pompidou center's exhibit at seoul moa

Heaven Through Artists' Eyes at Seoul MoA

``Ploynesie, le ciel (Polynesia, The Sky)'' by Henri Matisse

/ Courtesy of Seoul Musem of Art

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Everyone has his or her own concept of what heaven is. It may mean the sky, but for some, it is where angels and gods live, while others believe heaven is a place of eternal happiness. Some even say heaven is on Earth.

Throughout the centuries, artists have tried to convey their concept of heaven through art. Now, art lovers will have a rare chance to see it as depicted by famous artists like Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Fernand Leger, Marc Chagall, Georges Braque and Paul Klee.

``Heaven for Artists,'' currently on-going at the Seoul Museum of Art, downtown Seoul, features works from the renowned Pompidou Center in Paris, France.

With the theme ``Arcadia,'' the art works revolve around the images of heaven as interpreted by European artists in Paris after the 20th century. Relationships with European mythology, history and literature are explored through the works.

``The word 'Arcadia' refers to an actual region in central Greece but was depicted as a blessed, affluent land by the Latin culture as well as Virgil, a poet in ancient Rome. It implies an imaginary world, a heaven of fantasy full of shepherds enjoying music, thus portraying an idealized fictional world of heaven,'' organizers said.

The exhibit, organized by Pompidou Center chief curator Didier Ottinger, features a total of 79 paintings, installations and video works.



At the exhibition hall, visitors are greeted with French artist Nicholas Poussin's ``The Arcadian Shepherds'' (Les Bergers d'Arcadie). The image of the painting is projected on a white wall, surrounded by a dozen sheep by sculptor Francois Xavier-Lalanne.

Poussin's painting, which inspired the exhibit, includes the subtitle ``Et in Arcadia Ego,'' which means ``Even in Arcadia, I Am,'' a quote attributed to Death. ``Therefore, it can be seen that heaven which used to be the symbol of abundance in the Golden Age was changed to an extensive root for examining the conscience of human beings,'' organizers said.

The exhibit is divided into several sub-themes, ``Golden Age,'' ``Joy,'' ``Messenger,'' ``Recovered Arcadia'' and ``Harmony,'' on the second and third floors of the Seoul Museum of Art.

Visitors will have a chance to see Matisse's art works such as ``Polynesia, The Sea,'' ``Polynesia, The Sky,'' ``Still Life with Magnolia,'' and one of his most famous, ``Large Red Interior.''

There are also several Picasso works such as ``Woman Reclining,'' ``A Portrait of Marie-Therese'' and ``Bread,'' as well as Miro's ``Woman and Bird in the Night'' and ``Blue II.''



Also at the exhibit are Leger's ``Leisure: Homage to David,'' Chagall's ``The Rainbow,'' Klee's ``Villas Florentines'' and Braque's ``Musical Instruments.'' Works by Raoul Dufy, Wassily Kandinsky, Yves Klein, Gary Hill, Francis Picabia, Philip Guston, Martial Raysse and Andre Masson are also on display.

The exhibition runs through March 22. Tickets are 12,000 won for adults, 9,000 won for 12-17 year olds, and 7,000 won for 6-11 year olds. To get there, get off City Hall Station Line 1 Exit 1 or Line 2 Exit 11. It is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. Visit www.seoulmoa.org or www.pompidou2008.kr.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr