Drawn by curator, artists trace new concepts

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Drawn by curator, artists trace new concepts

Published: 14 Apr. 2013, 21:06

Jung Yeondoo’s “Documentary Nostalgia Synopsis Drawings” (2007) are part of the “Spaces for Drawing” show that runs through June 1 at Hite Collection gallery in southern Seoul. Provided by the gallery

Most visitors to the ongoing exhibition “Spaces for Drawing” at Hite Collection gallery in southern Seoul would expect to see a bunch of two-dimensional pictures made with a pen or pencil. But what they will actually see are various genres of art ranging from sculpture to photography.

“Because of the development of new media, a variety of drawing methods have appeared,” explained Han Keum-hyun, curator of the exhibition. “This exhibition researches the various forms of drawing and examines the concept of drawing which is extending along with the changes in media.”

The curator has asked the six artists participating in the exhibition how they define “drawing.” Their answers are printed on the wall beside their works on display.

Among them, New York-based artist and architect Michael Wang said, “Drawing is planning, the medium that is closest to an idea, but also the first step by which an idea enters the material world.”

He presents a series of sculptures titled “Carbon Copies” (2012) as his “drawing” of the idea to remind viewers of environmental problems generating from art production and to offer a solution in art galleries.

Michael Wang’s “Carbon Copies” series (2012) is also among the exhibits.

The “Carbon Copies” sculptures are small-scale reproductions of works by 20 of the hottest contemporary artists such as Anish Kapoor and Jeff Koons, reconceived as cubes and sized according to the quantity of carbon dioxide emissions during the production of the original artworks. “The price of each Carbon Copy is the exact dollar amount required to negate the carbon footprint of the original - through the purchase of certified carbon offsets,” the artist explained in a note.

Korean artist Jung Yeondoo’s works on display are closer to drawing in traditional meaning. He shows a collection of 36 drawings which he made for the synopsis of the video work “Documentary Nostalgia” (2007). “Drawing is a sketch of imagination and a way of communication,” the artist said.

Another series of his works on display titled “Adolescence” (2010) is more distant from the drawings by traditional definition. It is a vivid photographic record of a camping trip with young, healthy students in a mountainous area of Colorado.

The other participating artists are Koh Jin-young, Nam Hwa-yeon, Hiraki Sawa and Yoo Hyun-mi.

By Moon So-young [symoon@joongang.co.kr]

The exhibition runs through June 1. Admission is free. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday to Saturday. It is closed on Sunday.

Go to Cheongdam subway station, line No. 7, exit No. 14.

For details, call (02) 3219-0271.