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| Rinus Van de Velde's "Unfortunately I did not come to other scenes…" (2022) / Courtesy of Art Busan |
By Park Han-sol
Art Busan 2023, one of Korea's leading art fairs based in the southeastern port city, is set to return with its largest edition yet at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) early next month.
Starting with a VIP preview on May 4, the four-day event will bring together 146 galleries hailing from 22 countries, including Thaddaeus Ropac, Tang Contemporary Art, Whitestone Gallery, Peres Projects and the newly joined Lazy Mike Gallery.
The established European gallery Thaddaeus Ropac will present the latest work of American painter David Salle, "Tree of Life, Cowboy's Lament," while Tang Contemporary Art plans to showcase Seoul-based rising artist Woo Kuk-won's "Village."
Major local player Kukje Gallery is set to highlight two creators at the fair: renowned London-based sculptor Anish Kapoor and Australian artist Daniel Boyd. Boyd has risen to stardom in the art world as he draws on his Aboriginal and Vanuatan heritage to reinterpret images conventionally associated with Eurocentric and imperialist ideals. The results are distinct pointillist paintings featuring a myriad of transparent glue droplets.
In addition to gallery booths, the 12th edition of Art Busan will host 12 special exhibitions under the program "Connect."
A number of heavyweights and up-and-coming creators will come under the spotlight in this section ― such as Japanese installation artist Tatsuo Miyajima, whose LED-based pieces investigate the eternal cycle of life and death (Gallery Baton); American artist Robert Therrien, who is best known for recreating mundane objects as towering sculptures (Gana Art); and British Neo-pop surrealist Philip Colbert, whose signature lobster persona will take over the port city's Haeundae Beach (The Page Gallery).
The Art Accent 2023, established with an aim to promote young promising Korean artists, calls attention to five photographers and painters ― Hwang Won-hae, Park Han-saem, Seo In-hye, Jang Geon-yul and Kwon Ha-hyung ― who each put forward their own versions of city portraits under the theme of "Nostalgic Mansion."
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| Gerhard Richter's "Grun-Blau-Rot" (1993) / Courtesy of Art Busan |
This year's Art Busan will be experimenting with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT during its run ― the first-ever attempt made by a domestic art fair ― in a bid to offer "a new kind of interactive experience to the event's visitors," according to managing director Jeong Seok-ho.
To roll out "Chat Docent," accessible via the mobile messenger app KakaoTalk, the fair organizers uploaded information about the participating galleries' featured artists and their oeuvres onto the AI language model ChatGPT.
In response to visitor questions regarding particular creators or gallery booths, the AI docent is programmed to provide the necessary details as well as the recommended paths to take throughout the venue.
Alongside Chat Docent, DALL-E 2 installed at BEXCO will allow visitors to experience firsthand the process of AI image generation.
The Busan-based fair will also join hands with the Busan Tourism Organization (BTO) to launch Busan Art Week, a weeklong festivity offering a taste of the port city through art, food and tourist attractions.
Those who purchase the tickets to Art Busan 2023 can take the Art Shuttle for free throughout the week to make stops at selected galleries, museums, aquariums, eateries, cafes and hotels.
"Busan Art Week aims to highlight Busan's unique locality to art lovers from all around the country who flock to the port city not just to visit our fair, but also to enjoy the metropolis leisurely as a whole," Jeong said.
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