art stories in February 2010

Lee Bul Pioneers Korean Contemporary Art

Lee Bul, widely considered as the leading Korean artist of her generation, talks to The Korea Times at the Bartleby Bickle & Meursault office, downtown Seoul, Friday. / Korea Times By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter World-renowned artist Lee Bul, whose cyborg sculptures and decomposing fish installations made her a name to be reckoned with on the international art scene, offers an interesting piece of advice to aspiring artists: "Don't 'try' to be an artist." "Becoming an artist is not possible from trying. If somebody tries 'not' to be an artist, the person will have a greater possibility of becoming an artist," the 46-year-old Lee told The Korea Times, in an interview at the Bartleby Bickle & Meursault office, downtown Seoul, Friday. Based on her own experience, Lee certainly did not "try" instead simply "is" an artist. In her two decade-long career, she has been celebrated in Korea and around the world for her innovative, intellectual oeuvre that includes female cyborgs, mythical monsters, karaoke pods and gleaming imaginary landscapes. It's no wonder Lee is often described as the "leading Korean artist of her generation." She was born in 1964 in a secluded Korean village where her dissident parents were hiding from the government. Growing up during the turbulent '70s and '80s, Lee majored in sculpture and graduated from Hongik University in 1987. "I don't remember 'beginning' as an artist. It's too far back for me to remember. Sometimes I think about what an artist is. I have a childhood memory that I wanted to be an artist, but every artist is probably the same. Maybe I was an artist when I was born," she said. Early on, her public performance art in Seoul's streets attracted controversy, but Lee found herself in the international spotlight when she presented "Majestic Splendor" at New York's Museum of Modern Art in 1997. The installation, which featured rotting fish adorned with sequins, had to close ahead of schedule because of the awful smell it caused. The following year, Lee became a finalist for the prestigious Hugo Boss prize at the Guggenheim Museum, and in 1999 she received an honorable mention at the 48th Venice Biennale. Her drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations, which explore the body, beauty, feminism, nature and technology, have been featured in numerous museums including the Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain in Paris, Domus Artium in Salamanca, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney and The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York. Futuristic as her works may be, Lee constantly finds ideas from "everywhere and from life, not just mine." The process of creating her art is simple: she gets an idea, writes it down, puts it on a wall and lets it stay there until one day she feels like expounding on it. "Almost every day, I take notes and drawings of my ideas, even small ideas because sometimes I forget them. I put these pieces of paper on the wall. Every day, I pass these drawings. Some days, I suddenly want to develop an idea. After that I draw and make notes again. This is the usual process. I am not focused on one piece from start to finish because I have too many things ongoing," she said. Currently working on new pieces, Lee is busy preparing for up-coming exhibitions, such as a solo show at Lehman Maupin in New York City (April 8-June 19), and various group shows in Minneapolis, Brussels, London, Rotterdam and Ottawa. In 2011, a retrospective of her works will be held at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, before traveling around the world. Despite her success and fame, Lee remains unaffected by it all. "I feel pressure, but the pressure is not about fame. (Whether I'm) famous or not, that's not important to me anymore. But I do have pressure about my work, especially when I feel my work is not so good and I want to develop it more. It's hard and difficult," she said. While the pressure can be overwhelming, and even affects her health, Lee knows it is impossible to avoid. "Pressure is a part of my life. It's killing my body, I'm getting sick. But it's not possible to erase the pressure," she said. With cropped, silvery hair and piercing eyes, Lee may appear serious and intimidating at first, but always has a laugh to spare. After posing for The Korea Times photographer, she jokingly complained that she always seems to look angry in photographs. "I don't know why I look angry, but I'm not," Lee said, with a smile that was nowhere to be seen in front of the camera. Lee often gets invitations to give lectures to art students in universities. "When they invite me to symposiums or class, they ask me to give my energy to the students. But I'm older than them!" she chuckled. "They have more energy than me. Why should I give my energy to them? They should give me their energy." Asked about what is the biggest accomplishment so far in her 20 year career, Lee shakes her head: "I don't know. I never compare my works. But probably right now... that I'm still alive." cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Arario Gallery Nurtures Emerging Artists

``24'' by Shine Kong is part of the ``Artists with Arario'' exhibition at Arario Gallery. /Courtesy of Arario Gallery By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Arario Gallery, one of the biggest commercial galleries in Korea, is welcoming the Lunar New Year with its first group show that gathers its ``exclusive'' artists. ``Artists with Arario,'' featuring 19 artists from Korea, India and the Philippines, opens at the Arario galleries in Seoul and Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Feb. 9. ``This exhibition will be an opportunity to commemorate the memories and fruitful artistic accomplishments of the artists with special connections to the gallery, who for the last five years have been represented by Arario Gallery, as well as providing the public a chance to encounter the leading works of the Korean contemporary art scene,'' organizers said in a press release. Arario Gallery, founded by businessman and influential art collector Kim Chang-il in Cheonan in 1989, has led the way in the Korean art scene by introducing the exclusive artist system in 2005. In the past, Korean galleries did not represent artists or provide financial support for them, but Kim believed taking emerging artists into its fold and supporting them would be a way to help them achieve international recognition. In an interview with The Korea Times late last year, Kim said Arario's role is to find and nurture an artist who will make an impact in the global art scene. ``The role of Arario is to find a good artist and create an environment where he can improve his art to a higher level, and support him financially so they can focus on their art. We're behind the artist to help improve their works so they can create powerful works,'' he said. The gallery now has over 30 Korean and international artists. Arario generously supports its artists by providing financial support, management and a residency program on Jeju Island. Arario has a work studio and residency space in Hado-ri, Jeju, where artists can reside and solely concentrate on their art. ``Artists with Arario'' showcases diverse, innovative works by artists, who have been gaining recognition at home and abroad. Kang Hyung-koo, who makes hyper-realistic portraits of famous figures like Van Gogh and Marilyn Monroe, is preparing for a solo show at the Singapore Art Museum in 2011. On display at the Arario Seoul are his striking works, ``Van Gogh in Red,'' and ``Marilyn Monroe in the Night Sky.'' Gwon Osang, known for his ``photographic sculptures,'' was the first Korean artist to have had a solo exhibition in the Manchester City Art Gallery in 2008. He uses photographs to create unique sculptures, such as ``with Lean,'' which can be viewed at the Arario Seoul. Lee Hyung-koo, who presented at the Korean Pavilion at the 2007 Venice Biennale, is showing his ``Animatus'' series, wherein he created anatomical depictions of cartoon characters like Donald Duck and Bugs Bunny. Lee, as well as Chung Sue-jin, who participated in the Louis Vuitton exhibition in 2008, have been more active in the international scene than in Korea. Three international artists Tallur L.N. and Jitish Kallat from India and Leslie de Chavez from the Philippines added a multicultural dimension to the exhibition. De Chavez ponders on Philippine history and society through his dark paintings filled with various symbols, while Tallur L.N. expresses his critical views of globalism and capitalism in his mixed media works. Other Arario artists who are showing their works at the shows are Chang Sue-jin, Kyung Sung-hyun, Shine Kong, Kim In-bai, Kim Jae-hwan, Hanna Kim, Park Se-jin, Park Young-geun, Baik Hyun-jhin, Lee Dong-wook, Lee Seung-ae, Lee Ji-hyun and Lee Jin-yong. The Cheonan show runs through March 21, and admission is 3,000 won. The Seoul show, which runs through March 30, is free. The galleries are open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit www.arariogallery.co.kr. cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Wolfgang Joop Presents 'Death & Faith' in Seoul

German fashion designer and artist Wolfgang Joop stands in front one of his sculptures from the ``From Dusk till Dawn’’ series, currently on display at Michael Schultz Gallery Seoul, Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul. / Korea Times Photo by Cathy Rose A. Garcia By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter German fashion designer-turned-artist Wolfgang Joop likes to say ``fashion is my passion, art is my obsession.'' Joop first became known for his ``passion,'' establishing the designer clothing and cosmetics brand Joop!, and later with the avant-garde brand Wunderkind. But even as he designed his fashion collections, art has always been his ``obsession.'' ``In fashion, they told me I was too artistic, and in art, they told me I was too chic. Now after going back and forth, I know what I'm doing and I know what I want to do,'' he told The Korea Times, last Friday. Joop was in town for the opening of ``Death and Faith'' at Michael Schultz Gallery Seoul, his first not just in Korea but in Asia. At the gallery, one can find a row of neo-classical sculptures of angels, with wings in mid-flight and faces frozen with expressions of shock or awe, depending on your interpretation. On the walls hang gauzy white and black batiste fabrics delicately embroidered with cherry blossoms, skulls and brides, with titles such as ``Eternal Love'' and ``Just Married.'' ``Art, for him (Joop), is the expression of an aesthetic, life-embracing state of mind and that this world in its constant change is beautiful and should be savored, especially for its transitoriness,'' Christoph Tannert said, in the exhibition catalogue. Joop is not a fan of conceptual or experimental art, and recalled a recent visit to the Venice Biennale, where he was disappointed with the experimental direction of contemporary art. In his art works, he uses familiar icons and symbols but with a twist. ``For me, art is something that has to do with emotions, dreams and fears. ... I use things that are common to people but with a twist of irritation, something familiar but not too familiar,'' he said. His sculptures and fabric pieces show contrasting colors of black and white, as well as themes of love, existence, solitude and death. ``The duality of life is another aspect of my work. It's like you can only know beauty if you know ugliness. You can only know luck if you know misfortune,'' he said. For instance, in ``Eternal Bride,'' Joop depicted a skeleton bride surrounded by cherry blossoms and sparkling jewels. ``Cherry blossoms are very fleeting, while skulls can last thousands of years. The skeleton brides mean that love is not forever but death is everlasting. I also included rings and jewels in the pieces to mean that these can last forever, compared to the fragile nature of the textile,'' he said. Joop was born in Potsdam, East Germany in 1944. He grew up not having toys to play with, so he started drawing. He formally studied drawing, sculpture and art theory, and worked as a freelance artist. He became a designer, founded the brand Joop in 1987 and sold it off in 2001. He established Wunderkind in 2003, which offers luxury ready-to-wear collection and accessories, available throughout the world. Joop made the transition from fashion designer to serious artist, through a solo exhibition ``Eternal Love'' at the Kunsthalle Rostock last year. Michael Schultz, chief director of the gallery, said he was very impressed by Joop's show and decided to invite him to Seoul. Clad in a red and gray checkerboard top and scarf from his Wunderkind label accented with religious necklaces and bracelets, Joop still very much looks a fashion icon, but he has grown disillusioned with the fashion industry and will likely quit soon. ``I feel alienated and estranged from the audience of fashion... Very soon, I will quit fashion. Fashion is ruled by the youth,'' he said. Joop said he won't miss being in the fashion world. ``In fashion, I had to follow certain rules. But in art, I can make my own rules,'' he said. The exhibition runs through March 20. The gallery is located at the third floor of Nature Poem building, Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam. Visit www.schultzgallery.co.kr or call (02) 546-7955. cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Gwangju Biennale's '10,000 Lives' to Open in September

Massimiliano Gioni, director of the 8th Gwangju Biennale, recently announced that the theme of the upcoming contemporary art biennale will be ``10,000 Lives.'' / Courtesy of Gwangju Biennale By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter The 8th Gwangju Biennale, widely considered Korea's biggest contemporary art event, will unfold in September under the theme ``10,000 Lives.'' The biennale, held in Gwangju opens Sept. 3 and runs through Nov. 7. Massimiliano Gioni, director of the Gwangju Biennale, said the title of the upcoming biennale will investigate the relationships that connect people with images. The biennale will feature art works by more than 100 artists made between 1901 and 2010, plus several new commissions. The exhibition will be turned into a temporary museum, where artworks and cultural artifacts are ``brought together to compose an idiosyncratic catalogue of figures and icons, faces and masks, idols and dolls.'' "The history of art is largely one of people looking at people, of eyes staring at bodies, of objects and figures created as surrogates of ourselves," Gioni said in a statement. The title is taken from renowned Korean author Ko Un's 30-volume epic poem ``Maninbo'' (10,000 Lives). Ko was imprisoned in 1980 for participating in the South Korean democratic movement, and started writing an epic poem where he went on to describe every single person he'd ever met in his life, including historical figures and fictional characters. The work has been described as a ``magnum opus that reads as a personal encyclopedia of humanity.'' At the biennale, a diverse range of media will be showcased, particularly portraiture. It will deal with the ``obsession with images, and our need to create substitutes, effigies, avatars and stands-in for ourselves and our loved ones.'' "From ancient mythology we learn that images were created to capture the shadow of lovers. Images are the children of nostalgia; they keep us close to our dear ones, and keep them alive. It is this perennial state of iconophilia, this maniacal love of images, that we wish to examine in Gwangju," Gioni added. Gioni, who is the director of special exhibitions at New Museum in New York, said the exhibition will examine the power of images, how they are ``fabricated, circulated, stolen and exchanged.'' The Italian curator is the youngest artistic director in the history of the Gwangju Biennale, and the first European to take on this position. Gioni is the current artistic director of the Nicola Trussardi Foundation, Milan. He also worked as the co-director of the 2006 Berlin Biennale and director for Manifesta, the European Biennial of Contemporary Art, in 2004. In 2003, he was the curator of the Venice Biennale's special exhibitions. The Gwangju Biennale, Asia's first contemporary art biennale, started in 1995. Since then, it has attracted international artists, performers, curators and critics throughout the years. In 2008, the 7th Gwangju Biennale, with Okwui Enwezor as artistic director, had no central theme, instead focusing on three parts: ``On the Road,'' ``Position Papers'' and ``Insertions.'' More details about the list of participating artists, programs and venues for the 8th Gwangju Biennale will be disclosed in April. Visit www.gb.or.kr. cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Korean Contemporary Art Goes to New York

Do Byung-kyu's ``Twelve Babies'' is one of the art works to be shown at the Korean Art Show at La.venue, New York, March 3-7. / Courtesy of organizers By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Korean contemporary art is going to the Big Apple. The Korean Art Show, organized by the Galleries Association of Korea and Korea International Art Fair (KIAF), will be presented from March 3 to 7 at La.venue, New York City. This is the first time Korean galleries will be gathering to showcase the best of contemporary Korean art to an international audience in New York. ``Our mission is to show the world the talent and unique vision of Korean artists while connecting them to international collectors from across the globe," organizers said, in a statement. The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports is supporting the show, with the primary goal of globalizing Korean contemporary art. Around 24 Korean galleries, representing the most exciting contemporary Korean artists, will be participating in the event. The landmark exhibition will be held to coincide with some of New York's major art fairs ― The Armory Show, SCOPE, PULSE, Red Dot and Volta. Despite a growing interest in Asian art in recent years, Korean contemporary art has been overlooked in the international art market, which has lavished attention on Chinese and Japanese artists. The Korean Art Show just might just be the push that will elevate Korean contemporary artists to the forefront of the art world. The show will feature 100 artists from top Korean galleries such as Gallery Hyundai, Gana Art Gallery, Pyo Gallery, Cais Gallery and Leehwaik Gallery. A diverse selection of works by established and young, up-and-coming artists such as Bae Bien-U, Kim In-sook, Han Young-wook, Kim Dong-yoo, Oh Yong-seok, Choi So-young and Chun Kwang-young, will be introduced. The event also hopes to promote more awareness of the KIAF, Korea's largest art fair. The KIAF 2010 will be held in Seoul from Sept. 9 to 13, with the United Kingdom as the guest country. The Korean Art Show is also being supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Arts Council Korea, Korean Cultural Service of New York and The Korean-American Association of Greater New York. Doors are open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., March 3 to 7, except March 4 when it is open until 8 p.m. Tickets are $10. La.venue is located on the first floor of The Terminal Stores, 608 West 28th Street, between 11th and 12th Avenue, New York. Visit www.koreanartshow.com. cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Blossoming Flowers, Colors at Kukje Gallery

“I Am Still Growing!!! (#1)” by French artist Louise Bourgeois is part of her “Les Fleurs” exhibition at Kukje Gallery Space 2. By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Delicate drawings of blossoms by renowned French artist Louise Bourgeois and colorful works by rising Korean artist Park MeeNa are being unveiled at Kukje Gallery. The two artists have drastically different oeuvres, which makes for an exciting visit to the gallery, located in Sogyeok-dong, Jongno, downtown Seoul. ``Les Fleurs'' is an on-going exhibition of Bourgeois' 29 new drawings and three sculptures with the themes of nature, motherhood and women at the Kukje Gallery Space 2, located behind the main gallery. This is the French artist's fourth solo show with the gallery, the last one being in 2007. Bourgeois is known for her diverse works, ranging from huge spider sculptures, handsewn patchworks, dolls and installations. The title ``Les Fleurs'' refers to Bourgeois' choice of the flower and women as ``symbols of vitality, desire and sexuality.'' ``Her paintings painted in a bold, red color, illustrate passion, blood and a feminist belief in the power of women,'' organizers said. Bourgeois has always been drawing, since she was a child when she helped draw patterns for her family's textile company. ``Bourgeois has continued to transcribe her emotions and memories on paper as if she was writing them in diary. She has observed that the repetition of drawing helps her to find peace of mind and a source of healing,'' organizers said. This exhibition also celebrates the artist's centennial birthday. Bourgeois, who was born in Paris in 1911, is considered one of the most important living artists in the 21st century. She has worked with various materials: plaster, latex, bronze and marble. Bourgeois was the first artist to hold a retrospective exhibition at the MoMA in New York in 1992, and received the Lion d'Or at the 48th Venice Biennale in 1999. ``19988888" by MeeNa Park is part of the ``BCGKMRY'' exhibition at Kukje Gallery Space 1, Seogyeok-dong, Jongno. / Courtesy of Kukje Gallery Meanwhile, Park will open ``BCGKMRY,'' her first solo show with Kukje Gallery Space 1, Wednesday. The somewhat baffling title is actually an anagram for colors CMYK: cyan, magenta, yellow, black; and RGB: red, green, black. These are the same colors that Park used in her work for the exhibition. ``Once the title's meaning is revealed, it further unveils the themes central to Park's work: control and manipulation of pre-existing symbols and codes, pre-fixed standards and formulas,'' the gallery said. The exhibition features recent paintings from her ``BK'' and ``Dingbat'' series, plus 200 drawings from her more than 10 year career. Park met with reporters at the gallery on Tuesday, as she was overseeing the installation of her works. For her ``BK'' series, Park explained the process of layering circles of yellow, red, blue and green colors on a canvas, until it becomes black. The paintings are seen as homage and challenge to the history of monochrome paintings. In contrast, her ``Dingbat'' series, which started in 2007, are brightly colored with different images and symbols from the dingbat font. These images can reveal different meanings, depending on the viewer. Through her works, Park explores ``predetermined structures such as 'ready-made' paint colors available in the market or symbols hidden in dingbat fonts'' that are carefully placed on the canvas, and allows changing interpretation of the works. On the second floor of the gallery, Park transports viewers back to their childhood, with 200 drawings featuring pages from children's activity books. Filled with images of Disney and fairy tale characters, she uses marker pens, stickers and colored pencils to give them a humorous twist. Bourgeois' show runs through March 31, while Park's show ends on April 4. Kukje Gallery is open Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free. Visit www.kukjegallery.com. cathy@koreatimes.co.kr