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ROSS GARDINER ON THE BOMBAY MIX
SHE SAYS/SHE SAYS: THE RESTAURANT EURASIA
WHISPER CHASE
ON POETRY IN CARTOON MOTION:
ON POETRY IN CARTOON MOTION:
THE SIXTH EPISODE
ON FAITH
ON FAITH
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눈뜨고코베인
VENUE SPOTLIGHT WORDS BY DUSTIN WILSHIRE
clubvolume CLUB VOLUME IN ITAEWON IS BACK AND A LOT HAS CHANGED IN THE YEAR IT WAS GONE.
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riginally opened as a trance and techno club roughly four years ago, it became one of the hottest in Korea, considered a pioneer by many for big clubs at the time. However, it went through a remodel that didn’t go so well. Volume was sold last year and the new management team got right to work. What you have now is a completely new club. Before, it was considered too narrow. Structurally speaking, it’s now wider, creating a different atmosphere. The musical style has also been renovated. Gone are the days of trance and techno. Volume is now a house music club with some electro and a touch of progressive. Why house music? According to Fred, Club Volume Project Manager, “House music has very warm feelings. I think music should be that way, very warm, very enjoyable feelings. That is important.” Also, think about it, who enjoys house music? The ladies. The ladies enjoy house music, and the rule of thumb in the club world is the men will go where the females are. On the topic of clientele, I also asked Fred about his customers. “Our clientele are people between 20 and 35 years old. It’s quite wide.” He continues, “They are from Itaewon. We also have a lot of clients coming from Gangnam. We have people from Hongdae. We have students. We have people working in companies, professionals. And some part of the clientele are foreigners as well. “Next, I asked Fred what can we expect out of the new club? “What we 68 JUNE 2011 NEH MAGAZINE
want to do is give good times”, he says. “People come to our club because they want to have fun. They really like the music. This is what we heard from our clientele, that’s the reason they are coming back.” On the topic of events at Volume, he continues, “What we try to do is not always invite very big famous artists. The Korean scene always follows this. When you have famous DJ’s, people go to the club. But they will soon move to another club.” Instead, in an attempt to attract a loyal client base, Volume is targeting mainly talent found locally. You can still expect one or two famous DJ’s every month, but the main goal is to highlight gifted Korean DJ’s. Another difference, every Thursday at Volume is the “Pretty People Party.” Although it’s still considered a club party, the idea is to draw comparison to the lounge concept. Because Thursday is not considered a big night in the club world, Volume is hard at work to attract the lounge bar crowd. To do so, entrance is free for everyone until midnight, and all night is free for ladies. They will also be offering special promotions on drinks such as martinis. One last difference to mention, although the drink offerings and overall service are going to be similar to other clubs in Korea, the prices in Itaewon are a little lower than what you’ll find in Gangnam. Final thoughts from Fred, “We re-opened the club in Itaewon so we are definitely hoping to introduce Korean club culture to a large foreign base. We are really trying to create a mix between the Korean and the foreign customer.”
volume is targeting mainly talent found locally. you can still expect one or two famous dj’s every month, but the main goal is to highlight gifted korean dj’s.
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An Irie Evening with
WOON KIM Hongdae
TATTOO ARTIST
HONDAE TATTOO ARTIST AND DOWNTOWN INK PROPRIETOR, WOON KIM, IS A MAN THAT PLAYS BY HIS OWN RULES. HE DOES WHAT HE WANTS, AND MANAGES A THRIVING BUSINESS IN LIVING THIS CREDO. AGREEING TO TAKE ON A NEH INTERVIEW AT THE BEHEST OF A MUTUAL FRIEND, BEN KIDDLE, KIM TELLS US TO SIT TIGHT AT HIS STUDIO WHILE WAITING FOR HIM TO RETURN FROM WHO KNOW WHERE. WORDS BY MILGEM RABANERA &PHOTOGRAPHY BY DENNIS KIM
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he evening began by meeting Kim’s Korean buddy, who goes by the name Que Pasa and greets us with said moniker. The name (and greeting) is fitting, as Kim’s shop is adorned with Chicano lowrider artistry, replete with airbrushed canvases done with the precision of an East Los Angeles mural. A photo of a skull and a clipping of a supermodel are posted up next to his workstation as studies; the resulting work-in-progress is a sultry female dios de los muertos staring out from the table. Yet Kim’s work is imbued with a much wider range of influences from his world travels, which is evidenced by the décor of his studio. A portrait of Salvador Dali and his tweaked mustachioed self peers out from the amid a wall of tattoo sketches. An airbrushed painting of an American 1950’s pin-up girl is juxtaposed with Kim’s gangsta graffiti style signature at the entrance to his studio. And at the very back of the shop is a bookshelf filled with an eclectic mix of art books ranging from surrealism, to lowrider culture both Chicano and Japanese, as well as books on American artist Gil Elvgren (who popularized the pin-up girl style) and Sorayama Hajime (Japanese fetish art—Kim’s into the style of the art, not the aspect of fetishism, he later insists on making clear). He arrives, sporting Dickies shorts, vans, and other cholo-esque apparel—a Korean Cheech, so to speak. I wouldn’t expect anything less from a man who depicts Mexican artwork so accurately. Yet his shop is more of an artist’s studio set up, with paintings of women’s bodies, still life sketches of fruit, and a frame of Jesus Christ in one corner. I ask him if he’s religious. He says no, but many customers from abroad ask to get inked with an image of the holy one and it never bothers him to oblige. I tell him that he’s recommended as a top-notch portrait tattoo artist in Complex magazine, a New York based publication. When asked what he thinks about being featured as one of the “Top 50 Tattoo Artists You Should Know” in that issue, he chuckles good naturedly, “I didn’t even know that I was listed anywhere. I had no idea I was given that label. I just do what I like.” His success lies in the break from the traditional study hard, then work for long hard hours ethic that most Koreans abide by. “I had formal art education at Gangnam University, but lost interest and dropped out to skate and party. I eventually found myself winning awards as a professional fighting boxer in 1999, and when I got tired of that, I became a bouncer at MB [a Hongdae club].” So how did he get put on the path towards inking? “I was inspired by Japanese zombie movies. Lots and lots of zombie movies,” a dark genre which seeped into his artwork. Eventually he found himself getting inked by his
hero, famed Spanish tattoo artist, Robert Hernandez, whose realistic tones and textures also lay on the sinister side. I ask him if he was ever apprenticed to anyone before starting his business four years ago. He bares his upper right thigh to reveal the first tattoo he’d ever done. It’s of a devil’s face, but he’d drawn it facing him upside down so that those looking at him would see it right side up. Mad skills. He points to various parts of his body to indicate other intricately drawn tattoos. It’s clear that the answer is no: he was his training ground, using himself as a canvas as his main form of education. “I’ve also attended many tattoo conventions in Japan, Singapore, Berlin, and Germany. It was in Germany that I realized that I have the shading style of their tattoo artists.” He says this with a bit of bewilderment, as if surprised that his self-study actually holds weight. We talk about Korean views towards tattoos. What was once completely taboo is an art form that Koreans are slowly coming around to accepting, though the majority are still scorned by elders for indulging. Women are still ostracized if showing up at a jimjilbong with tattoos on their bodies. Young people must be considerate of their area of placement, as any visible tats can deter them from obtaining jobs. I prod him for stories about his clientele. Are they Hongdae students? Foreigners? Criminals? The latter question is perfectly relevant, as traditional Korean thought towards those bearing tattoos is that they’re automatically involved in criminal activity. He’s a perfect poker face. “No, it’s not a problem. Just old people still think it’s the mark of criminals.” The most he’ll say is that customers range from 20 to 30 years old, and that his customer base has grown by word of mouth. It makes me wonder if there’s some code he’s going by so that he doesn’t rat out his clients. In any case, Woon Kim is one of the most foreigner friendly Koreans I’ve come across since moving here. It’s not only telling in his worldly artwork, but also his music choice. As we chat, his itunes menu jumps from reggae, to punk, to heavy metal. Customers will never hear any 2NE1 music blaring in this shop, though he did do the design for one of their tee shirts. Nasio Fontaine’s “Herb & Loving” wafts softly in the background with tendrils of incense while we wrap up and move on to more general conversation—the perfect setting for an irie evening. Last question: Does he want to continue doing work in Korea, or elsewhere? With a huge grin he replies, “California.” My gaze goes to an airbrushed painting of a Latina drawn in the lowrider style he does so well. The words “California Dream” arch behind her in a flowery Mexican American calligraphy. Catch him in Korea whilst you can, before he’s completely assimilated into the SoCal culture that his work embodies.
HE ARRIVES, SPORTING DICKIES SHORTS, VANS, AND OTHER CHOLO-ESQUE APPAREL— A KOREAN CHEECH, SO TO SPEAK.
Directions: Go to t he Hongik University Stop via the AREX or Line 2 and go out Exit 1. Walk straight until you come to the main intersection and take a right. Keep walking for awhile (you will pass TGIFridays on your righthand side). Cross the big street you have been walking parallel to and continue walking parallel to that street until you pass a market with an overhang and a little Lotto shop. Make a left into the alley past the Lotto shop and walk down the alley until you see a shop that says Downtown Ink on your left-hand side.
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The Crack in the Language Barrier
Lackluster works of art aren’t on display here. The exhibition themes are designed to challenge artists, cultural barriers, and you, the attendee, to look deeper inside yourself. WORDS BY HEATHER HEFFNER &PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHILIPPE TESTON
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ake a stroll down The Alley of Itaewon to find the budding blossoms of Jin-Seong Park’s visionary “Culture Street”: Project Space Gallery Golmok. When gallery owner, Jin-Seong Park, gazes out at the sprawl of Itaewon, he doesn’t see “a tourist trap.” He sees a unique place that provides the opportunity for a diverse range of artists to interact and explore their relationship with art. He’ll provide the hotspot: cozy alleyway Gallery Golmok. “Art is my destiny,” he says, laughing. “It touches you even if you’re not able to speak the language.” Originally known as N-Space in 2005, the gallery evolved from a small showroom to a double-winged exhibition hall, aptly re-named “Golmok,” which means “Alley.” Cheerful, yellow
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walls gaze across picturesque outdoor seating and the gallery’s fusion restaurant, a lovely brick hole-in-the-wall in which to sip jasmine tea while listening to evening music. This is just the beginning. In collaboration with Curator Sun-Young Shim, Jin-Seong plans to develop this alleyway stretch into an international art village. It will be an artist’s dream community, in which natives and expats can blend their tastes in music, poetry, and art. “Art helps us understand other cultures and develop a better society. I would like to share cultural diversity and inspiration through the art,” Jin-Seong says. The gallery’s recent exhibition, “Before the Dawn of Language…There was the Symbol,” pushed artists to return to a pre-Facebook time, when communication was slower, but its value was meaningful. The task was posed to invitational artists from
Communication of real value is “created by someone on a journey.”
the International Artists Community (IAC). The IAC is a gateway for aspiring artists to get involved with Seoul’s art scene. Director Richard J. Beaumont prepped his members for the task: “The idea behind this exhibition is to challenge the artist to return to the power and simplicity of the image as a symbol, as a vehicle for expressing a deeper truth, as a vehicle for real communication.” Twenty-five artists from seven countries took part in the event, drawing large numbers down an unassuming alley. The gallery came alive with sculptures, mixed media, and performance numbers; Marissa M. Johnson of the Philippines graced the restaurant with her voice, and American artist Eric Scott Nelson led an audienceinteractive: building a city out of colored papers. They had some big questions to answer. After all, isn’t the symbol more complex than language because it is defined by a person’s perspective? What can art convey that language can’t? Italian artist Cinzia Bacilieri agrees that the symbol is more complex, because how much you know about the symbol will pertain to how much appreciation you take away from it. “There are two levels to art,” she explains.
“Look at the Sistine Chapel. Everyone across the globe can feel its majesty. But when you know its history, then you have a deeper understanding of that majesty.” Her inspiration for her oil painting, “The Eternal Life of Spiraling Words,” arose after a stirring performance from Young-Saeng Heo, a singer in th e Korean boy band SS501. “Youngsaeng” means “eternity,” and the word is such an abstract form that she placed it at the heart of her painting. A downward spiral of words rushes from the corners to the very bottom. “Positive and negative thought give Mankind the ability to communicate in a never-ending spiral of words. Some of these are destined to eternal life like the work of famous artists, poets, and writers,” Cinzia says. “Shakespeare, the Iliad…all of these masterpieces will have eternity because they are true works of art.” Yet what differentiates the real works of art destined for eternity from the ones who’ve fallen into the modern day overload of high-tech babble? Director Beaumont sheds light on the matter: Communication of real value, he says, is “created by someone on a journey.”
“True art has the capacity to take you into yourself,” he says. “The artist must go where they’ve never gone before. Art has the capacity to take a person to the essence of something. That’s what we’re doing here.” “This is a unique place,” Jin-Seong agrees. “Nowhere else in Seoul is like this.” Gallery Golmok is indeed a future international art village, which circumnavigates language barriers by celebrating the deeper feelings all humans share. Yet, to be willing to undertake the journey to understand the story behind the picture is where the real communication takes place. Don’t miss Gallery Golmok’s group COOP exhibition happening through mid-June, followed by solo exhibitions. Visit http://www.gallerygolmok.com/, or call (02) 792-2960. New artists should check out the IAC website at: www.koreaiac.com. Directions: Go straight from Line 6 Noksapyeong Station Exit 3 toward Itaewon. Look for The Alley’s entrance beneath Suji’s Restaurant. NEH MAGAZINE JUNE 2011 77
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