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| Park Soo-keun's "Grandfather and Grandson" (1960) will be shown at the artist's retrospective at MMCA Deoksugung scheduled in November. Courtesy of MMCA |
Healing becomes major topic this year
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Most creative industries are suffering unprecedented consequences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the art world is no exception. Major thematic exhibitions this year will center on thoughts about the post-COVID-19 era or are designed to provide consolation for people suffering from the pandemic.
Hakgojae Gallery in central Seoul kicked off the year with new exhibition "38˚C," which refers to the temperature at which someone will be restricted from public spaces in the COVID-19 era. It features works from its collection including Anish Kapoor, Tim Eitel and Lee Woo-sung.
The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) is also preparing for a thematic exhibit on the pandemic. Titled "Pandemic ― Catastrophes and Cure," the international exhibition aims to look at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individual and social levels and provide contemplation on the post-pandemic era through contemporary artworks from May to August. Participating artists include Andrea Zittel, Eija Liisa Ahtila and Moojin Brothers.
Other major exhibitions at the state-run museum include "Eco Art: Time of the Earth" at its Gwacheon branch from September to November. Promoting Korean art to the international community, the exhibit centers on artworks expressing ecological perspectives, moving beyond human-centered attitudes.
"Peace Art: ON" at MMCA Seoul, opening in September, will look back on the history of the downtown museum, which was formerly the site of the Jongchinbu building, or the Office of Royal Genealogy, during the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom.
The MMCA will also shed light on diverse genres of art such as performance art and animation and explore the relationship between literature and art.
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| Yeom Ji-hye's "Symbioplot" (2020) will be shown in Busan Museum of Art's new exhibition on the COVID-19 pandemic slated for April. Courtesy of Busan Museum of Art |
The Busan Museum of Art will hold the "Beautiful" (working title) exhibition in April to provide consolation and healing through art as a temporary escape from the stresses of life amid the pandemic.
At the museum's Space Lee Ufan, dedicated to the renowned Korean artist, the third exhibit in the "Lee Ufan and His Friends" series featuring French sculptor Christian Boltanski will be held in October.
Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art has been on hiatus since its director Hong Ra-hee, widow of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee, stepped down in 2017. But the museum is expected to reopen this year. The museum, one of the top private art institutions in Korea, has only had its permanent collection on show since 2017 and temporarily closed down last year due to COVID-19.
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| Lee Kun-yong's "Bodyscape 76-3-2020" (2020) will be shown at the artist's solo exhibition at Gallery Hyundai in September. Courtesy of Gallery Hyundai |
Solo exhibitions
The MMCA will present solo exhibitions of renowned Korean artists Park Soo-keun, Chung Sang-hwa and Choi Wook-kyung.
Galley Hyundai will introduce artworks of Kim Min-jung, known for her works using hanji (traditional Korean mulberry paper), meok (Korean ink) and fire, in February, followed by the work of renowned experimental artist Lee Kang-so in April. Avant-garde artist Lee Kun-yong, who was listed in the Artsy Vanguard 2020, will present his works created by body movements in September.
Kukje Gallery will hold a solo exhibition of Dansaekhwa (Korean monochrome painting) master Park Seo-bo, featuring his iconic "Ecriture" series in September, followed by the Cannes award-winning film director Park Chan-wook's debut exhibit as a photographer at its Busan venue in October.
Korea's top feminist artist Yun Suk-nam will hold a solo exhibition at Hakgojae Gallery in February featuring a portrait series of female independence fighters, followed by a group exhibition with Hong Seung-hye and Lee Eun-sae at Ilmin Museum of Art in October. The group exhibition will showcase how female artists from different generations portray individuals and society.
The Seoul Museum of Art will present a solo exhibition of internationally acclaimed artist Lee Bul from February to April.
Among international artists, artist, film director and activist Ai Weiwei will present new works including the film "Coronation" (2020) and "Omni" (2019) at his retrospective at MMCA Seoul from October.
Kukje Gallery will showcase works of American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in February, British visual artist Julian Opie in October and Louise Bourgeois, famous for her "Maman" spider sculptures, in December.
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| British artist Julian Opie will hold a solo exhibition at Kukje Gallery in October. Shown is her 2021 work "Winter Night 2." Courtesy of Kukje Gallery |
Postponed biennales
The 13th edition of the Gwangju Biennale, originally scheduled in September 2020, is preparing for the postponed event. Asia's largest biennale was postponed to a Feb. 26 opening, but the organizers are mulling over another delay to an April 1 opening as the COVID-19 pandemic does not die down.
Themed "Minds Rising Spirits Tuning," the biennale focuses on the primacy of plurality, opening up to diverse possibilities and extending current strategies of solidarity and global alliances.
Though most participating international artists cannot physically visit the biennale, about half of the artworks have arrived and artistic directors Defne Ayas and Natasha Ginwala will come to Korea to work on installing the pieces.
The 11th Seoul Mediacity Biennale, themed "One Escape at a Time," is scheduled to run from Sept. 8 to Nov. 21, approximately a year later than the original date. Artistic director Yung Ma from Hong Kong will explore ideas of escapism in relation to modern-day popular media.
