AHN CHULHYUN I N F I N I T E VOYAG E
INFINITE VOYAGE
Ahn Chulhyun’s ar tistic oeuvre concentrates on the concept of the space and its ambiguity and abstractness originating from its invisibility. By constructing variety of subdued light emitting boxes composed of fluorescent light with mirrors, the ar tist focus on the possibility of the visualisation of the space through the illumination of the infinite depth. He began his ar tistic practice as a painter depicting hard-edged perspective two-dimensional paintings. Acknowledging the limitation in fully encapsulate the three-dimensionality of the space through two-dimensional paintings, he transforms the geometric objects often shown in his earlier paintings into actual objects and uses light and mirrors to visualise the space. Analogous to the effor t of the cosmologists on their mission to measure the size of and to draw the map of the universe with the speed of light, the ar tist also toys with the characteristics of light and incorporates into his works to create fading light of abyss. Thus, revealing the space itself. As he focuses on the induction of spectator’s experience of light and space under specific condition, the vestiges of Light and Space movement in his ar tistic practice become apparent, along with the ar tist’s inspirations from Dan Flavin and other minimalist ar tists. Fur thermore, his encouragement of the physical engagement with the space and material also shares affiliations with Kinetic and Optical ar tists as Gianni Colombo from the physical embodiment of the space itself as seen in Spazio elastico (1967-68). Never theless, it is necessary to note that Ahn’s constructions are distinguishable from other modern and contemporary ar tists who share similar ar tistic practice such as Olafur Eliasson and Leo Villareal as he concentrates on the Zen Buddhist’s meditative state of Selflessness triggered from the phenomenological experience of the empty space. The infinite emptiness and voidity of the space is in fact filled with innumerable entities as air, light, space itself and thus infinite possibilities. In which, the ar tist anticipates for the audiences to launch into their own infinite spiritual voyage through the physical experience detached from the secular lives for the ultimate enlightenment. In Ahn’s seminal work Mu Rung Do Won (Infinite Garden, 2008) this is evident as he refers back to the lost paradise from ‘The Tale of the Peach Blossom Spring’ - story of a fisherman’s encounter with the peach flower blossoming paradise whilst ascending a river to fish - by Tao Yuanming (365~427). As one of the most famous Chinese writers of the period, he is well acknowledged for concise and simplistic verses without extravaganza and established his literary influence in various neighbouring Asian countries including Korea. Mu Rung Do Won meaning ‘the beautiful place where the peach flowers blossom’ is a paradise residing in between the reality and the illusion where all the anxiety and karma is forgotten. Ahn invites the viewers to this forgotten paradise constructed from light and mirrors creating the utopia of endlessly fading light for the audiences to fall into.
Void | cast acr ylic, mirror s, LED lights | 230.4 x 181.6 x 31.8 cm | 2011 | 3 Editions / AP 2
02 | 03
Tunnel #3 | Plywood, mirror s, lights | 122 x 122 x 76cm | 2010
04 | 05
Mirror Drawing #9 | plywood, mirror s, light | 109.2 x 109.2 x 7.6 cm | 2012
Mirror Drawing #10 | plywood, mirror s, light | 109.2 x 109.2 x 7.6 cm | 2012
06 | 07
Visual Echo Experiment - Stripes #5 | plywood, mirror s, light | 78.7 x 78.7 x 12.7 cm | 2012
08 | 09
For ked #24 | MDF, mirror s, light | 54 x 54 x 10.8 cm | 2012
06 10 | 07 11
Untitled(double) #3 | Plywood, mirror s, lights | 115.6 x 115.6 x 14 cm | 2012
16 12 | 17 13
For ked - Diagonal Green | plywood, mirror s, light | 137.2 x 137.2 x 14 cm | 2012
14 | 15
For ked | Plywood, mirror s, light | 121.9 x 91.4 x 14 cm | 2012
For ked Series #22 | MDF, mirror s, light | 54 x 54 x 10.8 cm | 2012
16 | 17
Roller Coaster - blue | plywood, mirror s, light | 78.7 x 69.2 x 12.7 cm | 2012
18 | 19
Roller Coaster - green | plywood, mirror s, light | 78.7 x 69.2 x 12.7 cm | 2012
Roller Coaster - pink | plywood, mirror s, light | 78.7 x 69.2 x 12.7 cm | 2012
20 | 21
v
AHN CHULHYUN
(b. 1971)
EDUCATION 2002 MFA, Maryland Institute College of Ar t, Baltimore, MD, USA
2002 ACADEMY 2002, Conner Contemporary, Washington DC, USA Six Degrees in Cold Storage, CAA Conference, Philadelphia, PA, USA
2000 MA Studies, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA
2001 Multiplicity, Gallery 4, Baltimore, MD, USA
1997 BFA, Chu-Gye University for the Ar ts, Seoul, Korea
1999 Group Exhibition, Creole Gallery, Lansing, MI, USA 1996 New Frontier Exhibition, Kyung-In Ar t Museum, Korea The Joong-Ang Biennale, City Museum of Ar t, Seoul, Korea
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
The Grand Ar t Exhibition of Ar t World, City Museum of Ar t, Seoul, Korea
2012 Infinite Voyage, HADA Contemporary, London, UK
The 15th Grand Ar t Exhibition of Korea, National Museum of Contemporary
2011 Illuminated Void, C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, MD, USA Visual Echo, Galerie Paris-Beijing, Paris, France
Ar t, Korea 1995 Finder Complex, Indeco Gallery, Seoul, Korea,
2010 Chul Hyun Ahn, Caprice Horn Gallery, Berlin, Germany 2008 Phenomena: Visual Echo, C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, MD, USA 2007 Chul-Hyun Ahn “New Works”, C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, MD, USA
COLLECTIONS
2005 Visual Echoes, C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, MD, USA
Delaware Ar t Museum, Wilmington, DE, USA
New Work, Conner Contemporary, Washington DC, USA
Borusan Foundation Collection, Istanbul, Turkey
2004 Infinite Directions, C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, MD, USA
Palm Springs Ar t Museum, Palm Springs, CA, USA
2003 Infinity – Emptiness, C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, MD, USA,
Samuel P. Harn Museum of Ar t, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA Jordan D. Schnitzer Family Foundation, Por tland, OR, USA The Hearst Foundation Collection, New York, NY, USA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse, Mar tin Z. Margulies Foundation Inc.,
2012 Korean Eye, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
Miami, FL, USA
Samawi Collection II, Ayyam Ar t Center, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2011 Aha! Moment, Hangaram Ar t Museum at Seoul Ar ts Center, Seoul, Korea
The Marvin and Elayne Mordes Collection, West Palm Beach, FL, USA Mr and Mrs Don Sanders, Houston, TX, USA
Touching the Void, Kunstraum: Morgenstrasse, Karisruhe, Germany
Washington D.C. Convention Center, USA
Perception/Deception: Illusion In Contemporary Ar t, Delaware Ar t Museum,
McDonald’s Corporation, McDonald’s Baltimore, Washington Regional Office, USA
Wilmington, DE, USA
The American Society of Nephrology, Washington DC, USA
2010 Look Again, Southeastern Center for Contemporary Ar t, Winston Salem, NC, USA 2009 A Sculpture Show, C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore, MD, USA 2008 Momentum: Contemporary Ar t from the Harn Collection, Samuel P. Harn Museum of Ar t, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA Light and Transition, Caprice Horn Gallery, Berlin, Germany 2007 Janet & Walker Sondheim Semi-Finalist Exhibition Decker Gallery, Maryland Institute College of Ar t, Baltimore, MD, USA 2006 “Variety” Group Exhibition CPS Gallery, NewYork, NY, USA Biennial Exhibition, School 33 Ar t Center, Baltimore, MD, USA 2004 Luminous Recurrence, The Shore Institute of the Contemporary Ar ts, Long Branch, NJ, USA
Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Ar ts, Baltimore, MD, USA
22 | 23
This catalogue is published by HADA Contemporary to accompany the exhibition:
AHN CHULHYUN INVISIBLE VOYAGE 1 - 28 NOVEMBER 2012 Š HADA Contemporary Ltd. 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers
21 VYNER STREET LONDON E2 9DG +44 (0)20 8983 7700 info@hadacontemporary.com www.hadacontemporary.com