Spring opens with abstract expressions

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Indulge in Korean abstract art at the National Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) this spring.

The Deoksu Palace Museum, an annex of MOCA, is holding an exhibition titled “Abstract It” until May 10, shedding new light on the museum’s vast collection.

Yoo Jin-sang, a professor at the Kaywon School of Art And Design, planned the exhibition as a guest curator. The event aims to rediscover the collection of MOCA.

“There are some 2,500 works in MOCA’s collection including paintings, sculptures, media art works and more. From them I chose about 70, some of which are being displayed for the first time,” Yoo said.

The exhibition presents four sections to reflect the extended definition of “abstraction” — Obscurity/Invisibility; Everyday’s Abstraction; Techniques of Abstraction; Plane of Abstraction or Outside.

Dozens of pieces ranging from the early-20th century to present, including those by Korean artists Kim Chang-ryeol and Park Seo-bo, are laid out next to Marcel Duchamp and Louise Bourgeoise.

“They are not in chronological order,” said Yoo. “I arranged them according to theme, so visitors can imagine the relationship between the works. I hope that visitors will be able to appreciate these masterpieces at ease.”

There are no plates indicating the title and name of the artist in the exhibition. This is intended by the curator so the visitors can accept a given work for what it is and fill in the rest with their own imagination. To learn the names of the piece and artist, spectators can match the number next to the work with the descriptions in the exhibition guide.

Gallery talk programs with a docent are offered seven times a day and eight times on weekends.

Meanwhile, a retrospective of artist Kim Chong-hak is being held at Gallery 2 of the Gwacheon Main Building through June 26.

Kim is known as “the painter of Mt. Seorak,” since he lived in seclusion in the mountains of Gangwon Province for some 30 years. The mountains were the main source of inspiration for his paintings.

“Mt. Seorak is like a man reticent and emotionally steady. Humans are animals; if they live under a beautiful mountain, they will share the soul of the mountain,” the artist said in a letter to his daughter.

The exhibition begins with works from his early period. During his 20s and 30s he experimented with diverse styles and techniques, mainly influenced by Western methods.

Then the theme overviews the four seasons as reconstructed in Kim’s paintings. The spring section portrays the liveliness and warmth of the season with abstract azalea and forsythia drawings.

The summer portion is the highlight of the sections. Flowers are reborn as strong, masculine entities through Kim’s thick brush strokes on the large canvas, escort the viewer inside a deep forest.

The autumn and winter parts are rather desolate and sorrowful, as the barrenness of the cold seasons exudes from the images. The “Old Pine Tree” (2001-2) was inspired by Chusa Kim Jeong-hui’s pine tree drawings.

Rare portraits drawn by Kim and his letters to his children are on display to complete the exhibition.

The retrospective is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and until 9 p.m. on weekends. Docent tours are available at 2 and 4 p.m. on weekdays and 2, 4 and 6 p.m. on weekends.

Tickets cost 4,000 won for “Abstract It” and 3,000 won for the Kim Chong-hak retrospective. Visit www.moca.go.kr/engN (English) or call (02) 2188-6114 for more information.