2010.11.5 MUSEUMS & GALLERIES

VARNISH: VANISH

Gallery Grimson, Gyeongun-dong

To Nov. 9: The Gallery Grimson is showing a solo exhibition by artist Yoon Young-hye.

Yoon places flowers with broken stems in unnatural settings in order to portray the never-ending longing for fulfillment. She sometimes works to make symbolic images appear metaphorical and sometimes tries to depict the reality of the art industry and a symbolic portrayal of it.

For this exhibition, she has worked with more diverse materials than in the past to get her message across.

In one performance art piece, she makes a painting she worked on for hours disappear in one blink, signifying her intention with the exhibition as a whole - that fulfilling your desires may not, ultimately, be worth the effort.

Also included are media art works and installations.

The gallery is open Mondays to Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Jonggak Station, line No. 1, exit 2

(02) 733-1045, www.grimson.co.kr

2010 CERAMIC ART AND TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION

aT Center, Yangje-dong

Nov. 10 to 13: The Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology will be hosting an exhibition dedicated to the intersection of ceramic art and technology.

Some of the most magnificent works of Cheongja, or celadon, were produced in Korea during the Goryo Dynasty, when potters developed the “Sanggam” technique, which involved engraving designs onto pottery and filling the space with black or white clay.

The exhibition will focus on the brilliance of celadon and its association with modern technology such as smart phones, odometers, LED displays and more.

It features 24 artists working in installation and interactive art as well as 30 artists who use traditional ceramic materials and translate them into modern works of art.

The event will also include products by companies working with celadon to show the various forms that it can take in every day life.

The exhibition will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Yangje Station, line No. 3, exit 7

(02) 567-6070 , www.kicet.re.kr

CHINESE CONTEMPORARY ART

Lotte Gallery Cheongyangni, Jeonnong-dong

To Nov. 30: The Lotte Gallery’s Cheongyangni store is holding an exhibition of 16 artists who are leading the Chinese contemporary art scene. The exhibit includes 25 avant garde pieces by Wang Guangyi, Zhou Chunya, Yue Minjun, Zeng Fanzhi, Feng Zhengjie, Yin Jun, Xiao Fan and more. These artists were in the middle of the global artistic boom that happened around 2006 to 2007. Out of all of the works of art sold worldwide during that period, 30 percent were by Chinese artists. Since then, these artists have received critical acclaim at home and around the world.

The pieces presented here exemplify China’s rapidly-changing political, cultural and social spheres.

Of particular interest are the iconic impressions of the clash between Western and Eastern culture - a woman with very thick makeup and a mask that has a sad impression but is, at the same time, smiling. This expresses the sense of anxiousness felt by the Chinese people in the midst of such momentous economic changes.

But even though the artists are confronting a cold and an unconcerned world, their use of strong colors give the paintings an air of hope and joy, representing the strong energy that is driving the Chinese into a new age.

The gallery is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Cheongyangni Station, line No. 1, exit 4

(02) 3707-2890, www.lotteshopping.com

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