Museum San embraces nature

Museum San, located in Wonju, Gangwon Province, is designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Visitors have to go past the Water Garden and Alexander Liberman’s red sculpture "Archway” to the museum building. / Courtesy of Museum San

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Museum San, nestled in the mountains of Wonju, Gangwon Province, is an architectural gem designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Separated from the hustle and bustle of city life, the museum suggests an aesthetic of slowness.

The museum, operated by the Hansol Foundation of Culture, opened as Hansol Museum in 2013, changing its name to Museum San in 2014. It is one of Ando’s largest creations, an odd-shaped creation stretching 700 meters alongside a golf course.

Ando carefully designed the place for visitors to absorb the scenery and structure fully, piece by piece. Visitors have to walk from the Welcome Center to the Flower Garden and past a birch grove to the main building, past Alexander Liberman's gigantic red sculpture "Archway."

The main museum has the Paper Gallery, a permanent exhibit dedicated to the product of the foundation's mother company Hansol Paper, and Cheongjo Gallery which holds two special exhibitions a year.

Part of Kim Bo-hie’s triptych “Towards” on display at Museum San’s “Being in Nature” exhibit

‘Being in Nature’

Museum San can be represented by three words ― space, art and nature ― with this year's exhibit shedding light on nature.

"Being in Nature," held at Cheongjo Gallery 1 and 2, changed its curatorial approach toward nature. Instead of observing nature from the outside, the exhibit centers on humans coexisting and living with nature, differentiating from traditional landscapes. The exhibit offers 46 artworks of 19 artists, inviting viewers into nature.

Located in the entrance is Kim Ki-chul's sound installation "Sound Looking _ Wind." Visitors can walk through the pentadecagon and listen to the sound of wind recorded at major natural sites such as the Upo Wetland, Jungnokwon Bamboo Garden and beaches in Seattle, Washington. The wind noise takes visitors into nature.

Korean painter Yoo Geun-taek’s paintings resonate with the theme of the exhibit in a rather straightforward way, as his paintings portray a man walking into a forest.

Kim Bo-hie's triptych "Towards" describes a rich green-colored forest with exotic animals, representing an image of paradise.

Kim Ji-won’s “Mendrami”

Kim Jin-kwan offers an interesting view of natural plants such as black beans by magnifying them on canvas.

Photographer Kwon O-yeol's "Estranged Woods" series sees a forest from above, adding a new dimension to perceptions.

"Cloud Pink" by Everyware installed in the corridor offers an interactive experience, as the fabric hanging in the hallway changes color according to visitor's touch.

The exhibit also features works of Rhee Seund-ja, one of the pioneers of Korean abstract art.

The "Korean Modern Art 1: Western Painting" exhibit at Cheongjo Gallery 3 features the works of Korea’s modern artists from the museum's collection.

Museum San director and art critic Oh Kwang-su said these artists led the modernization of Korean paintings.

"Artists featured here are mostly born between 1910 and 1920, including Lee Joong-seop, who celebrates his 100th birthday this year," Oh said. "Many of them studied in Japan and returned to Korea, opening the era of individuality in Korea."

In addition to Lee Joong-seop’s silver foil drawings, the exhibit displays Park Soo-keun, Yoo Young-kuk and Lee Que-de’s works.

Lee Joong-seop’s “Children, Fishes and a Crap”

James Turrell, artist of light

Another artist who is in charge of the rest of the museum is not to be outdone by Ando. Five of American artist James Turrell artworks are on display at a separate part of the museum, offering a unique meditative experience.

Turrell, known as the artist who paints with light, installed “Sky Space,” “Space Division,” “Horizon Room,” “Ganzfeld” and “Wedgework” at Museum San. As Turrell’s works are closely related to the light and space of the environment, the experience is exclusive to Museum San.

"Sky Space" is a naked-eye observatory which constantly changes shape and color according to time and light. "Space Division" is alternatively available in "Sky Space" at certain times.

"Horizon Room" symbolizes the altar of light and offers visitors a chance to cross the border between the 2D and 3D plane.

"Wedgework" uses darkness and light to question the understanding of space, while "Ganzfeld," which means “complete field” in German, makes the viewers to literally step into the light and experience disorientation.

Museum San is located near Oak Valley Resort in Wonju, Gangwon Province. The museum is open from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday, except for the Turrell Hall available from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.museumsan.org or call 033-730-9000.