Korean to document Central Park

Photographs by Korean Kim Atta, 50, will soon be on permanent exhibition at the Central Park Foundation Building, New York. Mr. Kim has been commissioned to start a photo project on the park and will hand the photographs to the foundation this year, he said on Sept. 26. The foundation will purchase two pieces of his work for a total of $120,000 for display in its headquarters on a permanent basis.
In an exhibition at the International Center of Photography in New York this past summer, Mr. Kim displayed a selection of surrealist photographs which expressed the emptiness of human history.
A lengthy New York Times article on Mr. Kim described the photographer as an artist with a philosophical mind. After the story ran, many galleries in New York tried to sign contracts with him. The average price for his works is more than $50,000.
“These critics seem to have influenced the foundation’s decision,” Mr. Kim said. “I was chosen instead of an American photographer, which means that they recognize my art.”
As one of the first Asians to be nominated for next year’s prestigious Deutsche Boerse Photography Prize, Mr. Kim, said he hopes to enter the European arts circle, if he wins the prize or not.
He is currently working on a project to build a 1-kilometer-long (0.6-mile-long) ice wall in the Central Park. Mr. Kim will file an application at the New York City municipal office to use the park as a site for his artwork.
Born on Geoje island and having studied engineering at Changwon National University, Mr. Kim taught himself photography.
He first received international acclaim for his “Museum Project” exhibition at the Queens Museum of Art in 2002. Since 2003, he has split his time between Seoul and New York.

by Cho Min-geun