New Waves Korea — three contemporary Korean artists

NEW WAVES KOREA KIM KUN JU SANG TAEK OH SUNG CHUL HONG

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ISBN 978 - 981- 07-6117- 2 PAPERBACK

978 - 981- 07-6118-9 E-BOOK

Kim Kun Ju (b.1966, Korea) works with three-dimensional images. He takes interest in the characteristics of the materials he uses and the relationship that is created through the mutual reactions and communications between the artist and the subject. He believes that there is some sort of relationship that occurs through the interaction between human and the various objects in nature at a certain place, and at a certain moment.

Kim takes this moment and the place as a starting point of his formative narrative. His works visually expresses the intimate intermingling of such relationships. His works remind us of the lines and color structures of Mondrian or school of Bauhaus. It also seems to suggest the artist’s or the audiences’ place as a stable and comfortable control unit of the union.

김 건 주

Kim studied at Aakademie der Bildenden Künste, Nürnberg in Germany, graduated with Mersterschüler. With 8 solo exhibitions in Korea, Kim has carried out the significant public art projects in the past.

His works are collected by Art Bank (National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korean Culture and Arts Foundation), Seoul Museum of Art. SeMA , Sungkok Art Museum, Jangheung sculpture park, Young-un Museum of Contemporary Art , Ramada Hotel (Suwon), Daewoo Corporation , Daelim Corporation, Samsung Corporation, Hyundai Development Corporation, etc. education

Aakademie der Bildenden Künste in Nürnberg (Mersterschüler by Prof. Tim Scott), Germany.

Graduated from Hong-ik University. Seoul. Korea selected solo exhibitions

2011 Monologue, Dr. Park Gallery 2009 Collection of senses, Gallery Grimson 2007 Drift, Youngeun Museum of Contemporary Art Myth, Window Gallery, Gallery Hundai 2006 Unfamiliar drift, IASK- Goyang Studio 2001 Forest of Anonymit, SungKok Art Museum 1998 Transparency, Gallery Hartmut Beck, Germany selected group exhibitions

2010

2009

Him of Gyeoggi-do, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art Remind, Youngeun Museum of Contemporary Art The Fantastic Garden 2009 Changwon Asian Art Festival, Sungsan Art Hall, Changwon New breaking! New breathing! , Vitgallery, Seoul Against The Sculptural: Three Dimensions of Uncertainty, Seoul Museum of Art, SeMA

selected projects

Project-A bud, Youngeun Museum of Contemporary Art, Hansalang Village Morning Academie, The invited artist, Haitai Confectionery & Foods. Co. LTD collection

far left; Great Heritage 2 mixed media 60 x 35 x 180 cm / 2007 left; Great Heritage 1 mixed media 60 x 35 x 180 cm / 2007 below; Myth 1 mixed media 180 x 190 x 11 cm / 2007 below left; LoveII F.R.Purethanepaint 70 x 60 x 40 cm / 2009

- Art Bank (National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korean Culture and Arts Foundation) - Seoul Museum of Art. SeMA, Sungkok Art Museum, Jangheung sculpture Park - Young-un Museum of Contemporary Art , Ramada Hotel (Suwon) - Yense Uni. Severance New Hospital - Paju-City Public stadium, Jangkun Bridge Yangju-City, Lotte Shopping Co., Ltd. - Daewoo Corporation - Daelim Corporation, Samsung Corporation, Hyundai Development Corporation. residency

2005 - 2006 The 2nd term of Artists-in-residence Goyang National Art studio, Kyeonggi-do, Korea 2006 - 2008 The 6th term of Artists-in-residence Youngeun Museum of contemporary Art, Kyung-An, Korea 2008 - 2010 The 1st term of Artists-in-residence Yangju-si jangheung sculpture academy, Kyeonggi-do, Korea

Each country or city has its own character and image. For example, New York is well-known for the term, ‘melting pot,’ which implies a great diversity of people in one place. Paris has the image of being romantic, sophisticated, and artistic. Hong Kong could be considered a shopper’s cup of tea.

What about Korea? In the past, Korea has been called the land of the morning calm by foreigners who saw Korea as a quiet and exotic Asian country that kept itself away from the rest of world. Surprisingly, the Korean Peninsula, which is surrounded by China, Russia and Japan, has been an anchor for cultural communication in the 21st century. The new Korean cultural waves, also known as “Hallyu,” have become a gateway where aesthetic and philosophy are exchanged.

However, cultural communication isn’t an easy task. These days, we regard social networks such as Facebook and Twitter as revolutions that can transform the world, yet they have obvious limitations in terms of understanding different cultures, and are not a substitute for real communication. So, how can we exchange our thoughts with others? What would be the best way to understand different cultures? We know that it cannot be done by simply just watching a drama or learning a language. We need to rethink our concept of cultural communication and make a real effort to embrace the cultural diversity that makes the world better.

The exhibition, New Waves, Korea can be understood in the context of how the arts speak about the uniqueness of each culture and enable people to understand their way of life. New Waves, Korea features works of three significant contemporary Korean artists: Sang Taek Oh, Sung Chul Hong, and Kim Kun Ju. Each of the artists’ works bring out fundamental issues of modern society— such as desire, isolation, and re-contextualization— through different mediums such as photography (Sang Taek Oh), mixed media installations (Sung Chul Hong), and sculptures (Kim Kun Ju).

Interestingly, each of the three featured Korean artists have experienced studying and living abroad in western culture after graduating from college in Korea. This common experience exposes the artists to adapt and to accommodate different cultures and experiences in the new environments. Their experiences have enabled them to find a unique way of expressing their philosophy and identity. In their art works, we can find three common traits: their origin, universal issues and innovative work process.

Asian art has had more tendencies to appreciate the beauty of space throughout history. In the (un) Necessaries series, Sang Taek Oh has intentionally created surrealistic space with the outline of clothing on canvas. The relationship between the outline of the clothes and the black background in each photograph translates to a painterly effect that may appear as oriental to the viewer.

Each artist’s work reflects the artist’s identity, philosophy, experience and culture. Through Sang Taek Oh’s way of approaching the concept, viewers can be attracted to the oriental beauty and gain new perspectives through the inspiration of his concept of an indispensable human desire.

After a long research in 2006, Sung Chul Hong, who mastered in Traditional Sculpture and Integrated Media for his B.F.A and M.F.A, created an innovative work process for his series, String_mirror. Sung Chul Hong takes picture of parts or the whole human body and prints them out on strings. He then reconstructs layers of strings on different levels and transforms one-dimensional images of the photo into stereoscopic figures. Sung Chul Hong speaks about originality through the series of String_mirror.

The advancement of technology has brought many advantages to human life. Most electronic systems have converted from analog to digital, and it has well been embedded into the lives of many in this present day.

The String_mirror series reviews the reality that has been distorted by mass media, and presents a deep longing for analog sensibility, which is contrasted with technology.

Sang Taek Oh (b.1970, Korea) has delivered affirmative messages in photography through his gradually progressed series of works. He studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (B.F.A) and San Francisco Art Institute in the United States (M.F.A). He currently lives and works in Seoul, Korea. The works of Sang Taek Oh contemplates the fundamental issues of our present lives, leading us to the inevitable fact of struggling everyday in the co-existing world of joy and sorrow, or sense and nonsense. The works of Sang Taek Oh has been exhibited extensively in Korea and worldwide, including China, US, and Canada. He was a recipient of an artist residency at National art studio, Goyang and Seoul City Art Studio, Nanji, one of the most prestigious residency program in Korea. Also, he has received awards from renowned foundations and museums in Korea, such as, SEMA (Seoul Museum of Art) Awards 2010 and he has established his collections in Korea’s major museums: National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul Museum of Art and Museum of Art Seoul National University.

오 상 택

Education 1996 M.F.A. San Francisco Art Institute.

San Francisco, USA 1994 B.F.A. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, USA 1990 Seoul Institute of Arts. Seoul, Korea Solo Exhibitions 2010 Sports II, Gallery JinSun, Seoul 2010 City Romance, Trunk Gallery, Seoul 2008 Sports, Brain Factory, Seoul Process (2008 Contact Photo Festival), Lee Ka-Sing Gallery, Toronto, Canada 2007 Process, InSa Art Center, Seoul 2005 Necessaries, JuYoung Gallery, Seoul Selected Group Exhibitions 2010 Myths of the City, Imperial Palace Hotel, Seoul 2009 Honest Lie, Zaha Museum, Seoul Incheon Art Flatform Opening Exhibition ‘Dasigeahag’- Incheon Art Flatform, Incheon 9th Songeun Artist Award, InSa Art Center, Seoul The White Shirt, LG Flagship Culture Space, Seoul Photo Korea ‘Shooting Image’, Seoul COEX, Seoul Awards & Grant 2010 SeMA Young Artists- Seoul Museum of Arts, Korea Grant for Visual Art- Seoul Foundation Arts & Culture, Korea 2009 9th Songeun Artist Award- SongEun Art & Cultural Foundation, Korea Residence Programs 2008-09 Seoul City Nanji Art Studio, 3rd Artist (Long Term), Seoul, Korea 2007-08 National Art Studio Goyang, 4th Artist (Long Term), Goyang, Korea 2007 Artists-in-Residence Instituto Sacatar, Itaparica, Brazil Selected Collections - Seoul Museum of Art, Korea - Incheon Art Foundation Art Bank, Korea - National Museum of Contemporary Art Art Bank, Korea - Gyeonggido Museum of Art, Korea

top; Closet #45-47 photographic colour print on canvas / 2012 above; Closet #48-49 photographic colour print on canvas / 2012 above right; Closet #61 & 62 photographic colour print on canvas / 2012

Sung Chul Hong’s (b.1969, Korea) artworks combine a variety of advanced technology with analog feelings. In string works series, he takes a picture of parts or whole human body and printed it out on self – designed strings. He then reconstructs layers of strings on different levels. That is, he transforms one-dimensional images on the photo into stereoscopic figures. In the era of high technology, rapid development and spread of visual media, he attempts to diminish the power of ‘the one and only’ originality. It also realized, so-called, ‘Democracy of images’ and ushered the era of ‘more realistic than reality’ imagination. He tries to reveal incompleteness of media, which distorts reality and reduces it to an object of imagination, by creating string works which depicts itself as a fact.

Hong studied interactive media art at California Arts Institute in the United States, graduating with M.F.A. He has gained a reputation globally through a various of exhibitions, art fairs and action houses such as Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, Sacchi’ Museum in London, National Museum in Malaysia.

Works of Hong has been exhibited at prestigious galleries and museums in Korea and worldwide including Paris, London, Germany, US, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Also, his works were collected by Sacchi Museum, Seoul Museum of Art, Youngeun Museum of Contemporary Art, Kumho Museum of Art Hana Bank, F&F, CJ E&M etc.

left; String Hands 0247 print on elastic string and steel frame 100 x 100 x 14 cm / 2013 above; String Hands 1365 print on elastic string and steel frame 75 x 100 x 14 cm / 2011 right; String Hands 0338 print on elastic string and steel frame 150 x 100 x 14 cm / 2013

홍 성 철

Education 2001 M.F.A., Integrated Media, California Institute of the Arts, CA 1994 B.F.A., Sculpture, Hong-ik University, Seoul Selected Solo Exhibitions 2010 Les mains déFILent Les yeux FILent, Galerie Orem, Paris, France Solid but Fluid, YHD Projects, Seoul, Korea 2008 Anxiety and dynamics of incompleteness, Kring, Seoul 2007 Perceptual Mirror, gallery IHN, Seoul, Korea Young_eun Artist Relay, Youngeun Museum of Contemporary Art, Kwangju, Korea 2002 RGB show_Green , Kumho Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea 2001 String Tongue, CalArts, Los Angeles, USA White Cube, CalArts, Los Angeles, USA Selected Group Exhibitions 2010 Korea tomorrow, SETEC, Seoul, Korea Korean Collective London 2010, Albemarle gallery, London, UK Hong sungdo - Hong Sungchul, Erhard Witzel Gallery , Wiesbaden, Germany Remind, Youngeun Museum of Contemporary Art, Kwangju, Korea Man Ray & His Heritage, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul 2009 The Magic of Photography, Hanmi photo Museum, Seoul Shooting Image, KOEX, Seoul, Korea Varied space, Andy’s Gallery, Seoul, Korea 2008 Artists, what is science for you?, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea Contemporary Korean Photographs 1948-2008, MOCA, Gwacheon, Korea Your Mind’s Eye_Digital Spectrum, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea From Korea in Beijing, Art Seasons Gallery, Beijing 2007 Coolbits, SUNcontemporary, Seoul, Korea Text in Bodyscape, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea Look & See, Kumho Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea Collections Seoul Museum of Art , Youngeun Museum of Contemporary Art, Kumho Museum of Art Hana Bank, F&F, CJ E&M

Kim Kun Ju’s works are about natural phenomenon in human life. We can find all kinds of things, such as humans, objects, incidents and certain forms, in his works. They are all connected by certain combinations and their relations are changing every moment unpredictably, like new myths.

In Myths, outlines overlap to form a shape on square, monochromatic canvases. Myths speak of Kim’s pursuit of painterly traditions and conventions that, through bas-relief, blurs the lines between sculpture and painting. The unpredictability and lack of complete control reflects and identifies the same with the viewers about life.

I hope that New Waves, Korea can be a bridge for Korean cultural understanding where viewers can enjoy new visual experiences such as craftsmanship, a sense of analog, and use of innovative mediums in the exhibition, while also presenting a better understanding of the philosophy and identity of each artist, as an Artist and one who is born and raised in Korea.

Art does not follow trends, but rather, leads culture. Art expresses the way of thinking and can make people have true communication with others.

갤 탁 러 수 리

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