GALLERY

Light:Works from the Tate Collection

The Tate Gallery, regarded as the mecca of modern and contemporary art, unveils its collections in Seoul. The exhibition <Light: Works from the Tate Collection>, jointly organized by the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) and the Tate, traces the theme of light captured and explored over the past 200 years of art history across the Tate collection.

editor HELENA

Olafur Eliasson, ‘Stardust Particle’, 2014, Stainless Steel, Translucent Mirror Filter Glass, Wire Motor and Spotlight, 170cm ©Tate Presented by the Artist in Honour of Sir Nicholas Serota 2018

Currently being held at the Buk Seoul Museum of Art in northern Seoul, <Light: Works from the Tate Collection> attempts to explore the extensive meaning and influence of light in Western art. Light has been a popular subject explored throughout history, inspiring many artists as well as scientists and philosophers. Some significant artworks from the Tate in London show how light was interpreted across centuries. From the religious masterpieces of late 18th-century England to French Impressionist paintings and contemporary international installations, 110 works by 43 artists are on view at the museum. Divided into 16 sections, the exhibition begins with the first session “Spiritual and Sublime Light” that shows how artists presented light as religious subjects in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. As a source of visual and aesthetic inspiration,

Tate holds the national collection of British art from 1500 to the present day and international modern and contemporary art.

Laszlo Moholy Nagy, ‘K VII’, 1922, Oil Paint and Graphite on Canvas, 115.3×135.9cm ©Tate Purchased in 1961 light was never limited to one particular era or genre. From traditional paintings to contemporary installations, the artworks create a new point of dialogue between the old and the new in experimenting with light. Among the artists from 18th- century Britain to present day are William Blake, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Claude Monet, Wassily Kandinsky, Nam June Paik, Yayoi Kusama, Olafur Eliasson and James Turrell. One of noteworthy artists is Olafur Eliasson, an Icelandic-Danish artist known for sculptured and large-scale installation art employing elemental materials such as light, water and air temperature to enhance the viewer's experience. Created for the Turbine Hall of Tate Modern in London, his site-specific installation <The Weather Project> (2002)> employed a semi-circular screen, a ceiling of mirrors and artificial mist to create the illusion of a sun. In this exhibition, he shows another installation work <Stardust Particle> (2014), which is a crystalline structure that changes its appearance depending on the lighting conditions and position of the viewer. After being first introduced at the Museum of Art Pudong in Shanghai as the inaugural show last year, <Light: Works from the Tate Collection>

Dan Flavin, ‘Monument for V. Tatlin’, Fluorescent Tubes and Metal, 305.4×58.4×8.9cm ©Tate Purchased in 1971

British art is represented by artists chosen for their contribution to its history and development, rather than their nationality alone. The collection continues to expand its holdings of modern and contemporary art from around the world.

James Turrell, ‘RAEMAR BLUE’, 1969, LED Light, Overall Display Dimensions Variable, ©Tate Presented by the Tate Americas Foundation, Partial Purchase and Partial Gift of Doris J. Lockhart 2013

Peter Sedgley, ‘Colour Cycle Ⅲ’, 1970, Acrylic Paint on Canvas ©Tate Purchased in 1970

opened in Seoul. The first installation piece at the entrance is <Candle TV> by Nam June Paik, the founder of video art. Exclusive to the Seoul exhibition, the artwork is from the Nam June Paik Art Center in Yongin. In the exhibition, Nam June Paik’s <Candle TV> is placed as a poetic introduction to the wide range of artworks on display. Candle represents the beginning of human civilization while TV symbolizes information and new media ushering in a new digital era. With the Age of Enlightenment, the birth of Impressionism and a shift to the digital medium, the exhibition highlights the fascinating relationship between light and artworks of different eras, incorporating light as a visual and innovative tool to explore the history of art, human civilization and science. N