At Vogue Korea’s exhibit, spectacles of fashion and fine art
“Sunken in the Mirror” is a collaboration between sculptor Chun Sung-myung and fashion designer Park Choonmoo.
The convergence of fashion and fine art is nothing new, but Vogue Korea’s “Fashion into Art,” a collaborative exhibition between fashion designers and fine artists, has something special in terms of the scale and the weight of the participating artists.
Commemorating the magazine’s 15th anniversary, the exhibition at Plateau, a gallery operated by Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, in central Seoul, runs through Aug. 13 and features 15 artists and 14 designers - all of them Korean heavyweights.
The fashion designers range from living witnesses to the country’s modern fashion history like 77-year-old Jin Te-ok to emerging young designers like Steve J and Yoni P.
Most of the fine artists are young with international recognition, such as Ji Yong-ho, who is known for powerful tire sculptures, and Hong Kyoung-tack, who has made a name for himself with dizzying paintings in flamboyant colors.
“Cocoon2” is a collaboration between painter and installation artist Hong Kyoung-tack and fashion designer Rubina. Photo by Moon So-young
“Both artists have an interest in motorcycle riding so we have paired them,” Young-hee Sue, stylist for Vogue Korea, explained.
Gwon O-sang is well known for his sculptures of people covered with photos of themselves and is now focusing on sectional sculptures of motorcycles in a series called “Torso.”
Displayed above the runway is a mannequin in a black dress by veteran designer Jin. The mannequin stands on a black pedestal in the shape of the roots of a giant aged tree, a sculpture made by Ji. The texture of Jin’s polyurethane-coated wool dress is surprisingly similar to that of Ji’s used-tire sculptures.
“After seeing Ji’s sculptures in his ‘Mutant’ series, Jin said she made clothes of very similar texture about 10 years ago,” Sue said. “So, she brought the dress and then Ji made a pedestal in the form of tree roots for it, on the thought that the veteran designer is the root of the Korean fashion world.”
In another room of the gallery is “Sunken in the Mirror,” a collaboration between sculptor Chun Sung-myung and fashion designer Park Choonmoo. Sculptures of two giant legs by Chun are hung from the ceiling, while mannequins in Park’s dresses gaze at the legs. Park designed the striped clothes worn by the mannequins after Chun’s signature-style sculptures - gloomy-looking boys in striped shirts with the artist’s own face.
In the gallery’s black box is a collaboration between artist Lee Yong-baek, who represents the Korean Pavilion at the ongoing 54th Venice Biennale, and fashion designer Haneza. A screen in the dark shows a space full of flowers. The flowers display strange movement, which, upon closer inspection, are made by soldiers camouflaged in floral-print military uniforms amid real flowers. Titled “Angel Soldier,” the piece is by Lee.
Models walk in new clothes made in combination of sculptor Gwon O-sang’s motorcycle protective gear and fashion designer Han Sang-hyuk’s suits during Monday’s opening performance of “Fashion into Art,” an exhibition celebrating Vogue Korea’s 15th anniversary. The exhibition runs through Aug. 13. Photos by Jang Su-jin
The collaborative works of painter Hong Kyoung-tack and veteran fashion designer Rubina make the most spectacular part of the exhibition. Rubina made a knit dress of flamboyant colors with colored pencils attached, inspired by Hong’s “Pen” series. And Hong created “Cocoon 2,” an installation work with thousands of colorful spools, whose threads are linked to a dress by Rubina.
“They are one of the designer-fine artist pairs who exchanged thoughts the most actively and for the longest time,” Sue explained.
In front of the works are translucent blue-tone jars and vases made of soap by sculptor Shin Mee-kyoung. The artist, who has studios in Korea and Britain, has used soap to make elaborate replicas of ancient sculptures or antique ceramics.
Fashion designer Moon Young-hee, inspired by the art, in turn created a dress in the form of translucent soap bubbles.
*“Fashion into Art” runs through Aug. 13. Admission is 3,000 won ($2.79) for adults. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m and is closed on Mondays. Go to City Hall Station, line No. 1 or 2, exit 8, and walk for five minutes. For details, visit http://www.style.co.kr/vogue or call (02) 510-4360.
By Moon So-young [symoon@joongang.co.kr]
한글 관련 기사 [중앙일보]
패션 디자이너와 미술가 15쌍, 두 달간 머리 맞대고 무얼 만들었을까
디자이너는 실험적 의상을 설치미술처럼 전시했고, 아티스트는 새로운 오브제를 런웨이에 올렸다. 서울 태평로 플라토(옛 로댕갤러리)에서 열리는 ‘Fashion into Art’전에서는 미술과 패션의 ‘예술적 만남’을 엿볼 수 있다.
미술가와 패션 디자이너가 한 명씩 짝을 이뤄 새로운 형식의 작품을 내놓았다. 미술 쪽에서는 김기라, 노상균, 배준성, 이용백, 이이남, 지용호 등 회화·조각·설치·영상 분야 작가 15명이 망라됐다. 이들은 각각 디자이너 손정완, 지춘희, 정구호, 한혜자, 설윤형, 진태옥 등 30대부터 70대까지 유명 디자이너 15팀과 짝을 이뤄 2달여간 공동 작업을 하며 서로 영감을 나눴다.
예컨대 폐타이어로 돌연변이 괴물을 만들던 지용호는 이번엔 오랜 고목 느낌의 좌대를 만들었고, 원로 디자이너 진태옥은 그 위에 거친 질감의 검은 옷을 입은 마네킹을 세웠다. 이 기념비같은 작품은 플라토에 영구 상설 전시돼 있는 로댕의 ‘지옥의 문’ 옆에서 더욱 존재감을 발한다.
수백 개의 연필이 모여 있는 다채로운 회화로 이름난 홍경택은 디자이너 루비나의 작업실 벽면에 걸린 수십개의 재봉실 실패를 이용한 대형 설치를 했고, 루비나는 이 실타래에서 나온 실들로 드레스를 짰다.(사진) 전시는 이처럼 각각 다른 세계에 속해 있던 ‘옷’과 ‘미술’이 함께 손잡고 ‘재료와의 싸움’ ‘재료의 재해석’이라는 과정을 거쳐 창조됐다. 서로 다른 것들이 예술이라는 공통된 목표로 나아갈 때 벌어지는 화학작용을 유감없이 보여준다. ‘보그 코리아’ 창간 15주년 기념전이다. 8월 13일까지. 성인 3000원. 02-510-4360.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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