chun Kyungwoo PORTRAITS
This catalogue is published by HADA Contemporary to accompany the exhibition:
CHUN KYUNGWOO PORTRAITS 2 OCTOBER - 30 NOVEMBER 2014 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any mean, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without prior written permission from HADA Contemporary Ltd.
PORTRAITS CHUN KYUNGWOO
CHUN KYUNGWOO
Embracing the contemporary resistance against the traditional notion of photography - that it captures the moment of reality - Chun Kyungwoo (b. 1969) studies on the vast possibilities of the medium focusing on the subjectivity and relativity that explore the fundaments of relationships. Often characterised by the blurred contour and obscurity from the long exposure and performance-driven photographic process, he records the duration and collects moments whilst building a relationship that helps unveil oneself. Chun incorporates photography, performance, video and installation in a close relationship to question what we believe as rational, logical and finite such as the concept of time through visual eloquence and clarity. In One Hour Por trait (2002), he explores the boundary of the photographic medium and the genre of por traiture by reassessing their common principles. As the ar tist photographs the subject through an hour-long exposure while sharing candid conversations, he releases the heavy burden of instantaneity bound to the photographic medium. Stirring away from the momentary snapshot of the external physicality, the painterly imagery is the por trait of the intimate relationship of the sitter and photographer. Similarly, in A Day in Seoul (2003), nine businessmen were invited to the ar tist’s studio on their own appointed time in a day to be photographed for the minutes that represent
the number of their age. Interestingly, although each image depicts three men seated closely together, they were never photographed together. As the varying translucence of figures suggests each were photographed individually through the long exposure allowing them to reside simultaneously within an image. This fundamentally demonstrates the photograph’s inadequacy as a medium to present the moment of truth or reality through the visualisation of the absence of truth by challenging the linearity of time which is fur ther elaborated in his previous works as 18x1 Minute (2003) and 0 Minute (2005). In Simultan (2010), he creates a diptych each captured from different angles to examine on the relative values, perspectives and relationships. The visual manifestation of varying perspectives of the subjects propels us to disregard the idea that photography displays a particular space and time seen from a single point of view as images created through a single lens differs from how our eyes and mind function. Furthermore, the recognition of these differences grants our understanding of the myriads possibility of the subjective and relational interpretation. In the similar note, Believing is Seeing (2007) is a series that confronts on our perception on seeing, knowing and believing by photographing participants with congenital or acquired visual impairments for maximum of an hour long exposure while the participants described what they would look like, how they perceived themselves and how they think others perceive them. Freed from the visual limitations imposed by what you can see from the long tradition of ocularcentrism that often equates the vision with cognition, knowledge and truth, the imaginal visualisation of participants are limitlessly richer and deeper through other senses. Thus, he initiates a dialogue that suggest the fragility, fluidity and incompleteness of the perception through vision contesting preconceived values giving ways to subjective interpretation.
Versus (2006-7) is one of Chun’s representative works that focuses on exploring on the relationship between individuals inspired by the Chinese word ‘Ren’ (人, human) – a Chinese hieroglyph originating from the image of two people leaning against each other, which exemplify the interdependency as the fundamental element of human existence. Two individuals were invited to rest their head on each other’s shoulder whilst holding one of the partner’s hands – the posture modelled after the Chinese character - for the duration of the sum of their age triggering the sensual phenomenological experiences. The invitation to violate their personal space and that of the others opens the gateway to encounter the other, at the same time, oneself through the intense bodily and emotional relationship formed by the complex sensorial exchanges. It is whether you choose to accept or reject the existence of the other, they existence will become a burden or a support. Like many of his photographic series,Versus also continued as a performance from 2007 to 2012 in Seoul, New York, Barcelona and Zurich among others inducing varying physical and emotional experiences from differing cultural backgrounds and environments. In the series BreaThing (2008), Chun explores this further in a broader context by studying how an object transforms as it meets the body by photographing participants while holding an object. The absence of visages guides us to fully engage in the dialogue between an individual and an object extrapolating their relationship. Regardless of its original functionality, the object enliven by the breath of emotions and memories merges as a part of the body and the image becoming a portrait of this transformation. As Ingo Clauß notes, Chun’s works are deeply rooted in humanism combining diverse concepts of Western and Eastern philosophy. His oeuvre essentially navigates against the current challenging the realm of our perception suggesting the path towards realisation of our preconceptions. Often questioning the finite and limited definitions, his quiet and earnest gestures with the economy of means manifest tremendous impact on our perspective and consciousness. Thus tempting us to retrospect what it is to be and how to be a human in the world that we live in.
Chun received Diploma in Photography at University of Wuppertal, Germany and BFA in Photography at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, Korea. He exhibited internationally in respected institutions as National Museum of Contemporary Art Korea; Laznia-Center for Contemporary Art Gdanks, Poland; Centro Huarte-Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, Navarra, Spain; Center for Contemporary Art, Aarhus, Denmark among others. His works has been collected in numerous institutions and private collections. He lives and works in Seoul, Korea and Bremen, Germany.
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A Day in Seoul: Unknown | C-print | 95 x 120 each (triptych) | 2003
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One-Hour Por trait #10 | C-print | 105 x 80 cm | 2002
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Ver sus #1 | C-print | 66 x 90 cm | 2007
Ver sus #2 | C-print | 66 x 90 cm | 2007
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Believing is Seeing #1 | C-Print | 135 x 104 cm | 2007
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Believing is Seeing #2 | C-print | 135 x 104 cm
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Believing is Seeing #7-1 | C-print | 135 x 104 cm | 2007
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Believing is Seeing #10 | C-print | 100 x 77 cm | 2007
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Simultan#1 | C-print | 50 x 65.5 cm each (diptych) | 2010
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Pre-sense #1-1 | C-print | 140 x 105 cm | 2014
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Pre-sense #1-2 | C-print | 60 x 45 cm | 2014
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BreaThings #02 | C-print | 90 x 120 cm | 2008
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BreaThings #6 | C-print | 130 x 100 cm | 2008
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BIOGRAPHY
chun Kyungwoo
b. 1969 Lives and works in Seoul, Korea and Bremen, Germany
EDUCATION 2000 Diploma in Photography, Communications Design, University of Wuppertal, Germany 1992 BFA in Photography, College of Arts, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2014 Portraits, HADA Contemporary, London, UK 2013 Interpreters, Gaain Gallery, Seoul, Korea 2012 Seventeen Moments, Galeria Nuble, Santander, Spain Perfect Relay, Staedtische Galerie Delmenhorst, Germany Response, Kunsthalle Göppingen, Göppingen, Germany Versus, Galerie Andres Thalmann, Zurich, Switzerland 2011 Thousands, Kunsthalle Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany San & Sebastian (2-person), Galeria Arteko, DonostiaSan Sebastian, Spain 2010 Thousands, Laznia-Center for Contemporary Art Gdanks, Poland Simultan, Bernhard Knaus Fine Art, Frankfurt, Germany Thousands and other works, SKL Gallery, Palma, Spain Being a Queen, The Museum of Photography, Seoul, Korea Departure Songs, Galerie DNA, Berlin, Germany 2009 Being a Queen, Aarhus Kunstbygning, Center for Contemporary Art, Aarhus, Denmark Burden or Support, video and performance, both exhibitions arranged by Gallerie Image, Aarhus, Denmark Thousands, Kunsthalle Emden, Germany BreaThings, Gaain Gallery, Seoul, Korea Thousands, Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea Thousands-fragments, Galeria Raquel Ponce, Madrid 2008 Thousands-Miles, Centro Huarte-Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, Navarra, Spain BreaThings, Bernhard Knaus Fine Art, Frankfurt, Germany Thousands- fragments, Fifty One Fine Art Photography, Antwerp, Belgium SAPPHO: OHPPAS, Kunstverein Ruhr, Essen, Germany 2007 Last Works, Galería Nuble, FOCONORTE-festival de fotografía y vídeo, Santander, Spain Silence is Movement, Galerie DNA, Berlin, Germany Projecting Life Indoors (2-person), Casa Asia, Barcelona, Spain Versus & Believing is Seeing, Gallery Van Zoetendaal, Amsterdam, the Netherlands Believing is Seeing, Gaain Gallery, Seoul, Korea Versus, Galeria Arteko, Donodtia-San Sebsatian, Spain Versus, Galeria Raquel Ponce, Madrid, Spain 2006 screen sprit_continued/ KYUNGWOO CHUN, Staedtische Galerie im Buntentor Bremen, Germany IN/FINITE, photography, video, Galerie Bernhard Knaus, Mannheim, Germany Pseudonym, Fifty One Fine Art Photography, Antwerp, Belgium 2005 100 Questions - Photographs, Video Installation, Stiftung DKM, Duisburg, Germany Dialog, Kuenstlerhaus Goettingen, Germany A Naming Game (video, photographs, and performance), Galería Arteko, San Sebastian, Spain 2004 A Day in Seoul, Van Zoetendaal Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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2003 2002 2001 1998 1994
Kyungwoo Chun, the Museum of Photography (Hanmi Art Foundation), Seoul, Korea Intervals, Galeria FF, Lodz, Poland Kyungwoo Chun ‘reMEMBERed,’ Odense Foto Triennale, Brandts Klædefabrik Odense, Denmark Eidolon, Pruess & Ochs Gallery, Berlin, Germany this appearance, Staedtische Galerie Delmenhorst, Germany Kyungwoo Chun 1998–2001, Sungkok Art Museum, Seoul, Korea Thirty Minutes Dialog, Galleri Image, Aarhus, Denmark Zeitraum im Verschwinden, Werkraum Uerdingerstrasse, Cologne, Germany Aura, Ba-Tang-Gol Gallery, Seoul, Korea
SELECTED PERFORMANCES 2012 Gute Nachrichten, Hanbit Media Gallery, Seoul and Museum Weserburg, GAK, Bremen, Germany 35 Senses, Galleri Image, Aarhus, Denmark 18x1Minute, Staedtische Galerie Delmenhorst, Delmenhorst, Germany Versus at Roskilde Festival, Roskilde, Denmark Versus in Zurich, Baerenwiese/ Galerie Anderes Thalmann, Zurich, Switzerland Versus in Goeppingen, Rathausplatz/ Kunsthalle Goeppingen, Goeppingen, Germany 2011 Versus in Times Square, Public Art Program by Times Square Alliance, New York, USA 100 Questions, Arko Art Center, Arts Council Korea, Seoul, Korea 2010 Silence is Movement, Long Night of Museums,/ LazniaCenter for Contemporary Art, Gdansk, Poland 2009 The Seven Chairs, Aarhus Kunstbygning-Center for Contemporary Art, Aarhus, Denmark PERFORMAT I-Kyungwoo Chun, Kunsthalle Bremen, Germany BreaThings, Gaain Gallery, Seoul, Korea Greetings, Galeria Raquel Ponce, Madrid, Spain 2008 Burden or Suport, Psi #14: Interregnum, University of Copenhagen, Denmark Bim Bim Blumen, Kunstverein Ruhr, Essen, Germany 2007 Projects/ VERSUS, curated program by ARTE LISBOA, Lissabon, Portugal VERSUS Seoul-Barcelona2, Festival Asia, Casa Asia, Barcelona, Spain VERSUS Seoul-Barcelona1, Softpower exhibition, W Hotel, Seoul, Korea Into (apoyo o carga), Gaain Gallery, Seoul, Korea An Allegory of Failure, Galeria Arteko, Donodtia-San Sebastian, Spain 2006 O Minute, Busan Biennale 2006, Busan Metropolitan Art Museum, Busan, Korea Into (apoyo o carga), National Gallery, Prague, Czech Republic 11 Allegories, soccer club Manheim in arrangement of Galerie Bernhard Knaus, Mannheim, Germany 2005 O Minute -Video Performance, Artforum Berlin, Germany O Minute, KIAF, Seoul, Korea Into (apoyo o carga), Galería Arteko, San Sebastian, Spain 2004 18 x 1 Minute, Fundación Centro Ordónez, Falcon de FotografÌa, San Sebastian, Spain 18 x 1 Minute, Street at Artinus Gallery, Seoul, Korea 2003 18 x 1 Minute, ARCO Madrid - Art Unknown, 2003, Spain, curated by Bart de Baere, Barbara Steiner, Charles Esche
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS & COLLABORATIONS 2013 Still -Phot ography in the Museum, MODEM Centre for Modern and Contemporary Arts, Debrecen, Hungary Haein Art Project, Haeinsa Temple, Habcheon, Korea 2012 What is it to be Chinese?(Kyungwoo Chun, FX Harsono, Truong Ngu, Tintin Wulia, David Zink Yi), Grimmuseum, Berlin, Germany 5th European Month of Photography Berlin, IN TRANSIT - THE VIEW OF OTHER, Bahnhof Ostkreuz, Berlin, Germany Project Daejeon 2012: Energy, Daejeon Museum of Art, Daejeon, Korea Growing Together, Galeria Nuble, Santander, Spain Breda Photo-International Photo Festival, MOTI, Museum of the Image, Breda, the Netherlands AND Festival-festival of new cinema, digital culture & art/ Blue Crystal Ball, Holden Gallery, Manchaster, UK Blue Crystal Ball: Samsung Olympic Games Media Art Collection, De La Warr Pavilion, East Bexhill Sussex, UK Portrait of Time, Can Foundation, Beijing, China En samling, Galleri Image, Aarhus, Denmark 2011 Believing is Seeing, Ffotogallery at Turner House, Cardiff, UK Series of Portraits - A Centry of Photographs, Museum fuer Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, Germany Isabelle Huppert: Woman of Many Faces, The Museum of Photography, Seoul, Korea Interview & Artists as an Interviewer, Arko Art Center, Arts Council Korea, Seoul, Korea C Action Photo Virus, Langhans Galerie, Prague, Czech Republic 2010 Liverpool Biennial : Media Landscape, Zone East, Contemporary Urban Centre, Liverpool, UK Chaotic Harmony: Contemporary Korean Photography, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, USA Man Ray and his heratage, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea Darmstaedter Tage der Fotografie, Darmstadt, Germany Reflections, DNA, Berlin ICONOTEXTES, Jeju Museum of Art, Jeju, Korea 2009 Chaotic Harmony: Contemporary Korean Photography, The Museum of Fine Art, Houston, TX WHITE SPACES, a concert on the occasion of Gerhard Stäbler's 60. birthday, Wilhelm Lehmruck Museum, Duisburg ARCHIVO, curarted by Willem van Zoetendaal, MK Galerie, Berlin Hangul=Spirit: Inspired by Korean Charlacters, Korean Cultural Centre, London, UK TRIALOG I, II - video, music, performance with Kunsu Shm and Gerhard Staebler, Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Gaain Gallery, Seoul, Korea TRIALOG III- video, music, performance with with Kunsu Shm and Gerhard Staebler, Kumho Art Hall, Seoul, Korea 2008 Liverpool Biennial: Fantasy Studio, A Foundation, Liverpool, UK Verticals, Gallery Van Zoetendaal, Amsterdam, the Netherlands SAPPHO, video installation with live music/ with Gerhard Staebler, WDR Musik Fest, Duisburg Landschaftspark, Germany 2007 Writing Paintings, Painting Words, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea NYC Photo Exhibition, Phillips de Pury & Company, New York, USA Angelegenheiten, die sich daraus ergeben, Kuenstlerhaus Bremen, Bremen, Germany Landscape of Korean Contemporary Photography, Seoul
2006
2005
2004 2003 2002
2001
2000 1999
Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea Soft Power Exhibition, Korea Foundation cultural center, Seoul, Korea Statements, Bernhard Knaus Fina Art, Frankfurt, Germany Slow, Miki Wick Kim Contemporary Art, Zurich, Switzerland Tijdens fotomanifestatie Contrasten 1, museum goudA, Gouda, the Netherlands White Spaces, Video Installation with concert (in collaboration with Gerhand Staebler), Tonhalle, Duesseldorf, Germany Busan Biennale 2006, Busan Metropolitan Art Museum, Busan, Korea El mar que tiene dos nombres. Videoarte de Corea, Casa Asia, Barcelona, Spain Daegu Photo Biennale, Daegu, Korea TINA B. Contemporary Art Festival Prague, Gallery Nova sin, Prague, Czech Republic Artspectrum 2006, Leeum / Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea Paik and Beyond, Sonderschau Art Cologne, Cologne, Germany Asia - the place to be?, Alexander Ochs Galleries Berlin/ Beijing, Germany Galeris Neuvelles Images, the Hague, the Netherlands Wirklichkeit des Individuums, Kunsthalle Mannheim, Germany Der Rest der Welt, Neuffer am Park Pirmasens, Germany The Third Asian Photography, Guardian Garden, Tokyo, Japan Identitaet und Ideal, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, Germany Perspektiven —81. Herbstausstellung niedersaechsischer Künstler, Kunstverein Hannover, Germany portrait: portrait, Pruess & Ochs Gallery (formerly Asian Fine Arts Berlin), Berlin Germany International Young Art 2002, The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, New York, Sotheby’s Amsterdam, and Sotheby’s Tel Aviv Bremer Foerderpreis fuer Bildende Kunst, Städtische Galerie im Buntentor Bremen, Germany Hall of Mirrors/Variants of the Portraits, Museet for Fotokunst, Brandts Klædefabrik Odense, Denmark Internationale Photoszene Koeln 2000, Deutsches Sport & Olympia Museum, Cologne, Germany Schwarz und Weiss, Museum Schloss Morsbroich, Leverkusen, Germany Galerie im Funkhaus des MDR, Magdeburg, Germany Artriumgalerie des Willy-Brandt-Hauses, Berlin, Germany
AWARDS, GRANTS, RESIDENCIES 2008 Public Art Competition, Bremen, Germany Grant, Art Council Korea Commission by Duisbueger Philharmonie, Germany 2007 Grant, Artists in Residence, DIVA Exchange Program, Danish Arts Council (hosted by Galleri Image, Aarhus), Denmark Grant, Ivory Press, London, U.K. Hanmi Photography Prize 2007, the Museum of Photography (Hanmi Foundation for Arts and Culture), Seoul, Korea 2006 Commission, Tonhalle Duesseldorf, Germany 2005 Grant from the Korean Culture and Arts Foundation, Korea 2004 Artist-in-Residence, Centro Cultural Andratx, Majorca, Spain Commission, Fundación Centro Ordónez, Falcon de FotografÌa, San Sebastian, Spain 2001–02 Artist Scholarship from the City of Delmenhorst, Niedersachsen, Germany 2001 Grant from the Korean Culture and Arts Foundation, Korea
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SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS Museum fuer Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, Germany Gemeentemuseum, The Hague, the Netherlands Vedder Collection, Zollikon, Switzerland Museet for Fotokunst, Brandts Klaedefabrik Odense, Denmark The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, U.S.A. Sammlung Alison & Peter W. Klein, Eberdingen-Nussdorf The Caldic Collection, Rotterdam, the Netherlands CIRCA XX : Colección Pilar Citoler, Madrid, Spain Burger Collection, Zurich, Switzerland Kunst en Complex Collection, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Haus Coburg, Staedtische Galerie Delmenhorst, Germany Fundación Centro Ordónez, Falcon de FotografÌa, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain Centro Cultural Andratx-CCA, Spain Museum DKM, Duisburg, Germany The Museum of Photography (Hanmi Foundation of Arts and Culture), Seoul, Korea Fortis Bank Collection, Rotterdam, the Netherlands Kunsthalle Emden, Emden, Germany Kunsthalle Goeppingen, Goeppingen, Germany Galleri Image, Aarhus, Denmark National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS Kyungwoo Chun-Performance Raisonné I (Text: Jiyoon Lee), IANN Books, Seoul, 2011 Kyungwoo Chun-Photographs (Text: Hyeyoung Shin), IANN Books, Seoul, 2011 bild.klang.los- Ein Trialog von Kyungwoo Chun, Kunsu Shim und Gerhard Stäbler (Text: Hella Melkert, Peter Friese), PFAU Verlag, Saarbrücken, 2009 Being a Queen-Kyungwoo Chun (Text: Louise Wolthers, Rune Gade, Nathalie Boseul Shin), Forlaget Vandkunsten, Copenhagen, 2009 Art.es – project #26 (Text: Peter Friese), Madrid, Spain 2009 ARCHIVO-Thousands, Amsterdam (Text: Urs Stahel), the Netherlands, 2008 Kyungwoo Chun-Thousands (Texts: Wulf Herzogenrath, Nils Ohlsen, Jiyoon Lee, Urs Stahel), Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern, 2008 Believing is Seeing (Text: Hyeyoung Shin), Gaain Gallery, Seoul, 2007 KYUNGWOO CHUN-photographs, video performances (Texts: Stephan Berg, Minseong Kim, Susanne Pfeffer), Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern, 2005 Souvenirs (Text: Mika Elo), Sigongart, Seoul, 2005 KYUNGWOO CHUN, the Museum of Photography (Text: Seungkon Kim, Hanmi Foundation of Culture and Arts), Seoul, 2004 INTERVALS (Text: Lech Lechowicz), FF Gallery, Lodz, 2004 EIDOLON (Text: Enrique Ordonez, Jaana Pruess), Alexander Ochs Galleries, Berlin, 2003 this appearance-Kyungwoo Chun, Staedtische Galerie Delmenhorst edition23, Delmenhorst, 2002 KYUNGWOO CHUN 1998-2001 (Texts: Finn Thrane, Enno Kaufhold), Sunggok Art Museum, Seoul, 2001 AURA (Text: Juseok Park), Batanggol Gallery, Seoul, 1994