Korean artists head for London

2009.5.15

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Throughout history, the greatest artworks and artists were usually better recognized outside of prosperous times.

The members of the Young British Artists, led by Damien Hurst, are a good example. Their struggle to do art during Britain's worst economic recession in the 1980s must have refined them because they have now become one of the most popular artists in the world.

Now that an economic crisis has hit again, 30 brilliant Korean contemporary artists are attempting to do the same: stepping up to introduce Korean art to the world and to boost export figures too.

Their exhibition "Moon Generation - Contemporary ART from Seoul," hosted by Korean Eye, will open at Saatchi Gallery in London, England, in June. It previews for a week at Standard Charters First Bank in central Seoul starting Monday. About 30 artworks will be on display.

Korean Eye is an international initiative that started in London last year to highlight the best of Korean contemporary art. It hosts exhibitions, auctions and scholarship funds for promising Korean artists. Phillips de Pury, one of the three globally renowned art auction companies along with Christie's and Sotheby's, is a partner of the committee

"I first visited Korea several years ago and was amazed at the richness and vibrancy of the country's contemporary art scene," said David Ciclitira, founder of Korean Eye and chairman of Parallel Media Group at a press conference in March.

"It became my mission to ensure that the work and artists enjoy the recognition they deserve on the international stage," he added.

Korean Eye plans to organize an annual exhibition in international cities for the next four years to create an enduring legacy for Korean contemporary art and make an impressive cultural contribution to the London Olympics in 2012.

This exhibition shows the cultural roots and identities of Korean contemporary art and also defines its relationship with Western art through the concept of moon.

"Looking at the moon Koreans pray for a better future while the West associates it with darkness and uncertainness. These different views on the moon have been deeply rooted in the collective sentiments of the two cultures," said Lee Dae-hyung, curator of the exhibition.

The participating artists including Kim Joon and Debbie Han are already well-established in Korea and have been spotlighted in many international art fairs and biennales in recent years.

The preview in Korea will run from May 18 to 23 at Standard Chartered First Bank in Chungmuro, central Seoul and the actual exhibition will run from June 20 to July 5 at London's Saatchi Gallery.

For more information, visit www.koreaneye.org

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)

[과학이 미술을 만나다] Science meets art

2009.5.13

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"All science touches on art; all art has its scientific side. The worst scientist is he who is not an artist; the worst artist is he who is no scientist."

So said Armand Trousseau, a prominent French physician of the 19th century. However, today people tend to regard scientists and artists as totally different.

But think of some legendary figures known as both, like Leonardo Da Vinci. Is there really a sharp line between the two fields?

Two current exhibitions in Seoul set out to prove that art and science are inseparable.

"A.L.I.C.E. Museum 2009: Future School," hosted by Art Center Nabi, is underway at SOMA Museum of Art in southeastern Seoul. It showcases 21 interactive media works and installations by 16 well-established international and local artists.

"We are introducing scientific pieces that can educate children on ecology, biology and technology of the 21st century as well as encourage their artistic sensibilities," said Lee Yoo-na, researcher at Nabi.

The show has five sections, the first letter of each one corresponding to the acronym "A.L.I.C.E.," - "Artistic Studio," "Lively Station," "Intelligent Platform," "Creative Engine," and "Eco-Friendly Wonderland."

"Eco-Friendly Wonderland" comes first, greeting viewers with digitalized waves projected onto the floor. The video and sound is realistic enough to prompt you into jumping over it.

"Bio Photon" by Takahiro Ando, also at the section, visualizes bio photons that three different herb seeds emit in the course of germination. The real-time vision projected on a domed screen looks like a star-filled sky.

"Creative Engine," "Intelligent Platform" and "Lively Station" are the parts that kids love the most. They are filled with digital creatures, sounds, 3D videos and other artistic and high-tech educational tools reminiscent of computer games.

Using the remote controller of the Wii, Nintendo's popular home video game console, visitors can witness, control and discover the artificial ecosystem created by Ji Haru and Graham Wakefield on a big screen.

Stelarc, an Austrailian-based artist famous for his experimental works on futurism and the human body, created his own computerized conversational agent on a screen. When a visitor types in a question, a 5-meter high head that looks like the artist's responds in real-time lip syncs.

"Art Studio," the final section, provides media art workshops which children can create scientific artworks with professional artists. It opens every weekend.

"Automata Museum with Cookie Robots from Automata to Robot," running at Automata Museum in western Seoul is another exhibition that gives children both scientific and artistic experiences.

About 40 pieces of original automata works by 17 renowned artists are on display.

Automata, which means self-operating machines, is a term used in the art or science field to describe non-electronic moving toys made to resemble human or animal actions.

It might sound unfamiliar to some because it was introduced in Korea only three or four years ago.

"Japan has about a 400-year-long history of automata and about 120 museums, not to mention Europe where there are even more. But in Korea, this is the first automata museum and we are not sure if there are any Korean automata artists," said Kim Gi-byum, director of Utospace.

The exhibits, all by foreign artists, are mostly made of wood and move when their handles are turned. Their interiors are open so viewers can see and learn how they work.

"Its exterior is art, and the inside is science. In Britain, automata are included in the school curriculum for science or art classes," said Kim.

Examine carefully, and viewers will find out that the works are not as simple as they seem.

For example, take "The Barecats" by Paul Spooner. Each part of the toy - from the baby cat's legs, arms, eyes, head to the mother cat's hands, eyes and head - gradually moves at one turn of the handle.

Seeing the whole procedure, one can finally understand the story between the two cats that the artist intended to tell.

Some move like magic. The gentleman in Pierre Mayer's "Levitation" slowly floats up from the chair he is sitting on as the handle turns. Surprisingly, it is hard to find any connections between him and the chair.

Robots made of cookies and chocolates can also be found at the exhibition.

"A.L.I.C.E. Museum 2009: Future School" runs through June 21 at SOMA Museum of Art in Bangi-dong, southeastern Seoul. Admissions are 6,000 won for all ages and 3,000 won for groups of more than 15 persons. For more information, call (02) 425-1077 or visit www.somamuseum.org or www.nabi.or.kr/alice2009

The automata exhibition runs until the end of June at Automata Museum in Sindorim Technomart in Sindorim-dong, western Seoul. Admissions are 12,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2111-6464 or visit www.utospace.com

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)

[미술관 습격사건] Mischievous toys invade art museum

2009.5.11

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Who ever said museums have to be serious?

Seoul Museum of Art in Seosomun-dong, central Seoul, took a departure from the stereotype and let witty toy figures invade its front yard at "ART IN BLOOM: The Storming Party in Art Museum."

Black suited men stand at the entrance as if guarding the scene of aggression. Legs crawl out under puffy white clouds floating above the grass. Next to the weeping baby panda whose mother tries to haul it into the museum, three carefree beavers enjoy their tea-time.

More than 50 cheerful sculptures, installations and videos by 12 young artists are strewn around the museum. Some of the participating artists like Kim Young and Sticky Monster Lab are fairly acclaimed among digital animations and toy figures fans.

"The goal of this show is to attack elitism and high-end art symbolized by the museum through these images and works which look like they popped out of animations," said exhibition curator Kim Woo-im.

The exhibition runs through June 14 at the front yard of Seoul Museum of Art in Seosomun-dong, central Seoul. For more information, call (02) 2124-8800 or visit www.seoulmoa.org

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)

[줄리안 오피] Opie in Korea with new pop art series

2009.5.5

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For the past couple of decades, Julian Opie has been one of the world's most influential contemporary artists. Even if one is unfamiliar with his name, one would probably recognize his colorful and lighthearted characters with round heads and simple bodies shown in bold black outlines. Opie's works are included in the major collections of world famous galleries and museums such as Tate in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Despite the high profile, one of his works' greatest charms is their accessibility. It would be hard to miss his works that often appear in everyday surroundings like the subway, bus stations or CD jackets. In fact, it was the cover of the popular British band Blur's album "Blur: The Best of" which he designed in 2000 that earned him much of his public fame.

Now, Opie is hosting his first solo exhibition in Korea at Kukje Gallery in Sogyeok-dong, central Seoul. It is not a rerun of his previous works, however, as he is showcasing 30 brand new pieces to the public for the first time.

Slim and stylish female dancers are painted on large canvases on the gallery's first floor. As usual, Opie's friends modeled for him. The dancers take the motif from (and are named after) Opie's acquaintances Caterina and Anne, who are a dancer and a ballerina.

Although the characters have been given names, they have a blank faces expressing "impersonality," in Opie's words. He tried to find the middle between personal and impersonal, something that could be universal.

"I wanted to draw people, so I looked for a language that would stand for them. One day, I looked at the lavatory door symbols and thought that was it, that was the universal language," Opie said.

The artist took the basics of the restroom sign figure and transformed it in his unique style to make it look like his friend. He painted it the way she stands, tilted its head a little like how she holds it, added a bag, and was amazed to find how it looked exactly like her.

"Seeing this, your brain engages into function. It has the possibility to be more realistic. Even from looking from far way, you can feel the person's presence with a shiver," Opie said.

Since the discovery of this special flair around 1998, Opie has continued to paint the simple figures. It is only recently that he started to add more things to them, including the eyes, nose and mouth.

The portraits upstairs, with all the face elements, give the viewers a nice surprise. Reminding of the portraits hanging around in Hogwarts School of Magic in the Harry Potter series, Opie's portraits on LCD or LED screens do not just hang on the wall but blink, turn their heads and their earrings sway.

In a way, they look similar to the elegant European portraits of the 17th century or the cartoon-like Japanese woodcuts in the 18th, only with much more modern techniques. Computers are hidden in the back of each screen to control the characters' movements.

Perhaps the biggest requirement to make such creative art is confidence. When asked for his opinion as to why his works are so popular, Opie promptly answered "because they are good," with a huge smile.

"When I see something I like, I feel a sense of engagement, energy and happiness. I feel like I want to do something like that too. It would be great if the visitors could feel that way about seeing my works," he said.

The exhibition runs through May 31 at Kukje Gallery in Sogyeok-dong, central Seoul. For more information, call (02) 733-8449 or visit www.kukjegallery.com

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)

[파라오와 미라] Egyptian mummies on show in Korea

2009.5.1

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In a rare exhibition of Egyptian relics here, the National Museum of Korea in Ichon-dong is showing over 200 ancient artifacts in collaboration with the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Austria.

"We have organized this exhibition so that Koreans do not have to go all the way to other countries to see Egyptian civilization. There have been some similar shows here, but they mostly exhibited digital data. At this exhibition, viewers can find the original relics," Choe Kwang-sik, director of the museum, said about "Egypt, The Great Civilization."

The relics are from the Austrian museum's world-class Egyptian Collection.

Among the collection's 12,000 artifacts from the Neolithic age to the Roman Empire, 231 pieces, including four original mummies, are here for display.

The exhibition is divided into four divisions - "Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt," "Son of God, Pharaoh," "Life in Ancient Egypt," and "The Way to Eternity."

The first three sections consist of images of deities, busts of Pharaohs, amulets, jewelry, hieroglyphic papyri and various everyday tools that were used in ancient Egypt.

The highlight of the exhibition, the mummies, is showcased in the last division.

The Mummy Neskhonsu from 760-656 B.C., covered in multiple layers of bandages and finally laid in a colorfully decorated cartonnage, is the first visitors will see.

"A tomography result showed that the mummy was identified as a woman who died around 30 while giving birth. Her twin babies were mummified with her. The twins must have died during or right after their birth," explained curator Yang Hee-jeong.

The final exhibit is another mummy of a woman from the seventh century B.C who is assumed to have died in her early 20s. It lies silently in a glass showcase, without a cartonnage this time. Visitors can take a glimpse of its blackened face and toes through a hole on the bandage layer.

"Grave robbers probably ripped it open in search of gold. But so far, no mummies were discovered with faces covered in gold, as some rumors said they would be," said Yang.

To help visitors understand Egyptian civilization, holograms and 3D videos are shown along with many of the exhibits.

The exhibition runs through Aug. 30. Tickets range from 3,000 won to 10,000 won. The museum is located at Ichon Subway Station, line 4, exit 2. For more information, call (02) 2077-9199 or visit www.museum.go.kr.

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)

[동유럽 그림] Nostalgic images of Eastern Europe

2009.4.28

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Eastern Europe has a troubled history, having suffered through the Cold War and cultural disperses.

Its people's emotional wounds and memories filter into their art in a nostalgic way.

Kukje gallery in Sogyeok-dong, central Seoul, is displaying works of Martin Mannig, Slawomir Elsner and Joanna M. Wezyk, three Eastern European artists in their 30s and 40s. It is one of the few exhibitions to feature Eastern European paintings in Korea.

Mannig brings up old, familiar characters from European fairy tales and legends, U.S. animations or Hollywood subculture. Only, the German-based artist offers a little twist so that the lovable characters appear violent, sexual and, most of all, a little creepy.

Take "Mickey Mouse" for example. The famous mouse adored by billions of children around the world is turned into a wrinkly old rat wearing a gloomy uniform. Look closely and you will spot that it has two left hands - one where it should be, and another where a right hand ought to be.

"It is based on the northern European maxim 'you have two left hands,' which means that you are very awkward and clumsy at using your hands," said Yi Gimo, senior director at the gallery.

"These characters were normally viewed as angelic, but Mannig tried to reveal their dualities, believing that both life and death, good and bad, and happiness and unhappiness co-exist in every character. Viewers will get to see the characters from a totally different aspect through the paintings," Yi said.

Some of Elsner's works are also based on his memories of childhood fairy tales. The Polish artist, currently one of the most popular in Eastern Europe, painted old walls where the paint is peeling off.

The remains of the paint, curiously enough, look like witches, dogs or other characters in Hans Christian Andersen's stories. Like the legendary writer, Elsner walked around in old neighborhoods, got inspiration from the walls and created his own stories on the canvas.

Wezyk, also born in Poland, projected her nostalgia for Poland's old churches and castles. At this exhibition, viewers can find her series featuring bedrooms of historical European figures such as Marie Antoinette or Nostradamus.

Some rooms are posh and some are simple, but they all have two things in common: they are empty and open to the public.

"Wezyk found double meanings in these bedrooms, which must have been the figures' private rooms but are now all publicly exhibited. Still, she made sure that their personal histories and intimate secrets made in the rooms will not fade away, by painting a lot of light thrown on the beds," Yi said.

The exhibition runs through May 17 at Kukje Gallery in Sogyeok-dong, central Seoul. For more information, call (02) 735-8449 or visit www.kukjegallery.com

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)

[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)