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| The "Ghost Fashion" series by Ahn Chang-hong. From left, "2021'1," "2021'8" and "2021'18" / Courtesy of the artist and Savina Museum |
By Park Han-sol
In celebration of the upcoming 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Ecuador in 2022, a special exhibition of Korean artist Ahn Chang-hong's work will open its doors to viewers in Ecuador's capital, Quito.
The show, scheduled for Nov. 4 to Dec. 14, is Korea's first "reciprocal exhibition" of its own artist in the South American country, following "National Painter of Ecuador: Oswaldo Guayasamin," which was held earlier this year at the Savina Museum of Contemporary Art in northwestern Seoul.
Ahn's 60 pieces, from oil paintings to large-scale installations, will adorn the walls of Casa Museo Guayasamin ― the legendary painter's residence-turned-museum ― as well as La Capilla del Hombre ("The Chapel of Man"), alongside the permanent collection of Guayasamin's own artworks.
This opportunity is the first time for La Capilla del Hombre ― a cultural complex conceived and designed by Guayasamin in tribute to the peoples of Latin America against the struggles of European colonization ― to invite the works of a Korean artist into its gallery space.
For more than four decades, Ahn has told stories of the alienation and marginalization of the nameless population within fast-paced, modern Korea, overshadowed by the histories of war, authoritarian regimes and capitalism, through striking ― sometimes explicit ― paintings and sculptures.
His latest works to be unveiled in Casa Museo Guayasamin are 20 oil paintings from his "Ghost Fashion" series ― a recreation of his earlier pieces born from the tip of a digital stylus pen on his smart device screen ― that visualizes the disappearing notion of what it means to be human in the face of capitalist civilization.
"During the very late evening or early in the morning, the city streets, devoid of swarming pedestrians, feel utterly empty. Like an alley of ghosts, humans are gone and the only thing filling the streets are gaudily decorated outfits," the 68-year-old artist wrote in his notes, recalling a moment of inspiration for the series.
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| Ahn's sculpture, "Blindness, 2016-3" / Courtesy of the artist and Savina Museum |
Another notable series to be showcased in La Capilla del Hombre is "Blindness." Seventeen pieces of statues, with eyes that are left open in black, gaping holes and lacking any facial expression, represent the artist's feelings of frustration and helplessness towards people who can see, yet are blind to the absurdities of present-day reality.
Despite their different cultural backgrounds, Ahn's focus on the theme of historical marginalization within Korea, as well as his critical stance toward human greed, resonate with the oeuvre of Guayasamin, who examined the victims of inequality and discrimination among Latin America's indigenous people.
"(By bringing the works of the two artists to one setting) the exhibition aims to provide a chance for the viewers to reflect on the common message found across their oeuvres: the way to stop the endless desires toward power is through compassion, sympathy and altruism toward others," Savina Museum stated.
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