Beyond thinking

This exhibition’s owner is artist who belongs to residency in Go-yang(My hometown). I didn't even know if there was an art museum near my house, but I accidently saw it on the street. It is difficult to define the theme of exhibition because it is an exhibition that releases each new work. So I focused each artist’s works and two of them remained impressive.

  

First, this work’s name is [Firework festival] of Moon sohyun. The artist focused on the festival. The festivals of the past were an important element of civilization that deviated from everyday suffering. During the festival, people were able to boil out their desire and stress and come back to their daily lives to do their part. In modern times, however, festivals are simply meant for idle, eating and eating. To criticize this point, the artist used stimulating video art and installation work. The video which shows flies are jumping into electronic insecticide and shows empty silicone mannequins singing and dancing. Stimulating and figurative images give shock to viewers. Our university festival cannot escape from this criticism. The main character of the university festival should be college students, but in reality, the famous singers are the main characters. And alcohol is essential element. It was an opportunity to think again about the meaning of the festival.

  

Second work is [Best service] of Seo hyunwook. The strating point of this work is a question. ‘Where human’s emotion comes from?‘ He assumed that emotion did not come from experience. When a certain emotion was felt, he measured brain waves and created sounds that could trigger them. In exhibition hall, there are three rooms. and one installation. Each room has headphone with sound. And each sound causes orgasm, comfort and the other one(I don’t remember well). In fact, only two or three out of ten people can feel brain wave clearly. I couldn't feel it because I was unlucky. This experience has given me second thought about cause and effect of emotion. Still, I think emotions are a product of experience. But I never imagined that advance in technology could digitalized. I also look forward to a time when emotions can be selected and felt the way we want. 

 

I also participated in docent program. But I did not expect I was the only participation. At the beginning I was nervous. t was the first time I've reactioned so hard on the docent program. She gave me lot of question too. Such as opinions about the work, my thoughts. I felt like I was actively participating in the exhibition. After the program was over, I looked around the exhibition hall slowly and enjoyed more. It was a day that I attracted small exhibition.

Kim hong do : Alive

This exhibition is [Kim hong do : Alive]. The main theme is re-birth media art of korean traditional painting which was famous in Joseon dynasty(The country before Republic of Korea). It placed in Yongsan, The war memorial of Korea. The exhibition hall is not so big because it is not a permanent exhibition. The exhibition consist of Kim hong do’s original paintings and media arts and divided with categories.

  

If someone is Korean student, that person would have seen Kim hong do in textbook. He can be called the greatest genius painter of the Joseon Dynasty. He drew Min sok do (the painting which drew ordinary people’s live), landscape painting, and painting of royal consciousness. This is what we usually know about Kim Hong Do. If there is no specific interest in him, people only know one or two representative paintings. The exhibition shows works which add imagination in original works but it is also an opportunity to learn more about Kim Hong-do as an artist.

  

In fact, it is hard to assign something to the new media art itself. It can be said that just turning a painting into a moving animation is all. However, this itself is meaningful. As far as I know, there is one more exhibition of this type. It's hard to compare in detail because I haven't been there myself. [Renoir : scent of lady] is another exhibition which is similar with this exhibition. These two exhibition have a common feature that replacing existing paintings with media art. The biggest advantage of these exhibitions is that existing works can also be reinterpreted. Those who are interested in original works and those who don't know anything will have new experiences. Some people think that oil paintings and Min sok do are boring. They have prejudice there are past one and be worth seeing in textbooks. And it is not easy for younger audiences to be interested. However, if these works are reborn with new technology(video, 3D, etc.) with new intentions, they will be more interesting to the audience. But interest should not be the only value in judging art. But interest can be the first step toward art. I think that is the ultimate goal of this exhibition. It is just to arouse the audience's interest in Kim hong do, in Min sok do and in media art.

  

I thought Korean people have far less interest in our own artistic culture than western or foreign artistic cultures. Because of western art trend is the main stream globally. I also had less interest in korean art. But by this exhibition, I found attractive point of our own painting.

  

Ung-Mang

Ung-Mang

Now In Il-min museum where place in Gwang-Hwa station, the exhibition named Ung-Mang by Sasa [44] held since September. Before entrance, all audiences were given bracelet for ticket. It gave an impression like we’re in festival. Basically exhibition composed of data and objects which based on artist’s life and collection. Sasa [44] build his own vast data about his consume since 2003. The main attraction of this exhibition is archive which artist piled for 15 years.

 

Audiences provide less information about works. Only name and place where they are. A three story spaces are summarized by only one paper. I think the artist wants to give nothing but work itself. It belongs to audiences how to use given information. At first, I thought weird. I saw this kind of passive exhibition first time. It makes me lots and lots of think.

 

On first floor, there are book of graphs and text about how many times he ate beef stew, how many books he purchased. we could see increase and decrease in each year. On other side, there was shoes which he collected and some sculptures. Sculptures were quite difficult to understand. And next floor, many bottles welcomed me. This floor is my best! Sasa [44] displayed 4024 packages of beverages. There are glass bottle, paper package and also plastic too. He collected this for 10 years too. Walking around this place made me feel the lapse of time. In addition, there was very loud background music. It was a remix of popular song’s intro during 2004 to 2013. This music gained energy to this gathering of bottles. Collections are in third floor too. Sasa [44] traveled all around the world. For example, Boston, Tokyo, Sydney and also Seoul. He collected everywhere again. Minor things such as snack box, bus ticket could be his collection.

 

The major idea I thought is questioning about limit of human being. If my mother saw this exhibition, she definitely said “I think he is sick”. It’s a superhuman efforts to record and collect all of things which most people forget or discard everyday. By his interview, the reason why he collect every sort of things is just his human nature. I expected special reasons but after I knew it, I think it is most natural reasons. If he do collecting with willingness or pressure, it might be not go so long. As I said upon, there was little information to audiences. And there was not any docent program. I have no way to satisfy my curiosity. I think that was a only flaw of this exhibition

Korean artist prize 2018

Korean artist prize 2018

This exhibition has process of audition that annually chooses four artist and pick one final artist by discussion of judge. But regardless of result, four parts of works are all said variety subject and opinion. The most interesting point of this exhibition was there was no specific type of expression. They used painting, photography, video, performance and etc. And the end of exhibition, there was a place where can see each artist’s former works and interviews so audience can see development process of now-days works and how it birth. For audience, this exhibition is really kind one.

 

Above all, two of them caught my eyes.

 

First one is Jung eun young’s work. She told us female national musical.(I’m not sure it is a right translation) Actually I don’t even know about this genre existed. It was a musical which had popularity in 1950s but was forgotten and did not run on to present. But artist Jung raised up this traditional art to us. I think this is a main role of this work. This work will imprint to public about forgotten Korean traditional art. Female national musical shows a new aspect. In Korea history, 1950s was a very complicated era. Korea had independence from japan and soon the war broke. And I though female role was passive. But the reality was not. They made their own culture and artistic trend. It was a shock to me. Artist Jung also remake this female national musical in 2016.

 

Second work I remembered strongly was artist Ku in ja’s work. The main topic of this work is time. The artist made a performance for korean’s average time spend, and went one of the place in Fiji island, crossed the date line. By this act, one would live one day for twice and the other one skip one day(24th to 26th). She broke up the ordinary concept of time. We always know is important element in our lives but most of us can’t feel it well. Until now, I don’t recognize I live a day by standard which somebody fixed. So this work gave me question of life routine. I could not change this now but somehow living not just given is good attitude. Artist Ku also said she made works to make audiences re-think about fixed idea. I thought I’ll visit the next work of this artist.

 

The most significant meaning of this exhibition is that it gives various artists the opportunity to display their works, and that the public usually does not know them very well.

 

By the way, Jung eun young won the prize in this competition