2010.8.6 MUSEUMS & GALLERIES

PRIMAVERE DEL BIANCO

Seoul National University Museum of Art, Sillim-dong

To Sept. 26: The Seoul National University Museum of Art, along with the Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul, is holding an exhibition entitled “Primavere del Bianco,” or “White Spring,” featuring the works of 12 Korean and 16 Italian artists. Through paintings, installations, engravings, drawings and more, the artists explore similarities and differences in Western and Asian associations with the color white.

The Italian artists portray the Western concept of white - as light and the source of life - while the Korean artists focus on the Asian conception of the color white - the absence of color.

The gallery is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Seoul National University Station, line No. 2, exit 3

(02) 880-9504, www.snumoa.org

BROKEN WHOLE

Michael Schultz Gallery, Cheongdam-dong

To Aug. 29: Yee Soo-kyung presents her first solo exhibition in Korea since 2008, entitled “Broken Whole.”

In her “Translate Vase” series, Yee transforms discarded pieces of pottery into modern sculptures, inviting the viewer to contemplate how we distinguish between the traditional and the modern, and between the valuable and the worthless.

The “Flame” series is derived from the Asian concept of the “five elements,” especially fire. To create these works, she used materials that were originally used in Buddhist paintings and spreads them across the canvas to signify fire and to show her desire to burn away the past and emerge with a clean state of mind.

She has exhibited her work in Korea at the Gwangju Biennale, Total Museum of Contemporary Art and Kukje Gallery. Abroad, she has showcased her work at Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton, the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art and the Bethanien Museum.

The gallery is open Mondays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is closed on Sundays and holidays.

Cheongdam Station, line No. 7, exit 9

(02) 546-7955, www.schultzgallery.co.kr

MEMENTO

Alternative Space Chung Jeong Gak, Chungjeongno 3-ga

To Aug. 20: In his first solo exhibition, photographer Yoon Hyun-sun portrays the effects of social ills on the general public with wry wit and a hint of black humor.

Yoon started out as a tattoo artist and slowly built up his career as a photographer.

The photographs in the exhibition depict large numbers of people in settings that are all too familiar, such as golf courses, buildings and bridges.

The people seem like they are doing a collective task but upon closer examination it becomes eerily apparent that each person has his or her own purpose. The gallery is open every day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Chungjeongno Station, line No. 2, exit 9

(02) 363-2093, www.chungjeonggak.com

TEXT AND IMAGE

Kwanhoon Gallery, Gwanhun-dong

To Aug. 10: This exhibition features paintings, installations, sculptures and graphic design pieces by eight artists ages 30 to 60.

Through comparisons with other languages and typographical elements, the works on display highlight the beauty of Korean typography, which began to develop domestically in 1990. For example, one section examines the similarities and differences between hanja (Chinese characters) and hangul (the Korean alphabet). The exhibition also emphasizes the importance of typography and printmaking, both of which are disappearing in the digital age.

The gallery is open every day from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Anguk Station, line No. 3, exit 1

(02) 733-6469, www.kwanhoongallery.com

Information is culled from the galleries and other online sources.