Korean Contemporary Art Exhibition

Transcription

1

2 Korean Contemporary Art Exhibition

3 The lamp of the east In the golden age of Asia Korea was one of its lamp-bearers And that lamp is waiting to be lighted once again For the illumination in the East (Rabindranath Tagore, 1929) This is a poem by Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore ( ) that is particularly famous in Korea. When Tagore visited Japan in 1929, a Korean journalist requested him to visit Korea. Tagore could not visit Korea but he wrote the poem The Lamp of the East instead. The poem was published in the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper in 1929 and inspired Koreans during the Japanese occupation. After Liberation in 1945, the poem was included in middle school text books and thus strongly influenced many Koreans. Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi are considered by Koreans as the most influential intellectuals in Indian history.tagore s poem, The Lamp of the East metaphorically depicts the dreams and aspiration of the Korean people. 7 Korean contemporary artists will present their work in the exhibition titled The Lamp of the East. This title takes after Tagore s poem and the exhibition aims to pay tribute to the great poet and to reaffirm that Korea is now indeed The Lamp of the East just as Tagore predicted. And it is the symbolic representation of Korean contemporary art that is likened to the light of Asia. The Lamp of the East exhibits the works of some of the most remarkable Korean artists who have been attracting the attention of the international art world. The artists include Jheon Soocheon who received a special award at the Venice Biennial in 1995; Debbie Han who was awarded the 2009 Sovereign Asian Art Prize; Lee Leenam who has been in the spotlight through international art fairs and auctions; Wang Jiwon who was in the limelight in the recent Korean Art Show in New York; Sin Kiwoun who was awarded the Grand Prize at the 2007 Jungang Fine Arts Prize in Korea; Seok Cheoljoo who is held in much repute by critics in Korea and Lee Gwangho who has made quite a splash in art circles through his recent solo exhibitions, where

4 he showcased, his impeccable technique. These artists works are at the forefront of Korean contemporary art and we hope that this exhibition will be a good opportunity to introduce their work in India. The artworks of this show were chosen by focusing on nature of the artists moderate aesthetic in Korean contemporary art. The sense of moderate aesthetic is one of the most significant of recent trends, discussed and pursued by Korean artists these days. This inclination is displayed by artists as a process of asking and answering questions about their identities even as they live and immerse themselves in a rapidly changing world with its overabundance of images. Every single piece reveals the artist s contemplation and meditation of the cultures that they belong to. Jheon Soocheon s works using the photo images of Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, and Mother Theresa respond to the communion between India and Korea while Debbi Han questions what beauty means and where the east meets the west. Lee Leenam presents art work that combines high technology with the Korean aesthetic of beauty. Sin Kiwoun s screen work reflects on the social conditions of Mammonism while Wang Jiwon makes an image of himself overlapped with the statue of the holy Buddha. Seok Cheoljoo s work is a study of inner contemplation. Lee Gwangho presents a hyperrealistic work with gigantic cactuses which leads us to meditate upon the meaning of reality. This exhibition is dedicated to the immortal poet, Rabindranath Tagore and to his country, India, by artists from Korea which is an integral part of the Asia that the poet loved so much. The exhibition looks back upon the memory of Tagore with respect and affection, ahead of the 150th anniversary of his birth. Insang Song Curator

5 Here you are Lightjet print, aluminum, acrylic, x 45 cm 120 x 90 cm Jheon Soochun

6 Lee Leenam Moon Pot LCD monitor, Video, 2008 LCD 46 inch

7 Kwanon_z Urethane, metallic material, machinery, electronic device (CPU board, motor), (h) x 40(w) x 28(d) cm Wang Ziwon

8 Suk Chuljoo The Memory of Nature 1 Blue and White (Porcelain Jar) The Memory of Nature 2 Projection, Data DVD, x 194 cm 120 x 80 cm

9 Dis-illusion : Coin_Faces Projection, Data DVD 2007 Shin Kiwoun

10 Debbie Han Two Graces IV Talking Three Graces Lightjet print, aluminum, acrylic, 2009/ x 185 cm 142 x 98 cm

11 Lee Kwangho Cactus No. 21 Cactus No. 35 Cactus No. 43 Oil on canvas, 110 x 160 cm, 62 x 130 cm x 97 cm

12 design: Studio RDA