Globalizing Korea's contemporary art

Han Ki-chang's "Roentgen's Garden" at London's 2013 Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo

Online platform provides quality English information on nation's foremost artists

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Korean contemporary art is developing a strong presence on the international art scene, but there is still not enough information on artists available in English. The Korean Artist Project (KAP), an online platform dedicated to Korean art, plays an important role in promoting such artists overseas.

KAP, organized by the Korean Art Museum Association (KAMA) and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, provides an archive of 75 artists from 27 galleries nationwide in both English and Korean.

Established in 2011 as a three year project, the online resource got another year of funding to continue after it proved itself as a useful source of Korean art for international audiences. Project manager Lee Kko-kka said it began with the aim of publicizing Korean artists globally.

Italy's Lucca Center of Contemporary Art featured Korean artist Kim Jong-ku as part of a residency program last summer
/ Courtesy of Korean Artist Project

From 2011 to 2013, the KAP received applications from KAMA curators and selected 63 artists based on solo exhibits. This year, KAP had an open call for artists and later matched chosen artists with member galleries to increase opportunities.

The list of KAP artists range from internationally established Choi Jeong-hwa and Jung Yeon-doo to budding talents including Chang Ji-a and Koh Sang-woo. In an attempt to show the diversity of Korean art, KAP selected artists from every genre, including painting, photography, sculpture, installation, media art and performance among others.

"We tend to pick artists who already have recognition for their artistic value, not young, emerging artists. Information on Korean art in foreign languages is increasing, but still most of what is available are mere profiles. We want to take a step forward and introduce in-depth information," Lee said.

Each artist is given his or her own page and the artist's major works are displayed online in high resolution. In collaboration with matching private art museums, selected works are presented in 3D virtual exhibitions. Interviews with each artist, critiques and resumes are available in both English and Korean.

The Korean Artist Project provides an online archive of 75 artists from 27 art museums nationwide in both English and Korean.

Lee said KAP tries to provide quality information on Korean contemporary art.
"Many Korean artists do not have a chance to introduce their artistic world in English and KAP provides an opportunity. We visit the atelier to interview the artists in an attempt to convey something as lively and vivid as possible," the project manager said. "Critics' reviews are also provided in English in a multi-pronged effort to illuminate the artist."

KAP also updates artists' information regularly, such as upcoming exhibitions. We are online and providing up-to-date information is important for us. We don't want outdated information floating around," Lee added.

As KAP is online, the interviews and virtual gallery are available 24/7, anywhere around the world. The KAP website had an average of about 3,800 visitors a day in April — 2,000 for the English site and 1,800 for the Korean counterpart. Most of the overseas visitors are from the United States and the United Kingdom, though more people from countries such as France and Australia are also showing interest.

"Most of the visitors come to the website through the keywords ‘Korean artist.' Sometimes, they visit the site looking for information on a well-known Korean artist and discover the diversity of Korean art. We are glad as we offer a showcase of Korean artists and an entrance to the intriguing world of Korean art," Lee said.

KAP's effort came to fruition as more art experts and curators became interested in Korean art after visiting the online resource.

Last summer, two Korean artists Kim Jong-ku and Kim Seung-young participated in a residency program at the Lucca Center of Contemporary Art in Lucca, Italy through KAP and later showcased their works at an exhibit titled "Ask the Dust."

KAP also participated in the Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo 2013 in London last November as a successful collaboration of art and technology. KAP presented its cutting-edge virtual exhibition and received positive responses from the visitors as a new way to experience art. A work by one KAP artist Han Ki-chang, "Roentgen's Garden," which reinterprets Korean folk painting through new materials such as X-ray Film and LEDs, was also displayed as an example of Korean art.

KAP also seeks to promote Korean artists in partnership with other online resources such as the Google Art Project and Artsy.

"Most of the KAP artists are available at the Google Art Project, which can widen viewership of their works. We recently signed a partnership with Artsy, an online art search engine and database, to promote Korean artists more effectively," Lee said.

Lee receives emails asking for Korean art and artists from across the world. "A museum in Mexico asked us for contact information of Korean artists. A Puerto Rican museum also wanted to host an exhibition of Korean artists. Though not visible all the time, we do our best to present Korean art to the world," she said.

Korean contemporary does not have strong characteristics in general, but Lee said the individuality of each artist can be an advantage. "KAP aims to introduce diversity of the artists, instead of defining Korean art with a definitive term."

For more information, visit www.koreanartistproject.com.