Hechyeomoyeo prepares to wrap up Busan exhibition

People crowd into Aither for the opening party for Hechyeomoyeo's group exhibition, Sept. 14. Courtesy of Neil Wheelock Deforest Smith

Situated on the third floor of an aging brick building in Busan’s old textile district, Aither gallery has a raw look that feels spontaneously industrial and warm. The space is only accessible via a narrow set of steep stairs. Once an urban apartment, the dwelling has since been gutted and the residents replaced by works of art. Paintings, photographs, drawings, sketches and digital works now grace the walls in abundance. There are hundreds of them taking up all available space, acting as a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes, with a name and story behind each individual piece.

Welcome to Hechyeomoyeo.

“The more the merrier,” organizer Neil Wheelock Deforest Smith told The Korea Times at the opening of Hechyeomoyeo’s first Busan exhibition on Sept. 14. “We gather a bunch of artists, throw them in a room and see what happens. I just put out an open call, and anyone who wants to can participate.”

This ethos of maximum inclusivity is what sets Hechyeomoyeo apart from more selectively curated projects, while also adding to the excitement. After all, there’s power in numbers, and creating art can be a lonely endeavor.

“A Korean artist suggested the name ‘Hechyeomoyeo,’” Smith continued. “It’s a military term used when everyone is scattered around and disorganized — a command to come together, file in line and get in order. This made sense for the project since there are artists all over the place, hiding in their bedrooms or stuck in the same galleries. We wanted to mobilize them, move them around and bring them together.”

People discuss art at the opening party for Hechyeomoyeo's group exhibition in Busan's Aither gallery, Sept. 14. Courtesy of Neil Wheelock Deforest Smith

The Busan event is the group’s seventh exhibition and includes 230 artists from both Korea and abroad working in a variety of media. The opening party drew a variety of both spectators and participants, with a mix of students, artists, teachers, musicians, poets and regulars of Busan’s tight-knit creative community. The fact that Hechyeomoyeo is a Seoul-based project that made an effort to come down to Korea’s second city and involve local artists was not lost on the local crowd.

“I think it’s amazing to have people coming from Seoul to do creative works in Busan,” local artist Lee Jeong-min, aka Min the Elephant, told Korea Times. “With our venue (the newly opened Arise Artspace) that’s what I want to do as well, connecting expat and Korean artists in Busan and beyond. Hopefully we could build a nationwide creative network and collaborate on projects.”

“This is such a dynamic project to be a part of, with such good vibes,” added Gimhae-based photographer Kim Mint, whose work is featured in the exhibition. “It’s a place where we can receive a lot of energy.”

There was certainly no short supply of energy during the opening event. The intimate nature of the gallery forced attendees to group together, encouraging discussion and interaction while they took in the dizzying array of works. Korea’s most relentless summer in recent memory also contributed to the mood: it was hot, and attendees sipped iced coffee, soft drinks and cold cans of beer in an attempt to stay cool. However, the fact that the collective temperature was raised seemed to make everything more immediate and vital.

A person writes on the wall at the opening party for Hechyeomoyeo's group exhibition in Busan's Aither gallery, Sept. 14. Courtesy of Neil Wheelock Deforest Smith

While the art on the walls was certainly enough to capture everyone’s attention, part of Hechyeomoyeo’s mission is to involve live creation and performance as part of the overall experience at their events. One of the rooms featured live painting by American painter Manes Marcellon.

“This is called ‘Retrospective,’” he said, as he dabbed yellow and gold paint on a splashy, graffiti-style representation of the word. “It’s a look over all the work I’ve done in the past. I think this connects with any artist, because everyone has that time when they wonder: Where am I going in life? What have I done? I think this painting speaks to this.”

Soon after, the poets — from Busan’s homegrown Liquid Arts Network — joined in the action. Three spoken-word performers recited pieces in what was once the apartment’s living room, as attendees crowded closely to catch each syllable. Surrounded by a multitude of images on the walls, the performers responded with verbal art, and the sweaty, rapt room soaked up every word.

“I met Neil (Hechyeomoyeo’s organizer) last year at Naughty Muse Studios and admired his vision immediately,” poet Kenneth May, Liquid Arts' ringleader, told Korea Times. “What I like about Hechyeomoyeo is that they work from the concept of contribution, collectivity and openness. There are no boundaries.”

In keeping with this spirit, the thump and vibration of electronic music mixed with live instrumentation began to reverberate from the open, second-floor space, where musicians Fat Hamster and Kang New had set up shop. The gallery crowd quickly poured into the music room, losing themselves in the groove, melodies and beats, until about 30 minutes in, the arrival of the local police put a stop to the impromptu concert.

Undeterred, the guests headed back up to Aither, where they once again took in the works and made connections. A group had gathered around one particularly striking piece — a blossoming swirl of colors that came together to form the triumphant face of a lion. It was clearly one of the most eye-catching works in the room and also happened to be local, created by Busan-based artist Sarah Soh, who originally hails from Malaysia.

“In a place where galleries are predominant, this event creates an equal opportunity for every artist residing in Busan to showcase their works without any biases. After all, art is super subjective,” Soh told Korea Times.

“For me, this event is all about the people. I met so many people of my likeness, it is revitalizing. Since we are all artists, there is this unspoken understanding of each other's passion and struggles. Together, we can uplift one another.”

Hechyeomoyeo's Busan exhibition runs until Saturday. There will be a closing party starting at 5 p.m., featuring live music by 9 Dimensions, John Given and Kuna X DJ Wisdom Cloud, and live painting by Kim Gun-woo.

Originally hailing from the Pacific Northwest in the U.S., Chris Tharp has called Korea home for nearly two decades now. He’s a regular contributor to National Geographic Traveller (U.K.), and his award-winning writing has also appeared in CNN Travel, Condé Nast Traveler, The Telegraph, Fodor’s, Asia Times and more. He lives in Busan with his wife and a houseful of animals. Visit substack.com/@christharp and christharp.journoportfolio.com for more information.