Ahn-Nyung | Hello

Ahn-Nyung | Hello
An Introduction to
Ko r e a n Co n t e m p o ra ry A rt
Ahn-Nyung | Hello
A n I n t r o d u c t i o n to
Ko r e a n Co n t em p o r a ry A r t
Ja n ua ry 2 2 to F eb r ua ry 1 9, 20 1 1
C u r at e d by Ja e Ya n g | A r t- m e r g e
L e Ba s s e P r o j ec t s
6 0 2 3 Wa s h i n g to n B o u l e va r d
C u lv e r Ci t y, Califo r n ia 9 0 2 3 2
Jae Yang | Art-merge
Jae Yang is the founder of Art-merge, a Los Angeles-based art consulting firm that supports emerging
artists through representation, marketing, career development and exhibition opportunities. Through
Art-merge, she seeks to spark synergy between artists and collectors through cultural collaboration,
education, enrichment and support. Jae Yang is a first-generation Korean American and a graduate of
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art.
Defining the Korean Experience.
It is common practice to examine and explore ancient
Ahn-Nyung | Hello is an attempt to address the latter.
societies primarily through the cultural artifacts they
An exhibition of 15 multimedia works by four Korean
produce. It is far less common, however, to understand
artists, Ahn-Nyung | Hello mines the vanguard of South
a contemporary society through its cultural output,
Korea’s dynamic gallery scene to deliver the American
where social movements, market economies and polit-
audience an unprecedented survey of works—one that
ical machinations more often than not dominate news
uncovers a culture in transition in which history and
headlines and the public consciousness.
memories are mutable, synthesis abuts tradition, and
experience is subject to a regimen of creative re-envi-
Present day South Korea marks such a gulf of under-
sioning. While viewers may find aesthetic commonalities
standing. Home to a rapidly expanding East Asian
between the artists, that is not the primary intention of
economy, the nation is more synonymous in the United
this exhibition. Instead, four artists have been assembled
States of America with its mobile phones, home elec-
who grapple directly with Korean experience and iden-
tronics and automobiles, than with its burgeoning stable
tity, and in the process unearth precious moments in
of contemporary artists. Yet as Seoul fast becomes the
which private and public dialogue overlap in a tangible,
world’s most wired city—a pulsing, networked metropo-
personal, and often paradoxical way.
lis of knowledge-based workers spurring along with it
the hyper-post-industrialization of the entire country—
Ahn-Nyung | Hello is the result of a series of trips taken
so too does South Korea exhibit vibrant tenets of growth:
throughout 2010: to New York for the Korean Art Show,
namely, an explosion of art and cultural producers. And
a small satellite fair timed to take place concurrently
as Asian markets rapidly open and expand, so too does
during the Armory Arts Week; to China for the Shang-
contemporary Korean art grow ever more realized,
hai Art Fair; and lastly, to the Korean International Art
inventive…and vital.
Fair (KIAF), in Seoul, where the gallery scene has been a
constant source of intrigue, influence and energy.
This confluence of contemporary work has not gone
completely unnoticed in the West. A handful of note-
I would like to thank Christine and Beau Basse, who
worthy exhibitions has already heralded the arrival
graciously lent their Culver City gallery for Ahn-Nyung
of Korean contemporary art on the global stage, both
| Hello, an exhibition I hope will serve as a watershed
large—LACMA’s 2009 “Your Bright Future: 12 Contempo-
moment in the exchange of work back and forth between
rary Artists from Korea” and Saatchi Gallery’s 2009 and
Seoul and Los Angeles. I would also like to thank the
2010 “Korean Eye” exhibitions—and small—One and J.
people who have offered ideas and support along the
Gallery’s exhibition of Korean and Japanese contempo-
way: Brent Turner, The Campbells PR; Dohyung Kwon,
rary art at the Pierre Koenig Case Study House in the
Kwanhoon Projects; Jung Yong Lee, Gana Art; and
Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. These exhibitions signal
especially Robert Ross who encouraged me to pursue
a point of transcendence for the working Korean artist—
Art-merge. Finally, I hope that you will find Ahn-Nyung |
from outsider to contemporary, or colleague—and yet
Hello to be an inspiring introduction to Korean contem-
the question still arises: what criteria define Korean art
porary art, a waypoint in the increasingly globalized
today? To which the only logical answer seems to be
world of contemporary art.
yet another question: what criteria define the Korean
experience today?
Ja e Ya n g
Lo s A n g e l e s , Ja n ua ry 2 0 1 1
Jin Young Yu
Working with a cast of semi-invisible sculpted characters, Jin Young Yu explores the disparity between the
outward and inward self. While her work has drawn on an ever-evolving storyline—from the meek-faced
outcast wishing to be invisible to others, to the family overtly flamboyant in its attempt to appear “normal”
as it entertains guests, to the hidden scars we all carry with and within us—Yu’s conceptual impetus is consistently clear: to acknowledge the anxiety of social situations, and to expose the implicit acts of cover-up
one engages in as he or she adheres to social convention. Yu’s work centers on the use of two opposing
media, and the tropes their usage represents: the disguise—faces and clothing rendered in vibrantly painted
plaster; and a yearning for invisibility—bodies molded of ultra-transparent PVC, a material Yu prefers for its
weightless, distortion-free quality. In the past, Yu has exhibited her work in low light, utilizing site-specific
obstructions such as columns or pedestals to half-hide her characters. Jin Young Yu received her MFA and
BFA from Sungshin Women’s University, Seoul. She has exhibited in Seoul, Osaka and London. She lives and
works in Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
Biography
Jin Young Yu | b. 1977
EDUCATION
2005 MFA in Sculpture, Sungshin Women’s University, Seoul
2001
BFA in Sculpture, Sungshin Women’s University, Seoul
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2008
A Family in Disguise, Union Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2007 Welcome, Kimi Art Gallery, Seoul
Abundant Emptiness, Ami & Kanoko Gallery, Osaka, Japan
2006
Abundant Emptiness, Chang Gallery, Seoul
2004
Leaf, Life, Noam Gallery, Seoul GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2008
The Battle of Taste, Sangsangmadang, Seoul
2007
2007 I Design, Kumho Museum, Seoul
Funny (Baton Touch), Art Space Hyun, Seoul
A Complex, Sungkok Museum, Seoul
2006
Wall – A Story Behind That, Gallery Zandari, Seoul
Museum Festival, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul
Whey Protein, Kimi Art Gallery, Seoul
2005
Seoul Art Fair, Seoul Arts Center, Seoul
Funny Funny 4, Gallery Sejul, Seoul
2004
Objet Painting, Gallery Chosun, Seoul
21C Shamanism, Gallery Choheung, Seoul
Rapture Party, The Alternative Space Hap, Club COD, Seoul
A Family in Disguise, 2008, pvc/mixed media, 51" x 10" x 12"; The Disguised, 2010, pvc/mixed media, 51" x 14" x 14" (human), 14" x 13" x 7" (dog)
Seok Kim
The robot—object of childhood affection, of desire and memory, and of Asian pop-cultural vernacular—
assumes a transcendent role in Seok Kim’s sculptural work. The son of toy store owners, Kim had enviable
access to these iconic objects as a child, and in particular, he enjoyed uncommon access to highly soughtafter plastic model robot kits. Years later as a fine artist, Kim’s wistful intimacy with the robot as sculptural
piece is still evident; he poses his subjects in uniquely human stances—canonical forms of contemplation,
isolation and prayer. Longing, memory and expectation, both collective and personal, are critical to the
work. The boundaries of identity and status blur as Kim’s high-performance humanoids seek recognition, or
at least normalcy, in a society that recognizes them as inherently subservient. By sculpting his subjects out
of materials like anachronistic pine wood or monochromatic plastic, Kim establishes a set of incongruences
through which he can explore desire, sentiency, and the implications and expectations of progress on both
the individual and society at large. A graduate from Kyungnam University, Kim has exhibited in France and
throughout Korea and currently lives and works in Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
Biography
Seok Kim | b. 1976
EDUCATION
2004BFA in Sculpture Fine Art, Kyungnam University
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2009 “ROBOT STORY” Third Story, Samteo Gallery, Seoul
2007 “ROBOT STORY” Remembrance of Masterpiece, COEX Gallery Aqua, Seoul
2008 “ROBOT STORY AND II,” Gallery Siuter, Seoul
2003 Kim Seok Sculpture Exhibition, Kyungnam University Design Gallery, Masan, Korea
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2009 Eighteen Masterpieces, Art company H, Seoul.and Jeju-Do
Art for Children, Colon Summer Museum, Gwacheon
FUN of Exhibition, K & Gallery, Seoul
Gallery is Alive, SUHO Gallery, Gaacheon
Aesthetic of Material, 4 Walls Gallery, Seoul
Major of Art Contents, Sahmyook University, Seoul
Phanpharonsage, Beautifullife Gallery, Vitar Art Business Center, France
Korean Cartoon 100th Anniversary Exhibition, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon
Project of Art Life, Uijeongbu Arts Center, Uijeongbu
Hero Return, Light Gallery, Seoul
Garden of Sculpture, Seongnam Art Center, Sungnam
Seoul Living Design Fair, Coex Center, Seoul
Thank You, JS ART Gallery, Paju
TICTAC TICTAC, Gallery Godo, Seoul
Smile Smile Smile, Gallery Godo, Seoul
2008 Korean Paintings, Ssamzie Art Market, Seoul
Robot Art Museum, Bucheon Robot Park, Bucheon
Leg Godt, Gyeonggi University Museum, Suwon
Arts Meet the Sea, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Kyungju
Arts Meet the Sea, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Daejun
Wonderful Life, Dusan Art Center, Seoul
Art Robot Museum, Masan 3.15 Art Center, Masan
Exciting Museum Exhibition, Gyeongsangnam-do Museum, Changwon
Artist’s Garden, Clayarch Museum, Kimhae
Cross Culture, Hangaram Museum Seoul Art Center, Seoul
Art Star 100 Exhibition, Open Gallery, Seoul
CONVERSE 100th Anniversary Exhibition, Hongik University Street Art, Seoul
Garden Sculptures, Civic center Seongnam, Seongnam
Say About Laughs, Gwacheon Jebiwool Museum, Gwacheon
Masquerade, One Gallery, Seoul
2007 Christmas Craziness, KT Art Hall Studio, Seoul
Kim Seok Robot Story, Hyundai Department Store Topaz Garden, Seoul
2006 Tree’s Space, Magam News, Seoul
2005Gaya Global Culture Fair, Kim Hae Culture Center, Kim Hae
Flower’s Village Nature Art, Flower’s Village of Busan, Busan
2004Asia Young Artist Festival, Seongsan Art Hall, Changwon
Korean Award, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon
2003 Seongsan Arts Award, Seongsan Art Center, Changwon
Lonely Night, 2010, wood/acrylic paint, 41" x 47" x 46"; Way Home, 2011, wood/acrylic paint, 35" x 18" x 34"; Are You Happy?, 2011, wood/acrylic paint, 31" x 24" x 26";
Praying Gundam, 2009, plastic, 16" x 20" x 8"; Believe Tae Kwon V, 2009, plastic, 8" x 8" x 13"
Yeonju Sung
In her photographs of clothing constructed from materials that could never realistically be worn, Yeonju
Sung captures what she describes as a series of phantoms—temporal checkpoints depicting objects destined to decay, objects that fail in function what they seem to fulfill in appearance. Sung begins by designing
clothing out of foodstuffs such as eggplant, lotus root, chewing gum and chicken. She then photographs
these articles of culinary couture, effectively removing context from purpose and concealing the degradation effects of time. Sung recognizes the inability of her organic pieces to carry out the function which they
signify—and she likewise exposes the limits of the photographic image as it conveys a fleeting reality, a
moment of meaning that will never exist beyond the printed page. Ultimately, Sung’s exhibited works are
the printed photographs, not her sculptured constructions. By flattening and freezing her sculptural work
through the photographic act, Sung exposes the authority of image over reality, revealing a tenuous line that
separates lived from imagined experience. A graduate of Hongik University, Seoul, Yeonju Sung lives, works
and exhibits in Seoul.
Biography
Yeonju Sung | b. 1986
EDUCATION
2010BFA from Department of Painting, College of Arts, Hongik University, Seoul
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2009 Wearable Foods, Gallery Young, Seoul
The Image between Reality and Non-Reality, Mok-Ho Cultural Center, Ulsan
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2010Gallery Kak, Seoul
Gallery Ku, Kon Kuk University Medical Center, Seoul
Asia Top Hotel Art Fair, The Shilla Hotel Seoul
Korea International Art Fair, Coex, Seoul
Art Edition, Bexco, Busan, Korea Safi, Seoul
2009 Young Artists “Hot Issue,” Gaia Gallery, Seoul
On Off Show, Lamer Gallery, Seoul
Nobody Ask, Mok-Ho Cultural Center, Ulsan
Playground in August, Gallery Young, Seoul
Banana, 2010, pigment print, 42" x 34"; Eggplant, 2010, pigment print, 42" x 34"; Spring Onion, 2009, pigment print, 42" x 34"; Lotus Root, 2009, pigment print, 42" x 34"
Hyung Kwan Kim
In the work of Hyung Kwan Kim, artificial narratives are born out against
dense, hyper fields of activity—frenetic, populous scenes that underscore
the labor-intensive process the artist undergoes to create such work. Since
2005, Kim has been meticulously collecting, cutting and assembling boxsealing tape (known commercially as OPP tapes) into complex compositions, or “tape paintings” as they are called in Korea. These tape paintings
are a surreal response to a contemporary Korean society, in which Kim fears
anything and everything can be erased and re-packaged to appeal to the
modern sensibility. His subjects appear dismembered and obscured, architectural history gives way to trend-driven temporality, and industrialized
excess reaches a point of absurdity in the work. Utilizing a palette limited
only by commercial availability, Kim is able to extract rich nuances from the
subtle variances in hue and saturation between these inconsistently manufactured tapes. Hyung Kwan Kim received his BFA from Daegu University
of the Arts and his MFA from the Hansung University School of Art. He has
exhibited throughout Korea and currently lives and works in Seoul.
Biography
Hyung Kwan Kim | b. 1974
EDUCATION
2000 BFA in Painting, Daegu University of the Arts
2003 MFA in Painting, Hansung University School of Art
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2008 TRANS, Gallery DOS, Seoul
2007 Before Sunset, Art Space Sadari, Seoul
2003 Like I am on Roller Coaster, A&D Gallery, Seoul
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2010 Tippint Poin, Kwanhoon Gallery, Seoul
KIAF, coex, Seoul
Autonomy Zone 1-130, Arts Council Korea, Seoul
Kill Heal, Speedom Gallery, Gyeonggido
Day of Confidence, Art Space ‘ccul’, Seoul
New kims! new link!, VIT Gallery, Seoul
2009 Moving Target, Shinsegae Art Galley, Gyeonggido
Evanescent Landscape, Tonguidong BOAN Yeokwan, Seoul
Joongang Fine Arts Prize Exhibition, Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul
Songeun Arts Prize Exhibition, insa arts space, Seoul
Art and Fashion, Oulim Art Gallery, Gyeonggido
2008 Making Words Short, Art Space Sadari, Seoul
Choongye Art Awards Exhibition, Koreana Art Museum, Seoul
Art Market, Cafe VW, Seoul
2006 Wandering, 5tong 7ban, Seoul
2003 Intersection, Gallery Deep, Seoul
2002 Chemical Art, Sagan Gallery, Seoul
Makgulli Is in the Refrigerator, Samsun Market project exhibition, Seoul
Jjok Ji,Gwanhoon Gallery, Seoul
2001 Dislocation, Space 129, Daegu
Art and Villiage, Wongol, Gongju
Moohangwangmyung Saesakaltong gangchu, Jungdok Library, Seoul
New New Generation, Gallery Shilla, Daegu
2000 Factory Exhibition Blinded Love, Changdong Samepyo Factory, Seoul
More Than This #3, 2009, colored plastic tapes on paper, 46" x 71"; Untitled, 2010, colored plastic tapes on paper, 48" x 33"
Ahn-Nyung | Hello
An introduction to
Ko re an Co ntem p o rary Art
Ja n ua ry 2 2 to F eb r ua ry 1 9, 2 0 1 1
C u r at e d by Ja e Ya n g | A r t- m e r g e
Ja e Ya n g
L e Ba s s e P r o j ec t s
A r t- m e r g e
6 0 2 3 Wa s h i n g to n B o u l e va r d
ja e@a r t- m e r g e . c o m
C u lv e r Ci t y, Califo r n ia 9 0 2 3 2
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