칼럼스갤러리 장동조대표 인터뷰

[Gallery Talk] Art dealer matches clients, artworks

 

This is the tenth in a 10-part series on prominent art galleries in Korea. –Ed



Considering that art is a form of therapy, a therapist could not be a more perfect candidate for a switch to art dealing. Jang Dong-jo, founder and director of The Columns Gallery in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul, is one.

He started his career as a therapist and counselor for psychiatric patients at Rockwell Continuing Treatment Center in Brooklyn in 1984 after studying special education and rehabilitation counseling at New York University graduate school.

“My father founded Chungryangni Mental Hospital and my brother is currently the director there. Our house used to be right next to the hospital, so my heart always went out to the patients in my youth. My original dream was to become a professional in social welfare and patient treatment who can help patients better adjust to the society,” said Jang.

But the concern for psychiatric patients was not the only influence from Jang‘s father. His father, also an art collector, often took him to museums and galleries and Jang developed a love for art. Jang naturally headed to galleries in New York too, whenever he had time.

The Columns Gallery founder and director Jang Dong-jo Ahn Hoon/The Korea Herald

“Seeing the cutting-edge contemporary arts there, I had the urge to study them more professionally. So I started taking fine art appraisal courses at NYU every evening after work and began my own collection with the money I earned through part time therapy works,” he said.

“I bought some prints by Andy Warhol and David Hockney and witnessed their prices double in less than six months! I sold them and bought more expensive works that I’d always wanted. Realizing that art also brings back money, my interest expanded to art dealing, auctions and art fairs. My hobby started to get professionalized.”

In 1994, the time was tough for the New York art scene but luck was on Jang‘s side. He found an empty gallery in SOHO which the former owner had left behind, right across the street from the gallery owned by the legendary American dealer Leo Castelli, and opened his own.

Yes, it was almost an impossible task for an Asian therapist, who had never stepped foot in New York before 1983 or specialized in arts, to begin an art business at that time. But the amazing network of artists, gallerists and collectors he built during his NYU and gallery hopping days was all he had and all he needed, it turned out.

“It is true that galleries are all about networks. I learned a lot about running art businesses from people I met at fine art appraisal courses and also at parties. They were interested in me because I was the only Asian in most gatherings and they seemed to be comfortable talking to me once they knew that I was not someone from their world but an innocent therapist simply interested in art. My counseling experiences as a therapist helped a lot in making discussions, too. I’m sure that only if this were not an interview, I could have you tell me everything about yourself in less than 30 minutes,” said Jang with a chuckle.

His first exhibition was on George Segal. He could not exhibit Segal’s new works because the artist was already contracted with a prominent gallery but a close collector lent him his collection of Segal’s old works.

The artist himself visited Jang’s gallery on the opening day, curious to see that a young Korean man is holding an exhibition with his old works. Words spread that Segal paid a personal visit there and Jang’s “InKhan Gallery” jumped to fame.

One successful exhibition led to many others, such as shows on Arman, with whom he became friends over a couple games of Baduk, Jesus Rafael Soto and Bill Thompson.

Despite the success, however, Jang decided to return to Korea in 1999, when Korea was suffering from a severe economic crisis.

“Something told me that it was time to go back and that it was then or never. It was a hard time but I thought that if I made it in New York, I could do it again in Korea,” said Jang.

Before opening The Columns Gallery in 2005, he tried out many things like Space Kitchen, a cultural complex he ran in Hannam-dong for a year in 1999, and the “Art Metro” project which he conducted for four years.

For the “Art Metro” project, Jang transformed two carriages of Subway Line No. 6 and No. 7 into a moving art museum with help from many young artists. The passenger occupancy rate shot up more than 25 percent during the project period.

Jang finally opened The Columns gallery in Cheongdam-dong in 2005. He had spent all his savings on the “Art Metro” project so he had to take out a loan. The Korean art market luckily boomed in 2006 and 2007, getting him ready for 2008 when the market practically collapsed.

“If there is a good time, there is a bad time. I don’t understand big galleries that are reluctant to hold exhibitions during bad times, afraid of small losses, although they probably earned a fortune during the boom days. Galleries are also meant to give back to society. I hired staff and held exhibitions every month despite losses in 2008,” said Jang.

The steady exhibitions attracted regular visitors and Jang’s gallery soon took root. Jang’s talent in expanding connections proved itself once again as some of Korea’s established artists like Chun Kwang-young contracted with The Columns, based on their acquaintance. The gallery moved to its current location in Sinsa-dong in April.

“I am not interested in buying big buildings, growing the gallery into a big enterprise or launching branches abroad. I am thankful that I have this great space to hold high-quality exhibitions and hope it can keep on going,” said Jang.

“I don’t sell works to anybody. I only sell them when I find a perfect owner for the works after I conduct long talks with the clients s to find out his or her character, aesthetic values and future plans. Without deep considerations like this, the artwork could lose its vitality like trees that cannot adjust to a new environment,” he added.

The gallery is currently holding an exhibition on Michael Wesely, a German photographer. For more information on the exhibition or on the gallery, call (02) 3442-6301 or visit www.columns.co.kr.



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

 

갤러리시리즈_7_PKM갤러리 박경미대표

[Gallery Talk] PKM initiates new way of running gallery

 

This is the seventh in a 10-part series on prominent art galleries in Korea. – Ed

Park Kyung-mee, president of PKM Gallery in Hwa-dong, central Seoul, and PKM Trinity Gallery in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, is a role model for many curators in Korea.

She worked as a curator for 11 years at Kukje Gallery and individually, and gradually grew to become one of the most influential figures in the Korean art field. She successfully curated a number of major art events, including the 2001 Venice Biennale for which Park was the commissioner of the Korean pavilion. Park finally opened her own gallery in Hwa-dong after the Biennale.

“My basic thought on Korean contemporary art has always been the same; that we need a paradigm shift from the older artists to the younger ones. It has slowly changed that way, so I think I have chosen the right direction,” said Park.

PKM Trinity Gallery which Park opened in 2008 usually holds large exhibitions on established foreign artists but PKM Gallery in Hwa-dong still features experimental works by young artists based on Park’s original standard of values.

Park Kyung-mee, president of PKM Gallery     Ahn Hoon / The Korea Herald

Park had also opened a branch in Beijing in 2006, the sixth Korean gallery to launch in China, but it was closed down last December. “It did not show a loss but did not operate in the black either. It was worse because the market was so bad last winter. China is yet not a mature place for full-fledged contemporary art to be showcased. So it was still meaningful that PKM Gallery Beijing got to introduce some fresh, leading contemporary arts in China,” said Park.

Park has no immediate plans to open another gallery outside of Korea. Instead, she will be focusing more on the domestic market, said Park. That is why PKM, one of the Korean galleries most spotted at international art fairs, did not participate at the recent Hong Kong fair.

“We have been slowing down our participation in international art fairs since last year, because we know that holding exhibitions on our home ground is important, too. But we are considering participating in the next year’s Hong Kong fair,” said Park.

Park has been famous for her discerning eye for talented artists ever since her days as a curator. She still organizes exhibitions and selects artists herself. But as she now has a tighter schedule as a director, she came up with an innovative outsourcing system for the gallery in cooperation with Bartleby Bickle & Meursault, an art consulting and publishing firm, last year.

“James Lee, the director of BB&M and I have known each other for more than 15 years and our eyes for contemporary art and artists are very similar. As the gallery gets bigger, it becomes impossible for me to be in charge of everything. So I wanted to try something new; something that is not too off the mark from what I would have done but is still more active,” she said.

BB&M works exclusively with PKM. It takes care of the exhibitions and artists at the Hwa-dong gallery. The two have held several shows this year, including the solo exhibition by installation artist Park Chan-kyong -- film director Park Chan-wook’s brother -- which ended last weekend. This kind of partnership is more common among galleries outside of Korea, but it is a new approach here, said Park.

Starting this year, Park is also trying out a new system to develop young and talented artists in the form of a contest. PKM will announce a medium every year and young artists between 25 to 30 years of age can submit their works that correspond to the medium. This year’s medium is drawing, and submissions are open through Friday.

So what kind of artist, exactly, is PKM looking for?

“Contemporary artists should express a contemporaneousness which can be read through a universal context. And also, most importantly, they should work hard,” said Park.

“When a certain gallery’s artists’ become established, the gallery’s value is increased as well. I hope PKM can develop and get a hold of many artists who will become big and the gallery can also become the top and stay there for a long time as well.”

For more information on PKM Gallery or PKM Trinity Gallery, visit www.pkmgallery.com.

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

테오얀센의 바다괴물들

Jansen’s ‘Strandbeests’ stomp into Korea

 

Video clips of weird looking creatures wandering, or sometimes racing, around the delft beach in the Netherlands were a hit on YouTube a few years ago.

The animal-like-creatures, called “Strandbeests,” were created by Dutch artist Theo Jansen who soon rose to stardom and was dubbed the Leonardo Da Vinci of the 21st century.

Jansen studied physics in college but became a painter after graduation. His knowledge of physics, however, did not disappear. He started to make some whimsical gadgets in the 1980s, such as a machine that automatically paints paintings.

In 1990, Jansen made his first Strandbeest called “Animaris Vulgaris.” Made of plastic tubes, nylon strings and rubber bands, Jansen’s works move solely by wind power.

“I sent a flying object up in the air on one cloudy day and it was the talk of town in the Netherlands for three months, mistaken as a UFO,” said the 61-year-old artist at a recent press conference.

Jansen’s works will be on show for the first time in Korea at the exhibition “Theo Jansen -- Animals modular” which starts this weekend at Gwacheon National Science Museum in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province.

Theo Jansen and his work “Animaris Umerus” KR Holdings Company

Of 25 Strandbeests Jansen has created, 17 of them, including “Animaris Vulgaris,” and “Animaris Ordis,” which was specially made for a BMW TV commercial, will be on display. The exhibition will also reveal Jansen’s latest piece, “Animaris Umerus,” for the first time.

Visitors will get a chance to see how Jansen’s creatures evolved through time. Though his latest creations still move by wind power, he added some sensors using plastic bottles so that the beasts could automatically change direction when they touch water.

”Like how our body is restricted by protein, which our body is made of, my creatures are restricted by plastic tubes. So I put in efforts to improve its functions and many people, including myself, found the results beautiful,” said Jansen.

“I had promised myself that I would only do the work for a year, but I am still doing it as if it were some kind of a disease. But I am so happy that I caught the disease.”

The United Nations Environment Program is planning to establish a Theo Jansen award in July, as his works usually feature environmental elements such as new energy. Jansen will be the first winner of the prize.

“I’m honored. They also offered me the chance to be the publicity ambassador but I am not sure if I would take it or not because I’m worried I will not be able to concentrate on my work,” said Jansen.

The exhibition runs from Saturday through Oct. 17 at Gwacheon National Science Museum in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. The museum is located near Seoul Grand Park Station on Subway Line No. 4, Exit 5. Tickets range from 4,000 won to 13,000 won. For more information, visit www.theojansen.co.kr.

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

갤러리시리즈_6_대안공간 루프 서진석대표

[Gallery Talk] Gallery Loop to spread Asian art

 

This is the sixth in a 10-part series on prominent art galleries in Korea. – Ed

Korea’s contemporary art market, culture and environment have greatly changed over the last 10 years, according to Suh Jin-suk, director of Gallery Loop.

Along with Project Space Sarubia and Art Space Pool, Gallery Loop has been one of the nation’s leading non-profit alternative art spaces since its establishment in 1999.

“Alternative spaces have changed their goal and role in accordance with such changes. They should, because if they don‘t, they will become mainstream,” said Suh.

The biggest goal of alternative spaces ten years ago was to discover and support young artists but this is no longer the case, asserted Suh.

Gallery Loop director Suh Jin-suk Park Hae-mook/ The Korea Herald

“There was no such thing as a proper art market or the concept of professional artists in Korea back then. Over 97 percent of the galleries lent their spaces to artists, which meant young and talented artists who could not afford the rent could not survive. But after the Korean art market really got bigger in the mid-2000s, most galleries and museums started to support young artists as if they were trying to prebuy good products. So, supporting new artists is not as important as it was before. We used to assign more than 90 percent of our exhibitions to young artists but now that figure is about 30 percent,” he said.

“Now we have another goal, to lessen the gap between Asian art and world art, which seems to have grown wider in the last ten years. It has become important for everything to reach a certain global standard after the worldwide economic crisis. We are building international networks and actively participating in exchanges to reach the goal.”

The Asia Art Award, a newly created combination of an art prize ceremony, exhibition and forum jointly organized by CJ Culture Foundation, Korea Sports Promotion Foundation and Gallery Loop, is one good example. The first AAA winner, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, also took home the Palme D’Or at Cannes International Film Festival last month.

“AAA is designed to discover and cultivate the talents of young Asian artists and provide them with a system that will support the international promotion and circulation of their art. We receive more positive responses from overseas than from Korea. I even saw a Japanese webzine criticizing their country for not having initiated such a project,” said Suh.

Though many commercial galleries and museums are also aiming for the world market by collaborating with foreign galleries and artists, Suh said the approach taken by alternative spaces is different.

“It is different because we don’t just deal with artworks and exhibitions. We focus on creating a discourse. About 20 to 30 curators participated in the AAA, for example. It is not a one-time event but the basis of building a new infrastructure,” said Suh.

It is not an easy task to run an alternative art space, however, due to financial reasons. Ssamzie, which used to be one of the leading alternative art spaces, recently closed down as the group Ssamzie went bankrupt.

“Yes, it is hard to raise funds because alternative spaces usually lack popularity and most enterprises only support projects that are popular. Loop is run 40 percent by government support, 30 percent by funds raised through art projects and enterprises, and 30 percent by the fund from a design firm under Gallery Loop.”

But this does not mean that alternative art spaces have to force themselves to get closer with the public, he said.

“We don’t have to, because we are supposed to suggest new trends. But I do think that the gap between Loop and the public has narrowed much compared to when we started. Many non-professionals visit the Loop while only students who major in art or professionals in art used to come. I think more people are starting to love experimental works and I am sure that the line between professionals and non-professionals is blurring,” he said.

“I hope Gallery Loop can suggest a new platform in the world market and show what kind of meaning Asian art can have in the world contemporary art. Personally, I hope I can become one of the most important curators in the world.”

For more information on Gallery Loop, visit www.galleryloop.com.

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

코리안 아이, 런던에서.

London eyes Korean art, again

 

Standard Chartered Bank, London’s Saatchi Gallery and Korean Eye once again rolled up their sleeves to promote Korean art in Britain.

The exhibition “Korean Eye: Fantastic Ordinary” will feature works by 12 Korean contemporary artists at Saatchi Gallery, one of Britain’s most prominent galleries.

The gallery had only lent the venue for last year’s exhibition titled “Korean Eye: Moon Generation,” but decided to take a bigger role this year as one of the organizers.

“A year ago, we started the inaugural Korean Eye exhibition and did not know it would have such an immediate success. More than 40,000 people visited the exhibition within two weeks so it was extended four times and was there for over three months,” said David Ciclitira, founder of Korean Eye, at the press conference on Tuesday.

Phillips de Pury enabled sales of the exhibits at last year’s show but since the auction house is not participating this year, the focus will be less on sales and more on the quality of the exhibition.

“The Costume of Painter — Phantom of Museum D. W. House harp ds” by Bae Joon-sung Korean Eye

A bigger and more international board of curators including Johnson Chang, director of Hanart Gallery in China, Amelie von Wedel, director of Wedel Fine Art, Serenella Ciclitira, Korean Eye Co-Founder and Honorary Fellow of Royal College of Arts, Rodman Primack, Philips de Pury Chairman, Jiyoon Lee, director of Suum Art Project in Korea, and Lee Dae-hyung, director of H-Zone in Korea, promised a high-quality exhibition.

“We are showcasing more works by a smaller number of artists this time, so this exhibition will be an opportunity to take an in-depth look at Korean contemporary art,” said Lee Dae-hyung.

The participating artists, including Bae Joon-sung, Kim Hyun-soo, Shin Mee-kyoung and Bae Chan-hyo, are younger, and their work is more experimental compared to the art in last year’s exhibition.

Another notable point about the exhibition is that it is heading for more world markets.

“This year we have expanded the boundaries of the exhibition to start in London at the Saatchi Gallery, then move on to Singapore in September and finally on to Seoul to coincide with the G20 Summit in November,” said Ciclitira.

Standard Chartered Bank increased its support fund from $60,000 to $600,000 this year for the traveling exhibition. It also announced its plans to support the big scale Korean contemporary art exhibition which is planned during the London Olympics in 2012, using the entire Saatchi Gallery exhibition space.

Korean Eye exhibition plans to continue for two more years and expand its venues to more international cities in the United Arab Emirates, China and Japan.

The organizers are publishing “Korean Eye Contemporary Korean Art,” a book on Korean contemporary art, in English as well. The book will be launched on July 5.

“The Korean Eye book, published by SKIRA, will become the first English-language book on Korean contemporary art and artists,” said Ciclitira.

The exhibition will first run from July 3-18 at Saatchi Gallery in London and then move to Singapore on September and back in Seoul on November. For more information, go to www.KoreanEye.org.

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

 

비엔나에서 열린 북한미술특집전

N.K. leader portraits on display in Vienna

 

Amid heightened tensions here following the sinking of a South Korean Naval ship, apparently by the North in March, a little known side of North Korea is being shown at a venue far from the Korean Peninsula.

Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts, or MAK, offers an exhibition titled “Flowers for Kim Il Sung,” a first-ever comprehensive look at North Korean contemporary art outside of the country.

Through cooperation with Korean Art Gallery and the Paektusan Academy of Architecture, both in Pyongyang, the show features more than 100 oil, ink and watercolor paintings, 30 posters and some architecture models and photographs from the world’s most isolated communist country.

MAK had to go through “extensive negotiations” with the relevant ministry in Pyongyang, said Peter Noever, director of MAK.

“It took a long time for the museum to persuade the skeptical North Koreans to let them include the Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il portraits in the show,” Noever told the press. As a result, 16 portraits of the former and current North Korean leaders are seen at the show, for the first time outside of North Korea, according to the museum officials.

Persuading North Koreans, however, was not the only problem. The Austrian government also raised doubts about the exhibition, criticizing MAK for working with the Pyongyang regime. But Noever rejected suggestions that the museum is supporting the regime.

“The exhibition should in no way be viewed as a political statement, but rather purely as a unique opportunity to examine the idealizing art of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which is hardly known at all. With this showing at the MAK, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has broken through its isolation -- at least in terms of artistic production,” said Noever.

Currently in the spotlight in North Korea is a culture determined by the all-encompassing worship of “Eternal President” Kim Il-sung and his currently reigning son Kim Jong-il, and characterized by Juche ideology, a North Korea-specific interpretation of socialism.

The works are created by artists who occupy a special status in North Korea, according to MAK. All are members of the state artist association, paid a monthly salary and have to produce a certain number of paintings.

The exhibition runs through Sept. 5 at MAK. For more information, visit www.MAK.at.

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

 

갤러리 시리즈_ 학고재 우찬규 대표

Hakgojae pursues art with Korean roots

 

This is the third in a 10-part series on prominent art galleries in Korea. – Ed

Seeing the graceful Korean style roof and the contrasting modern interior of Hakgojae Gallery in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul, one gets a feeling that there is something special about the gallery.

This hunch is confirmed upon learning the meaning of the word Hakgojae -- studying the old, creating the new.

The gallery started out in 1988 as a gallery exclusively for Korean antique art.

The concept of the gallery came to Woo Chan-kyu, the founder and president of the gallery, naturally, as he had an interest in old Korean art ever since he attended “seodang,” or traditional village schools, instead of going to high school and college.

It was not 17-year-old Woo’s intent to attend seodang but rather the decision was based on financial reasons. Woo, however, soon found the education he received there very attractive and now believes that his seodang days gave him the power and luck that will last for his lifetime.

“Studying Chinese letters was so much fun. I memorized almost every book I learned. And as I came and went out of my teachers’ houses, I got to see many old artworks in their houses and grew interested in them. I learned how to analyze them and identify their authenticity,” said Woo.

Hakgojae Gallery president Woo Chan-kyu poses at the Lim Choong-sub exhibition currently underway. Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald

His knowledge of Chinese letters and old Korean paintings is well-known in the art field. But his passion for repatriating Korea’s artworks that were taken out of the country is more widely known.

He visits Japan about 10 to 15 times a year, whenever he hears the news that an important Korean antique painting has turned up in the market. He picks them up without hesitation but is very particular when selling them. In fact, he recently surprised the public by refusing to sell some Joseon-period paintings to individual collectors at a recent exhibition.

“The number of our old art is already too small, compared to those of Japan or China. If individual collectors take them, they will only become more and more rare. I wanted public museums to buy them so that more people and scholars could view them,” said Woo.

Hakgojae is not just all about Korean antique artworks. It also holds shows on famous contemporary artists on one condition: Their works should be based on traditional roots.

Woo said that Lim Choong-sub, the Korean artist whose exhibition is underway at the gallery through May 30, is one such artist.

“Lim’s works are very conceptual and contemporary but based on the understanding of Korean traditional culture, like Neo-Confucianism. This kind of artist and this kind of exhibition fits in at Hakgojae,” said Woo.

“The content of the exhibition determines the worth of a gallery. It should exhibit creations that can represent the era. Hakgojae will showcase works by world-famous masters who focus on the mentality and fundamental problems of art. Exhibiting art that simply focuses on amusement is a waste of time.”

With that concept, Hakgojae is expanding.

Woo opened a publishing business under the same name in 1991, as an effort to lift the overall standard of Korean art sector.

“Running a gallery, I recognized the need to raise the standard of gallery owners and collectors, so that we could treat art of high standards. Publishing books seemed to be the first step,” said Woo.

In 2013, the gallery will be moving into a bigger place in Buam-dong, also in Seoul, so it can exhibit larger contemporary artworks. Woo has already secured a site there.

“Professor Choi Wuk, a veteran architect who designed the current Hakgojae Gallery, will be in charge of the design again for the Buam-dong gallery. The basic concept of the new gallery will be same as this one; coexistence of traditions and modern,” said Woo.

For details about Lim Choong-sup’s exhibition or Hakgojae Gallery, call (02) 739-4937 or visit www.hakgojae.com.

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

 

 

달은 가장 오래된 시계다

Time captured at Deoksugung museum

 

We make a habit of saying that we have no time, although we feel and experience the presence of time through various changes like the seasons and our physical state.

A soap sculpture by Shin Mi-kyung (National Museum of Art)

Inspired by this irony, Kim Nam-in, one of the youngest curators at the National Museum of Art, decided to offer the public an opportunity to take a closer look at the passage of time and so organized the exhibition “Passing Hours: Moon is the Oldest Clock.”

The exhibition is currently underway at the National Museum of Art, Deoksugung, which Kim thought would be the perfect venue to feel time flying by.

“I often find it peculiar that there is this old palace and garden in the middle of Gwanghwamun, one of the busiest places in Seoul. If you looked down from the sky, it would look like a tiny breathing hole,” said Kim.

“I had a chance to look at the original plan for the palace while organizing the exhibition. I was surprised to see the place looked exactly the same, from the walls we can tear down and the walls we can’t. Deoksugung is one of the rarest places in Seoul where we can really see the different layers of time piled up.”

Time-themed paintings, sculptures, video and installation works by 11 Korean contemporary artists, including some of Korea’s best known -- Kang Ik-joong, John Bae and late video artists Park Hyun-ki and Paik Nam-june -- are on display.

This is the first time such contemporary works have been on show inside the Deoksugung museum, which used to exhibit more calm and traditional works.

Categorized into four sections -- “River,” “Water,” “Moon,” “String” -- each of which is a metaphor of flowing time, the modern exhibits fit in beautifully with the Korean traditional palace.

“Storyteller’s Dilemma” by John Bae (National Museum of Art)

Among the exhibits, Shin Mee-kyoung’s soap sculptures are probably the most time-sensitive. She installed six outdoors and six indoors, which will be left in the hands of nature during the exhibition period.

“Even I don’t know how they will end up. I’m eagerly looking forward to seeing the results, too,” said Shin.

The rest of the exhibits may not dramatically change during the exhibition but are still interestingl.

Kim Ho-deuk hung white sheets of traditional paper above a shallow dish 4 meters wide and 18 meters long filled with black Chinese ink for the “River” section. Under the dim lights, the ink makes shadows on the paper, which waver like the river.

Han Eun-sun displays how water and paint smudge on the canvas as time goes by through her paintings at the next division. She also showcased practise paintings she did before creating the final piece in a small room to show another trace of time.

A room features many paintings Han Eun-sun went through before creating her final version of the “Water Going Up.”

The “Moon” and the “String” section showcases quite old and familiar works like Paik Nam-june and Park Hyun-ki’s video arts or John Bae’s wire sculptures. But seeing them in Deoksugung, under a significant theme, they appear somewhat different.

The exhibition runs through July 4 at National Museum of Art, Deoksugung in central Seoul. Tickets are 5,000 won for adults and 2,500 won for adolescents.

After the Seoul show, the exhibition will also be held in The National Gallery for Foreign Art in Bulgaria and The National Gallery in Prague, Czech, from August through October to commemorate 20th anniversaries of the relationships between those countries and Korea.

For more information, call (02) 2188-6062 or visit www.moca.go.kr

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

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)

 

 

홍대미술관 첫 기획전 리뷰

Hongdae show blurs line between art, design

“Hongdae,” short for “Hongik Daehagyo” or “Hongik University,” should not only remind one of an area full of clubs and cafés in Seoul. The university is actually home to Korea’s most renowned art school.

“Girl” by Kwak Nam-sin HOMA

But one should not be embarrassed for not knowing this since the university did not even have a proper art museum until last year. Hongik Museum of Art finally opened in October on the second floor of the university’s Hongmungwan building.

Now the university aims to prove to the public, more systematically, how Hongik graduates are at the top of Korean contemporary art through its first special exhibition “Free Style: A Dialogue Between Art and Design.”

“The border between design and fine art is breaking down worldwide. In Korea, however, people are separating them even more, for example, by holding the Seoul ‘Design’ Capital event. We want to show that the two should be combined through exhibitions,” said Cheong Yeon-sim, assistant professor at the department of Art Studies in Hongik University who organized the exhibition.

Divided into two sections, the exhibition features 28 artists -- all quite well-known in Korea and creating works fit for the show’s theme.

“The artists are all Hongik graduates this time as it is the museum’s first special exhibition. But we will be introducing a wider range of artists in the future, said Cheong.

The first section of the show, called “Sans,” which means “without” in French, showcases works that seem to be somewhat empty.

The simple and chic works like Kwak Nam-sin’s painting “Girl” which appears like a photo of a girl’s shadows or Lee Hun-chung’s blunt ceramic stools reflect how the minimalism of the 1960s and 1970s are reinterpreted in contemporary art.

More colorful and decorative works are found at the next section titled “Accretion.”

They often show repetition of units, colors and other methods of creation. Using prints, Jin Bo-ra shows an assortment of colors of women’s cosmetic products like manicures and powders. Kim Joon painted flashy colors onto the photo of human bodies like tattoos while Kil Hyun used a chemical reaction to grow colorful paint crystals that look like moss.

“Exposed Facade” by Jin Bo-ra HOMA

The show gets more interesting when you take a closer look at the artists’ majors, which are written next to the titles, unlike other exhibitions. Visitors can see that most of the artists took a step further from the traditional domains of their majors.

For example, Cha So-lim, who majored in textile art, sewed white thread on to the canvas, making it appear like a text and Kim Byung-joo, who majored in sculpture, made house models out of steel.

“The quest for individual genres is still valid. We have here many artists of different majors. We wrote down their majors because we want to show how the artists can tackle many genres after studying a single major,” said Cheong.

“This is in fact one of the biggest missions of the university. We hope our students can come and see what kind of works their senior colleagues of what majors are doing.”

The exhibition runs through June 18 at Hongik Museum of Art in Hongik University in Sangsu-dong, central Seoul. Admission is free. For more information, call (02) 320-3272.

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

갤러리 시리즈 2_ 갤러리 현대 도형태 대표

‘A good dealer doesn’t collect artworks for himself’

 

Do Hyung-teh, president of Gallery Hyundai, most likely feels a lot of weight on his shoulders.

As the second son of Park Myung-ja, Gallery Hyundai’s founder, Do took the place as president of one of the nation’s most influential art galleries five years ago.

Opened in 1970, Gallery Hyundai is the pioneer of commercial galleries in Korea and has introduced numerous artists to the public. It not only turned the artists into big stars but led Korea’s art gallery boom in the late 1970s, proving that art exhibitions could be major events that gather large crowds. The gallery currently has three exhibition spaces in Seoul, two in Sagan-dong, and one in Sinsa-dong.

Art insiders say it was Park Myung-ja, the gallery’s founder and former president, who made all this possible. Do agreed, pointing out her gifted esthetic sense and credibility.

“Her credibility, especially, is something I could never catch up with. She is like that in her every day life, not just when doing business. I remember seeing her close relationships with the vendors at the market,” said Do.

Park’s credibility and business acumen once again stood out recently when she helped in organizing the gallery’s current exhibition on Park Soo-keun to commemorate the 45th anniversary of his death. It was Park who called every single collector of the late artist’s paintings and borrowed the works.

Thanks to her, the exhibition, which runs through May 30 at one of the gallery’s Sagan-dong spaces, showcases 45 of Park’s paintings, his photos and some of his hand-written letters.

Do still treasures his mother’s advice.

“When she says no, it means no. Although I do rebel now when I have logical reasons,” said Do, chuckling.

Opposite to what many would assume, Do had little interest in art in his youth, even though he was always surrounded by artworks and artists.

Instead, he was more of a trust-fund brat who applied for a leave of absence from Korea’s Foreign Language University and declared he was going to do nothing until his 30th birthday and simply fled to New York.

Without much thought, he majored in art at New York University and happened to fall in love with it. After that, he furthered his studies in Art History at the Pratt Art Institute based on his own willingness to learn.

The first opportunity to showoff the talent needed for what he does now came to him in 1998 at the Basel Art Fair.

Gallery Hyundai had participated in the fair since 1996 but Park Myung-ja had announced they could not that year, due to the soaring exchange rate.

Do, 30 at the time, came forward and tried everything he could, from writing letters to the fair to contacting artists to scraping up his own money to pay for the booth and the transportation.

“I knew nothing about art fairs or running galleries at that time. Some of the experienced buyers at the fair even taught me how to write invoices when they came by our booth. I found everything so amusing,” Do said.

Park, as usual, did not give him many compliments after the fair, but Do had definitely proved himself to be useful, as Gallery Hyundai had marked some actual sales there for the first time.

Since then, he moved into the gallery’s management step by step.

He picked up the essentials from his mother, like the basic rule of not coveting artworks for himself.

“I don’t collect works. We are, in a way, retailers. We need to transmit good works to good collectors. If I keep the works for myself thinking this will be worth money later on, I am a collector not a dealer. There are some dealer/collectors, but I think art dealers should not collect works for themselves,” said Do.

In areas that his mother steered clear from, Do is making some efforts independently.

After receiving criticism that Gallery Hyundai focuses too much on sales and only offered chances to established artists, Do opened the gallery Do Art in 2002, which incubates and introduces emerging artists. He also opened another gallery called 16 Bungee this year under the same goal.

This year, which is the 40th anniversary of Gallery Hyundai, will be a turning point for the gallery, said Do. His biggest goal is to introduce more Korean artists to the world. That is why he suggested publishing Park Soo-keun’s catalogue in English.

“I was embarrassed that I had nothing to bring when I met dealers and buyers overseas. Park Soo-keun is the most beloved painter in Korea. I thought it was time that we made something to better introduce him to the world,” said Do.

“We will be doing a lot of works this year, from exhibitions to art fairs, using our international networks. I can’t say what exactly right now but you will be hearing some good news, soon,” he added.

For more information on the Park Soo-keun retrospective exhibition or on Gallery Hyundai, call (02) 2287-3500 or visit www.galleryhyundai.com.

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

 

잭 피어슨 전시 리뷰

Pierson speaks through thrown-out letters

 

Jack Pierson is a versatile artist who freely explores almost all genres of art from sculpture to photography to video works.

In the U.S., he is best noted as a fashion and celebrity photographer who worked with Naomi Campbell, Snoop Dogg and Brad Pitt. He was recently in charge of the catalogue shootings for six Korean designers’ collections at “Concept Korea -- Fashion Collective 2010” which took place in New York in February.

But he is happy to expand his territories, for example, to curating. He curated a much-talked show in Paul Kasmin Gallery in New York last summer. The exhibition, “The Name of This Show Is Not: Gay Art Now,” included works mainly by artists who identify themselves as gay.

Now the U.S. artist aims to showcase another side of him in Seoul, through his first solo exhibition here titled “Jack Pierson: Night.” It displays the artist’s latest word sculpture series.

“Heartbreak Hotel” by Jack Pierson installed on a Kukje Gallery wall. Kukje Gallery

Words and phrases are spotted on every wall of Kukje Gallery. They are compositions by Pierson, who picked up letters that were thrown out from Las Vegas casinos, old movie marquees and other exhausted businesses and reassembled them.

“From 1984 to 1990 my studio in New York was on the 42nd street, which was a rundown street that represented the old New York. At that time the street was becoming renewed so a lot of letters there were being thrown out and I had access to them,” Pierson told the press on Tuesday.

He collected letters not just from the 42nd street but from all over the country driving his pick-up truck. It was like a pursuit of the faded glamour and stardom in the U.S. He went to every famous rock ‘n’ roll place, including the Flame Show Bar in Detroit, which he reminisced as his favorite place.

The letters which once represented the American dreams of fame and fortune in the form of dazzling sign boards now reflect disillusionment and the artist’s nostalgic sentiments.

“You look at them (the words and phrases) and you can understand them immediately. But within that fast read, I want you to look into the individual letters to get to know each of their story,” said Pierson.

Take “Old Hollywood Movies” for example. He collected the letters from different places, including actual movie marquees.

“When I was young, I wanted to be the person who designed movie credits. The piece is a nod to that. And also, it reflects what Americans say -- you know, people just know what it means when you say ‘It’s like old Hollywood movies,’” said Pierson.

The work “Pola Negri” is his personal favorite.

“Back when Hollywood movies were silent, Pola Negri was a big star like Elvis Presley. I like the piece because I think the shape of every letter in it perfectly matches her personality,” said Pierson.

Will he ever run out of materials?

“Oh, you should see, I have a room this big filled with letters,” Pierson said with a laugh, holding his arms out in the exhibition room.

“And now is a good time to get these things because everything is becoming digital.”

The exhibition runs through June 6 at Kukje Gallery in Sogyuk-dong, central Seoul. For more information, call (02) 735-8449 or visit www.kukjegallery.com

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

갤러리 시리즈 1_ 오페라갤러리 권기찬 대표

’Opera Gallery doesn’t only deal in expensive works’

 

As one passes by the Cheongdam intersection in southern Seoul, it is hard not to notice the glass windowed shop on the first floor of the Nature Poem building, where colorful artwork seems to be peering out the window.

Kwon Gee-chan, chairman of Opera Gallery Seoul, poses in front of “All you need is Love, Love, Love, Diamond Dust” by Damien Hirst Lee Sang-sub/ The Korea Herald

It is Opera Gallery Seoul, the Seoul branch of the world’s leading gallery chain which first opened in Singapore in 1994. Opera Gallery has 11 branches all over the world, including its head office in Paris, and holds a wide collection of art by masters including Chagall, Renoir and Picasso, as well as contemporary artists such as Romero Britto and Keith Haring.

Kwon Gee-chan, chief executive of Wearfun International, opened the Seoul branch -- which became city’s first chain gallery -- in October 2007. Not only was Kwon already a well-known figure in the fashion industry as one of the first importers of high-end fashion products to Korea, but he was also an avid collector of art.

“I had already been collecting artworks for about 20 years back then. I had over 300 pieces. Every time I went on a business trip to Europe, five or six times a year, I looked around different art museums and galleries. And Opera Gallery, which happened to have the works that were exactly my taste, was always my must-visit spot,” Kwon told The Korea Herald.

So his first encounter with Gilles Dyan, the founder and chairman of Opera Gallery International, was as a collector and an art dealer.

“I admired the way he ran the galleries. I attentively watched when he opened a branch in Hong Kong, thinking I would bring it to Seoul if it succeeds. And about three years ago when the Korean art market expanded explosively, I grabbed my chance,” said Kwon.

Colorful, fun and optimistic artwork makes him relax and feel better, Kwon said. He even owns a personal gallery in the basement of his corporate building in Samseong-dong, where he goes down when he is stressed out or has to make some crucial decisions.

“I wanted to share the same kind of pleasure with Seoul citizens by offering them a chance to see the masterpieces of Chagall and Picasso right here in Korea. Everyone is free to come in or peer through the glass windows while driving past the building,” Kwon said.

Opera Gallery has a reputation for holding exhibitions of high profile international artists. As the largest shareholder of the gallery’s Seoul branch with a 51 percent stake, the head office takes the initiative in organizing exhibitions although discussions are actively held with Kwon, who holds 49 percent of the stake.

At the moment, Damien Hirst’s solo exhibition is underway at Opera Gallery Seoul. About 30 pieces, including a lithograph of a diamond-studded skull with real human teeth “For the Love of God, Believe,” is on display through May 15.

“It is a pity that we could not bring some of the much-talked about Hirst pieces. Still, this is another opportunity to see works by a world-class artist at our home,” said Kwon.

As much as the gallery is famous for exhibitions of celebrated artists, however, it is infamous among the Korean public for neglecting Korean artists.

“We did avoid holding Korean artists’ exhibitions because we did not want to be seen as being in rivalry with some 200 galleries in Korea. Holding exhibitions of veteran Korean artists would immediately mean competition,” said Kwon.

“Instead, we are trying to hold exhibitions for the artists we discovered, not just in Seoul but also in other parts of the world through the gallery’s branches. Introducing the works of Korean artists to the world is in fact the most important goal of Opera Gallery Seoul.”

In that sense, the Seoul branch has been quite successful so far. Korean artist Yim Tae-kyu’s show opened at Opera Gallery London last week and Kwon Ki-soo and Lee Dong-uk will hold exhibitions at the Paris branch in July and December, respectively.

Kwon mentioned another “prejudice” about Opera Gallery Seoul; that the works are way too expensive compared to other galleries in Korea.

“We do have expensive works but we also have works that are marked below 1 million won ($895,000). Moreover, the works are available for collectors at the same price at all Opera Gallery branches,” Kwon explained.

The gallery is trying different approaches to lose its snobbish image. Lending its works to public spaces is one.

“It will be the third anniversary of Opera Gallery Seoul in October. It has not been discussed with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, but I have plans to exhibit some 50 sculptures by Dali at the Seoul Plaza in front of the City Hall,” he added.

For more information on the Damien Hirst exhibition or on Opera Gallery, visit www.operagallery.com

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

로댕 회고전

Rodin’s masterpieces in Seoul

 

A major retrospective exhibition of Auguste Rodin, sculptor of “The Thinker,” kicks off today in Seoul.

Original masterpieces by the French master, such as “The Hand of God,” “The Kiss” and, of course, “The Thinker” will be shown outside France for the first time.

The exhibition displays 180 pieces including 113 sculptures in bronze, marble and plaster, 42 drawings and 25 photographs. They are on loan from The Musee Rodin in Paris, France.

“Rodin successfully converted lifeless materials into sculptures imbued with delicate human feelings such as passion, agony, love and hatred. With his dynamic sculptures, Rodin is still extolled as a pathfinder and precursor of modern sculpture,“ said Seo Sun-ju, director of the exhibition.

Divided into nine sections -- The Age of Bronze, The Gates of Hell, The Burghers of Calais, The Figures of Eros, Rodin in His Studio, Dance: Body in Movement, Camille Claudel, Rodin in 1900, Pavillion d’Alma and The Monuments -- the exhibition explores Rodin’s life, love and passion for art.

The exhibition runs through Aug. 22 at Seoul Museum of Art in Seosomun-dong, central Seoul. Tickets are 12,000 won for adults, 10,000 won for youths and 8,000 won for children. It is closed on Monday. For more information, visit www.rodinseoul.com.

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

 

젊은모색 30주년 기념전 리뷰

Artists may grow old but their works are timeless

 

Every old man was once an ambitious boy. Artists are no exception.

“I am embarrassed to be reintroducing the works I’ve done in my 20s now in my 60s. Young people tend to be critical towards society, don’t they? I was too, although I now do different kinds of works,” artist Kim Yong-chul told the press Friday at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Gwacheon.

Kim was one of the 22 rising Korean artists who participated in the “Young Korean Artists Exhibition” organized by the museum in 1981. He had taken a picture of himself holding a blank newspaper and scribbled “This is but a piece of paper” on it with oil paint for the show.

“It was a satire on the newspapers of that time which could not function normally under the military dictatorship. I wrote the sentence in English because I was scared they might come after me after reading it in Korean,” Kim reminisced.

Thirty years have passed and Kim is showcasing the exact same work once again at the 30th Anniversary of the Young Korean Artists show currently running at the museum, not as a young artist but in the capacity of the show’s senior participant.

The exhibition is a round-up of the 30 years since the Young Korean Artists Exhibition. The annual exhibition is arguably the museum’s oldest and most representative show, which produced many leading artists who are now acknowledged in and out of Korea.

Among the 327 artists to participate so far, 43 of them, including Joo Tae-seok, Koo Bohn-chang, Noh Sang-kyoon, Suh Do-ho and Lee Wan are back with the original exhibits they displayed in their first “Young Korean Artists” show, as well as some new works. Half the participants can still pass for young while the other half, like Kim, are now in their 50s and 60s.

“It is hard to say that the selected artists are the representative artists of the exhibition. All 327 artists are important but we had to sort them out considering many conditions like the exhibition space. What is certain, though, is that the exhibition can also be seen as a round-up of the last 30 years of Korean art,” said Lee Chu-young, the exhibition curator.

Indeed, the exhibition showcases a wide array of works not just in terms of time but also in genre. Divided into two sections -- the 1980s room and the 1990s to present room -- the exhibition is packed with 150 paintings, photographs, sculptures, videos and installation works. What is interesting is that one can feel the artists’ youthful enthusiasm in every work, no matter how old the artist is now.

The artists featured in the 1980s room often revealed defiance against society in their works.

Kim Yong-ik, for example, reacted against the conventional art world of the time. Rebelling against an art world in which every artist had to have one significant style or “brand” and stick to it, he rolled up all his drawings in a packet, labeled it “To Kumho Museum” and hung it up as an exhibit.

Rhee Ki-bong, on the other hand, expressed the vanity of knowledge by pouring water on a desk where an encyclopedia lays open.

“One summer day, I stepped into my studio and found my books all wet because rain had leaked from the ceiling. A wet book means death; it is impossible to revive it,” said Rhee.

The installation work, titled “Extra-Ordinary-Late-Summer,” is one of the show’s most eye-catching -- and ear-catching -- exhibits.

Younger artists in the 1990s section tend to be more bold and whimsical.

Starting with photographer Koo Bohn-chang’s well-known work in which he sewed together many photos that each feature a body part to make one big body, visitors can find eerie works by several photographers that focus on human body.

Hong Sung-do assembled photos of the human body and titled it “Plastic Surgery,” while Kim Jun tattooed canvases using a variety of materials to make them look like nasty human skin, took pictures of human bodies and colored them and even tried 3-D tattooing by filming a bunch of small and big pink bubbles growing on an arm.

Lee Wan, who is known for his baseballs made of ground chicken and tools made of ground beef, this time displays a skull made of butter.

Do not be surprised to find the work on the floor, because it was not you but the artist who dropped it. It accidently slipped out of Lee’s hands while he was installing it on the day before the show’s opening. Lee said that he decided to leave it like that, damaged, on the floor.

“It was supposed to be put in a glass case, but seeing it on the floor, I had a feeling that that’s where it belonged. The material seemed to have come to life,” Lee said.

The exhibition runs through June 6 at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. Tickets are 5,000 won for adults and 3,500 won for youths. For more information, call (02) 2188-6000 or visit www.moca.go.kr

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

홍라희 리움으로 복귀 초읽기?

Hong to return with Kim Hong-do show?

 

Leeum Samsung Museum of Art in Hannam-dong, central Seoul opened an exhibition of works by Joseon-period painter Kim Hong-do on March 30.

This permanent exhibition -- not a special exhibition for which Leeum was once known -- is drawing much attention, however the museum is abuzz for other reasons as well.

“Taoist Immortals” by Kim Hong-do (Leeum Samsung Museum of Art)

Leeum has kept quiet and not held any special exhibitions since former director Hong Ra-hee resigned in the aftermath of the Samsung scandal in April, 2008. It has been making unusual moves lately, feeding rumors that Hong may be getting ready to return to power.

The Samsung probe resulted in a three-year suspended jail term for Hong’s husband, Lee Kun-hee, who was charged with tax evasion. He stepped down from the chairmanship of Samsung Group in April 2008 as the prosecutor’s investigation was underway.

The Leeum revealed its new media art collection in October and handed out calendars featuring Kim Hong-do’s works early this year to VIPs (a project thought to have been directed by Hong), and is now holding an exhibition of Kim’s masterpieces.

Art insiders expect that Hong’s comeback could get Leeum back on its feet, as the former director maintained her standing as the most influential figure in the local art scene, even during her two-year absence. However, Leeum officials have repeatedly said that decisions have not been finalized.

Hong majored in applied art at Seoul National University and gained experience as a museum art director in 1995 at Ho-am Art Museum in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The museum was established by Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul, Hong’s father-in-law, in 1878 and opened in 1982.

In 2004, Hong established Leeum. The museum, which reflects Hong’s contemporary taste in art, has one of the biggest collections of contemporary art in Korea. It is also a treasure trove of ancient Korean art, including several national treasures.

The newly added exhibition will showcase 18 works by the legendary Joseon painter, carefully selected from the museum’s vast collection.

Kim, known by his penname Danwon, is regarded as the most talented painter of the Joseon period.

Once a court painter for the Royal Painting Academy, Kim was known by all levels of society for his portrayals of Taoist and Buddhist figures, still-life, bird and animal paintings, and landscapes.

He is one of the rare artists who enjoyed tremendous popularity in his own time, as well as lauds today as a master in painting. Numerous high-profile figures of the time formed friendships with him or sponsored him, including King Jeongjo, the 22nd king of Joseon.

“It is a small but fruitful exhibition. The painting ‘Taoist Immortals’ is a must-see,” said Park Min-seon, the museum’s public relations officer.

“Taoist Immortals,” which Kim painted at age 37, features a long parade of hermits. The painting is designated as a national treasure.

Another painting on exhibition, “Tiger and Pine Tree,” was the cover for Leeum’s VIP calendar this year.

The show also includes works by Kim’s son, Kim Yang-ki, and his student Lee Myung-ki, revealing the influence of Kim’s work on the later generation of painters.

The exhibition runs through Oct. 10 at Leeum Samsung Museum of Art in Hannam-dong, central Seoul. Tickets are 10,000 won for adults and 6,000 won for students. For more information, call (02) 2014-6900 or visit www.leeum.org

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

 

Artist of the year creates an awkward place to rest

Visitors to the National Museum of Contemporary Art will notice the gigantic new piece of art in the museum’s main hall.

Park Ki-won, the National Museum of Contemporary Art’s artist of the year for 2010, covered the entire main hall with vinyl sheets colored in various shades of green oil paint.

The work, titled “Scenery,” is a part of the exhibition “Artist of the Year 2010 Kiwon Park: Who’s Afraid of Museums?”

“It is a small difference but could change the way people think. I intended to induce the situation between reality and unreality. Besides, green is one of my favorite colors,” Park said at a press meeting last week.

Born in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province in 1964, Park started his career as a Western-style painter. He became more acknowledged in the mid-1990s, however, when he switched to installation works that emphasized the exhibition space rather than the work itself.

The National Museum of Contemporary Art started the artist-of-the-year program in 1995. Selected artists so far include Jeon Su-cheon, No Sang-gyun, Jeong Yeon-doo and Suh Yong-sun.

Park’s exhibit, however, leaves something to be desired.
Because the main hall on the first floor is an atrium built through three floors, visitors in the hall can see how the walls on the upper two floors are left bare in a dull gray color. It limits the immersion into the unexpected greenery in the museum.

In the second exhibition room, Park built “Airwalls” with 250 air tubes and also created “Dim,” something like a miniature mountain range with heaps of thin steel wires.

Although wires are supposed to be rather cold and uncomfortable, they appear soft and comfy like hay when piled up under light.
“I think the best exhibition is where visitors can come and rest. That is why I moved this bush-like work indoors,” said Park.

Ironically, though, visitors are only allowed to touch some of the wire heaps.
The exhibition runs through May 30 at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. Admission is 3,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2188-6000 or visit www.moca.go.kr

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

커버아트의 거장 로저딘 전시 리뷰

Eyes on Dean's fantasy world

 

"Morning Dragon" by Roger Dean in 1984 [Roger Dean]

Dragons fly and islands float in Roger Dean's paintings.

The British artist, one of the greatest in the music album cover art field, enjoys creating fantasy-like scenes with waterfalls that never go dry, comical devils swarming in hell or mystical woods and jungles.

If the recent mega-hit movie "Avatar" comes to your mind as you look at Dean's works - most of them were created about 30 years before the movie was made - you are sharing the same thoughts as hundreds of thousands of others.

Even before the movie was released, people joined an online forum, raising questions about whether the movie plagiarized Dean's work. The figure grew enormously soon after the movie came out.

Many American lawyers called Dean to offer to take the case. Now rumors are spreading that Dean is preparing a lawsuit.

The 65-year-old artist, however, was careful with his words.

"At this time, I cannot talk about 'Avatar.' I'll just say that I was extremely grateful that there were so many people that recognized the similarity. I didn't know so many would remember and recognize my works," said Dean at a press conference last Wednesday.

Those in Seoul are in luck, because the original paintings of the controversial works are on display at the exhibition "Dragon's Dream" currently running at the Daelim Contemporary Art Museum in Tongui-dong, central Seoul.

This is Dean's first show in Korea and the largest ever displaying about 150 works, including those that have never been exhibited before.

"To my embarrassment, he (exhibition curator Seong Si-wan) even managed to find things I thought were long hidden," Dean said.

Dean moved house a lot in his youth, following his father who was an engineer for the British army. He had many colorful experiences, especially in Hong Kong, and cultivated a fascinating sense of imagination.

The first job he got in 1968 after finishing his design studies at Canterbury School of Art and later at the Royal College of Art was not related to cover art. He was to renovate the interior of a burnt-down jazz club. But this, unexpectedly, led to his first album cover job.

"The interior job had to be done within three weeks because there was a BBC broadcast scheduled there and there would be a huge penalty if it wasn't done. So I did it based on a design I already had in my sketchbook. They were really pleased with the result and asked me if they could have it as an album cover. It was Gun's," said Dean.

This "intriguing" job led to another and before he realized it, Dean had become a famous album cover artist who would work with many rock bands of the 1970s such as Yes, Uriah Heep and Asia.

Dean's surrealistic illustrations were a great fit for the supernatural image the progressive bands had at the time. The illustrations were usually created after long hours of discussion with band members.

"I talk with the band about what idea they want to be using. I'm not reinterpreting the music. I listen to what they say and I value what they say," said Dean.

He confessed, however, that he rarely listened to all the music on the album he worked on.

"Once, I spent a week with a band in Vancouver and they played their song for me over and over again. But l still don't even remember which song it was," he said, chuckling.

Dean's original works are now a popular collection for museums and a bestseller at art auctions. The work "Relayer," for example, goes for over $2.5 million (3 billion won) in the U.S. art market.

"Basically, I only paint three to five paintings a year. So when I sell them it's a great honor. But I definitely feel happier when millions of people can actually see and buy my albums, books and posters," he said.

Other than album covers, visitors can also find various logos and labels by Dean, such as the one he created for the familiar game Tetris, at the exhibition.

The exhibition runs through June 6 at Daelim Contemporary Art Museum in Tongui-dong, central Seoul. Tickets range from 1,000 won to 5,000 won. For more information, call (02) 720-0667 or visit www.daelimmuseum.org

(claire@heraldm.com)

By Park Min-young

대런 아몬드 전시 리뷰

Almond's persevering works on show

 

A sweaty Indonesian miner takes another heavy step towards the nearby crater, carrying a 100 kg chunk of sulfur on his shoulder.

Surrounding him is a fog so acidic, it can make you cough up blood in less than one hour. The only thing that protects him from the deadly environment is a piece of cloth that he keeps stuffing into his mouth.

British artist Darren Almond followed this miner around in Java, Indonesia, and captured him in a 35-minute-long film.

"Over there, as soon as the sulfur touches your eyes, your eyes turn into acid. In just two days my lungs were bleeding," said Almond at a recent press conference.

Almond, 38, became recognized in the contemporary art field after he was chosen as one of the finalists for the Turner prize in 2005 with his work "If I Had You."

His artwork is usually the result of his voyages or experiences in unfamiliar places. He uses photos, videos and installations to express his memories.

Though the process might appear similar to making a documentary, Almond said that it is not because it contains no 'facts,' referring to "Bearing," the film in which he followed the miner.

"There is only emotion in 'Bearing.' I saw a documentary about them before going there, and they had kind of removed the dignity from these guys and turned them into facts. I felt that I needed to go back and give back their dignity," he said.

Including "Bearing," about 30 pieces of Almond's sentimental and persevering films and photographs are on display at his solo exhibition currently running at PKM Trinity Gallery in southern Seoul.

Though Almond is young, British and a contemporary artist, do not expect to see the shocking, sensational type of works like those by the "Young British Artists," a group of artists who became stars since the exhibition "Freeze" in the 1980s.

"I see no connection. I went to different schools, and so to speak, I deliberately moved my studio to the other side of town. I'm the next generation," said Almond.

Almond's works are interesting in their own way. For instance, "Marathon Monk," another of his films on display, is not only interesting in content but also the way it is viewed.

In the basement of the gallery, the film is viewed on six different screens amid complete darkness where one cannot even see his or her own hands. Visitors have no choice but to lock their eyes on the screens and immerse them into the monk's marathon.

In the film, a monk ceaselessly runs on Mount Hiei in Kyoto. He is practicing asceticism, which finishes when he succeeds in running half of the equator's circumference within 1,000 days.

"He only rested while praying at certain spots where other monks had died during their marathons," Almond said.

As if he himself is practicing asceticism too, Almond created some unique photos that could not have been made without much patience.

Some of his photos were taken in Antarctica and each in his "Full Moon" series required at least eight to 20 hours of exposure time.

As a result, Almond acquired some rare photos of Antarctica and nighttime photos so bright with moonlight that they appear to be taken in the daytime.

The exhibition runs through April 16 at PKM Trinity Gallery in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul. For more information, call (02) 515-9496 or visit www.pkmgallery.com

(claire@heraldm.com)

By Park Min-young

백남준 아트센터 새로운 전시

Nam June Paik Art Center showcases new collections

 

In less than two years since its establishment, the Nam June Paik Art Center has become a must-visit spot for video art fans.

The center greatly expanded its collection last year by purchasing about 320 of Paik's works, photos and keepsakes from different collectors.

Among them, notable works are "Hommage a John Cage" and "1.portable Television" from German collector Eric Andersch, "Zen for Head" from Mary Bauermeister and installation "Video Chandelier No. 1" from a German TV station.

Other than the new collections, the center has more than 2,000 of the late artist's videotapes, more than 110 of his paintings and drawings, and about 100 pieces of his keepsakes.

Visitors can now see the new collections at the center's first floor where most of them are on display, just in time for the special exhibition "Random Access" currently underway on the second floor.

The show's title was named after one of Paik's works from his first solo exhibition "Exposition of Music Electronic Television" held in 1963.

The original "Random Access" piece was a musical work which viewers could participate in by scratching cassette tapes hung on the wall with electronic heads to make them play the music.

"'Random Access' is a theme Paik addressed frequently throughout his practice. Of the many works Paik presented that were innovative, it was the most direct presentation of his ambition for a paradigm shift. Motivated by the concept, this exhibition aims to find contemporary interpretations of Paik's works and help visitors discover new creative energy through the exhibits," said Lee Young-cheol, director of the Nam June Paik Art Center.

So the center's curatorial team randomly picked out six of Paik's works and produced an exhibition around each of them with works by 20 young local and international artists that seemed to have a connection with Paik's works.

For example, one of the works related to Paik's "Prepared Piano," in which the artist reformed a piano with all sorts of junk and had a pianist play it, is Kim Hee-seon's work "Non-self Situation."

In Kim's room, viewers can see a video of musicians playing cellos on a large screen. Interestingly, the more people enter the room, the louder and faster the music goes as more musicians participate as well. It works by a special sensor.

Yuri Suzuki's "Sound Chaser" is also related to Paik's piano work. The artist cut records, connected them to be like a railroad and had a small cart with a needle pointing out to run on it. The needle plays music in the cut-off records, which comes out like random squeaks.

Paik's exhibits are sensational as always but at this exhibition, visitors might find some of the young artists' works even more shocking.

Tip: the elderly, children, and pregnant women are strongly counseled not to enter the room marked with a red "19." The room is packed with graphic photos of terrorism victims.

The exhibition runs through May 9 at Nam June Paik Art Center in Sanggal-dong, Yongin city in Gyeonggi Province. It takes about 30 minutes from Gangnam Station by bus. Admission is free. For more information, call (031) 201-8571 or visit www.njpartcenter.kr

(claire@heraldm.com)

By Park Min-young