Park Han-sol reports on Korea's financial regulators, along with fintech and insurance. She previously wrote about the art world, from biennales and exhibitions to fairs and auctions, with a focus on Seoul and the figures shaping the scene. Before joining The Korea Times, she spent a year at ABC News' Seoul bureau, contributing to coverage of major Asia-Pacific events.
Multimedia artist Park Chan-kyong to hold first solo show at Smithsonian
A scene from Park Chan-kyong's “Citizen's Forest” (2016) / Courtesy of Art Sonje Center, Kukje Gallery
By Park Han-sol
By Park Han-sol
Multimedia artist Park Chan-kyong is set to hold his first solo exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art this fall to inaugurate the museum's new modern and contemporary galleries.
“Park Chan-kyong: Gathering,” scheduled to run from Oct. 7 to Oct. 13, 2024, will be the artist's first solo presentation in a major U.S. institution.
Park has been known for using the photographic medium to provide nuanced insights into modern South Korea's turbulent political history and breakneck economic growth.
The upcoming exhibition will spotlight five of his recent works that weave together elements of art history, literature and folk traditions to shed light on different facets of South Korean society, including its storied relationship with the North.
His panoramic multi-channel video, “Citizen's Forest,” which serves as the show's centerpiece, takes its cue from the poetry of Kim Su-yeong (1921-68), Minjung art (“people's art”) and folk culture to address the historical trauma the country has experienced since the late 19th century.
In “Child Soldier,” the artist muses on the state of the divided Korea via a reimagined portrait of a young North Korean soldier.
In conjunction with the exhibition, a screening of the short film “Night Fishing,” co-directed by Park and his Cannes-winning brother Park Chan-wook, followed by an artist-led discussion, will be held at the museum on Oct. 22.
Shot entirely on an iPhone, the fantasy-horror film centers on a fisherman who finds the body of a mysterious woman caught in his line one night. It nabbed the Golden Bear for Best Short Film at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival.
“Gathering” is part of “a larger initiative to raise the profile of Korean art and culture in the museum's galleries and programs,” according to the Smithsonian museum.
The National Museum of Asian Art recently established an endowed curatorial position in Korean art and culture with the support of the Korea Foundation. In early 2024, it will mount celebrated installation artist Do Ho Suh's sculpture titled “Public Figures” in front of its Freer Gallery.
A scene from Park Chan-kyong's “Belated Bosal” (2019) / Courtesy of National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA)