By Cain Barriskill
The small neighborhood of Haebangchon, located close to Noksapyeong Station, line 6, has over the years gradually developed as a Mecca for Seoul’s expat bohemian community of musicians, poets, actors and artists.
The small foreign haven, close to Yongsan army base, is filled with Africans, Filipinos, Russians and English teachers and is host to a variety of plays, comedy shows and performances monthly. It even has its own biannual music festival.
A world away from the busy streets of Myeongdong or Gangnam, Haebangchon, roughly translated as “Freedom Village” does indeed hold an almost village-like atmosphere.
So it is hardly surprising that it is this location that American couple Jessica and Adam Lofbomm decided to open “The Laughing Tree,” their own art gallery.
The first exhibition entitled “Urban Excerpts” will feature the work of Adam himself who sees the city of Seoul as “a visual narrative full of fragments just waiting to be excerpted, quoted and re-appropriated.”
Adam uses a variety of cameras and employs various analog printmaking techniques to capture and portray “the raw beauty of the city and challenge us to look at our everyday world with heightened awareness”.
This show marks the grand opening of Adam and Jessica Lofbomm’s Laughing Tree Gallery, the first fine art gallery in the Haebangchon neighborhood of Seoul.
The Lofbomms are currently planning to curate more exhibitions by local and international artists and are now accepting applications from artists interested in showing their work at the gallery.
The Laughing Tree Gallery will hold its official opening Sept. 11 at 5 p.m. and Sunday Sept. 1, from 3 to 7 p.m. The gallery will be open daily from 11 a.m. through 7 p.m. until Sept. 18. Then from Sept. 19 through Sept. 25, viewings will be available by appointment.
Laughing Tree gallery is located at: 22-12 Yongsan-dong 2ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 140-841. Visit LaughingTree.com for more information.