2010.10.8 MUSEUMS & GALLERIES

DESIGN IN SCANDINAVIAN

Seoul Auction, Sinsa-dong

To Oct. 14: Seoul Auction is currently displaying 99 pieces of Scandinavian furniture, which has a reputation for being both simple and heavily focused on nature.

With long, cold winters common in Scandinavian countries, locals tend to spend a lot of time inside their homes, giving them a strong appreciation for the aesthetics of furniture.

One notable piece on display is a table and six chairs by Poul Kjaerholm. It carries an estimated price of 70 million to 80 million won ($62,729 to $71,690).

Lighting works by Poul Henningsen are also featured.

The exhibition is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Apgujeong Station, line No. 3, exit 3
www.seoulauction.com

LOST ROOM

Gallery Jinsun, Palpan-dong

To Oct. 31: The gallery is hosting a solo exhibition featuring works from artist Lee Jeong-min as part of its “Window” series.

Under the subtitle “Lost Room,” the works feature soft colors and aim to invoke familiarity with the artist, hoping to conjure up warm memories from childhood or dreams.

The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays to Sundays.
Anguk Station, line No. 3, exit 1
www.jinsunart.com

RECURRENCE

Gallery Hyundai Gangnam Space, Sinsa-dong

To Nov. 7: The artist Kim Tschang-yeul, known for pieces focusing on raindrops, is holding a solo exhibition at the Gallery Hyundai Gangnam Space.

Kim started drawing raindrops way back in 1972 and still does so today, depicting them in a variety of shapes and colors.

The artist is widely known in the international art community through various solo and joint exhibitions in countries ranging from the United States to Europe to Japan.

The Gallery Hyundai exhibition features 50 pieces covering a wide swath of Kim’s work, including his highly regarded 500th and 1000th pieces.

The title of the exhibition - “Recurrence” - reflects the artist’s extended stays in and visits to foreign countries.

Kim’s works draw on nostalgia from his younger days, when his grandfather would write hanja (Chinese characters) on newspaper. The artist often incorporates hanja with raindrops in his pieces. Kim first started to draw raindrops on French newspapers, but he then began using Chinese characters in 1986. The combination reflects the balance between yin and yang, emphasizing the Asian aspect of Kim’s work.

The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to Sundays.
Apgujeong Station, line No. 3, exit 2
www.galleryhyundai.com

KOREAN AVANT-GARDE DRAWING

Soma Museum of Art, Bangi-dong

To Nov. 21: To commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the Soma Museum of Art is presenting the largest exhibition on drawing in Korean history, featuring more than 300 pieces from 70 Korean artists from 1970 to 2000.

Drawing is a rapidly changing art form affected by the trends, environment and fashion of the time, making generational changes difficult to note.

This exhibit helps shed light on those changes, as well as larger developments in the Korean art scene.

The exhibit also includes many pieces by well-known artists that will be shown here for the first time.

The Soma Museum of Art is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to Sundays.
(02) 425-1077, www.somamuseum.org

THE ADVENTURE OF OPHELIA

Gallery Factory, Changseong-dong

From Oct. 14 to 31: The Gallery Factory is set to introduce works from three artists in an exhibition named after the heroine in the tragic Shakespearean classic “Hamlet.”

In this display, Park Min-hee, Lee Gang-il and Ji Min-hee portray the character through art using a variety of methods including sound and performance art.

Ji’s paintings have a transcending quality that is hard to grasp at first glance.

Viewers must spend some time thinking about their own interpretations of the Ophelia character to truly appreciate it.

Park’s focus is on Ophelia’s death and consoling her soul, telling her story in four performances.

Lee uses a computer program called “Supercollider” that makes a collage of words and sounds.

The artist combines sounds that are recorded in everyday life along with the voice of Park, who narrates the life of Ophelia.

Lee’s work, therefore, becomes a literary narrative art piece that sums up the three artists’ efforts to interpret the character Ophelia and reflect how readers might see her in their minds.

Performances are held from 5 to 5:30 p.m.
The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to Sundays.
Gyeongbokgung Station, line No. 3, exit 4
www.factory483.org

*Information is culled from the galleries and other online sources.