The traditional ceramic kilns nearby are also worth a visit.

Gwangju

The biennale in Gwangju is more focused on royal ceramics.

Bunwon, or a branch, of the Joseon palace's ceramic kiln was located in Gwangju, which is why the place became so famous for royal ceramics," explained Suh.

In line with "The 12th Gwangju Royal Ceramic Festival," the biennale holds the exhibition "Bunwon Royal Porcelain" at GyeongGi Ceramic Museum.

Fifty white porcelains from the Joseon dynasty and another fifty made by contemporary ceramists are on display.

Like the typical image of Joseon white porcelains, which are still considered the best of Korea's ceramics, the Gwangju exhibition is calmer and perhaps a bit more noble than their counterparts in Icheon and Yeoju.

"Ceramics-Climax" in Ansan

If you are curious about contemporary ceramics, visit the exhibition "Ceramics-Climax" at Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.

It spotlights modernized formative ceramics that fit in the category of contemporary art.

Twenty-seven ceramists, including both the field's leading figures and up-and-coming artists, are participating in the event.

All works are very original and sometimes even whimsical. Kim Jin-kyung knitted thousands of white ceramic pieces together to make a dress. It may not be wearable, but definitely breaks traditional stereotypes about ceramic works.

Viewers can also see Paik Nam-june's video installation "Shaping the future with Earth." About fifty monitors are installed in an earthenware-like mound which is actually made with fiber glass.

Paik made the piece for GyeongGi Ceramic Museum to commemorate Gyeonggi Ceramic Biennale in 2001, but it was moved to Ansan for this exhibition.

For those who are simply too lazy or busy to leave Seoul, wait one more week for another big pottery exhibition to be held right in the center of Seoul.

"The exhibition of 100 pottery masters from Korea and China" starts May 6 at HanKooK Museum of Art in Insa-dong.

One hundred renowned ceramic masters, 50 Korean and 50 Chinese, will exhibit 300 works. The masters, most of whom are government-accredited masters and some from prestigious ceramic families, have each established their own style of ceramics.

"The two countries are the cores of the world ceramic society. This exhibition will be an opportunity to see the past, present and future of the Northeast Asian potteries and also to recognize the new trend in world ceramics," said an exhibition official.

The 5th World Ceramic Biennale runs through May 24 in Icheon, Gwangju and Yeoju in Gyeonggi Province. It takes about one to two hours by car to get to the cities from Seoul. A shuttle bus runs from Gwangju to Icheon and from Icheon to Yeoju. Tickets range from 1,000 won to 12,000 won. For more information, call (031) 645-0531 or visit www.wocef.com

"Ceramics-Climax" runs through July 5 at Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. Admission is free. For more information, call (031) 481-7000 or visit www.gma.or.kr

"The exhibition of 100 pottery masters from Korea and China" runs from May 6 to 12 at HanKook Museum of Art in Insa-dong, central Seoul. Tickets are 20,000 won. For more information, call (02) 747-5634.

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)