april stories

'Magnetic Power' Brings ASEAN, Korean Artists Closer

“Kerbau” by Malaysian artist Yee I-Lann / Courtesy of ASEAN-Korea Center
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

While already well acquainted with Southeast Asia's beautiful beaches and picturesque tourist spots, Koreans are still unfamiliar with the region's art and culture.

The on-going exhibition ``Magnetic Power'' is aimed at bridging the cultural gap by bringing attention to the exciting world of photography and new media art in Korea and Southeast Asia.

Works by 20 artists from countries under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and 10 artists from Korea have been gathered for this unique contemporary photography and media art exhibition.

The event is being held as part of the upcoming special summit between Korea and ASEAN, from June 1 to 2 on Jeju island. ASEAN is a regional grouping of 10 countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Against the backdrop of the global economic crisis and political conflicts, ``Magnetic Power'' hopes to highlight the relationships among the participating countries and to emphasize respect for different views and cultures. It also serves to examine the diverse political, economic, religious, and cultural aspects of Korean and Southeast Asian societies.

Curator Kim Yu-yeon choose the Korean and Southeast Asian artists after doing researching the art scene in the various countries. She also discovered some artists who had participated in international exhibitions and biennales.

A total of nine galleries, located in Samcheong-dong, Palpan-dong, Daehangno, and Gangnam, are participating in the exhibition, which runs through June 6.

At the Coreana Museum of Art/ space*c in Gangnam, viewers will find photographs such as Vietnamese artist Hoang Duong Cam's ``The Long Bien Bridge,'' and Thai artist Montri Toemsombat's ``Thai Dream.''

Also at the museum, Barry Sli, a photographer from Brunei, also presented a series of photographs taken during his country's National Day celebrations. Indonesian artist Kuswidananto Jompet created a video installation that examines the coexistence of traditional and modern values in Javanese society.

In Daehangno, Gallery Jungmiso is showing works of Cambodian photojournalist Vandy Rattana, who captures the gritty reality of urban Phnom Penh.

Seven galleries, namely Gallery Sun Contemporary, Gallery Jinsun, Lee C Gallery, Hanbyukwon Gallery, Gallery Doll, Kimhyunjoo Gallery and Gallery Sang, are located in the Samcheong-dong and Palpan-dong areas.

At Lee C Gallery, Filipino artist Poklong Anading presents ``Light Suffers If There's No Place to Fall From,'' that tackles the theme of light and ``how it reflects identity and behavior.''

Hanbyukwon Gallery is showing Malaysian artist Yee I-Lann's ``Kerbau.'' The photograph began as a tribute to the Southeast Asian water buffalo but took on a socio-political theme as Yee became influenced by the street demonstrations in her country.

``Magnetic Power'' is the first inter-cultural exhibition organized by the ASEAN-Korea Centre. The project was aimed at creating partnerships between ASEAN and Korean art and cultural groups, and to introduce new aspects of the member countries' diverse culture to Korea.

Established in March 2009, the ASEAN-Korea Centre is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to promoting economic and socio-cultural tourism cooperation among ASEAN countries and Korea. Visit www.aseankorea.com.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr