2016.4.7 Museums & Galleries
MMCA Seoul, Jongno District
To May 22: The solo exhibition of Ahn Kyuchul consists of the 60-year-old Korean artist’s eight recent pieces. It is the second edition of the MMCA Hyundai Motor Series sponsored by the auto giant.
Among the works, “Nine Goldfish” is a pond of concentric circles in which nine goldfish swim. The goldfish seem to be together but they can never meet one another, as each is nine separate concentric tracks.
Most of the other works on display also deal with isolation and lack of communication. “64 Rooms,” a structure divided into 64 small cells by dark blue velvet curtains, is “a labyrinth of voluntary desolation and absence,” as the artist said. But in some of the other works such as the audience-participation performance project “1,000 Scribes,” such isolation leads to a higher level of communication.
Admission is 4,000 won, which covers entrance to the other shows going on at the Seoul museum. The museum is closed on Mondays. Go to Anguk Station, line No. 3, exit 1, and walk for 10 minutes.
(02) 3701-9500, www.mmca.go.kr
9 LIGHTS IN 9 ROOMS
D Museum, Yongsan District
To May 8: D Museum, a new branch the Daelim Museum west of Gyeongbok Palace, opened in early December in Yongsan District.
The inaugural exhibition features lighting installation works by nine foreign artists and designers.
In the second room is London-based Australian designer Flynn Talbot’s “Primary.” In the dark, light of changing primary colors is projected on a triangular sculpture covered with many smaller triangular pyramids. It creates numerous different abstract painting-like images, depending on the time and angle. And a piece by Russian visual-auditory art group Tundra, “My Whale,” is on display in the sixth room. It is a synaesthetic installation work in which the viewers see and hear regular image patterns and regular sounds, which surround them and resonate together.
Admission is 8,000 won ($6.90) for adults. The museum is closed on Mondays. It is located at Dokseodang-ro 29-gil in Yongsan District, central Seoul. There is no nearby subway station.
(070) 5097-0020,
www.daelimmuseum.org/dmuseum
LEE JUNG-SEOB DIED
Seoul Museum, Jongno District
To May 29: The exhibition features paintings and drawings by Lee Jung-seob (1916-56). Lee, who died young and in poverty, is one of the best-loved Korean modern artists for his paintings that combine Korean motifs and European Expressionist styles.
The show includes “Fighting Bulls,” “Bloody Bull” and “Bull.”
“The title of the exhibition shows our intention to remove all prejudices about Lee, whether positive or negative, and to resurrect him, as his 100th birthday falls this year,” museum founder Ahn Byung-gwang told reporters last week. Ahn is known as one of the biggest fans and collectors of Lee’s works.
Admission is 9,000 won for adults and includes admission to the other shows going on at the museum and to Seokpajeong, the summer residence of King Gojong’s father, behind the museum.
The museum is closed on Mondays. Take bus Nos. 1020, 1711, 7016, 7018, 7022 or 7212 to the Jahamun Tunnel stop.
(02) 395-0100, www.seoulmuseum.org
WRAP AROUND THE TIME
Nam June Paik Art Center,
Yongin, Gyeonggi
To July 3: In memory of Nam June Paik (1932-2006), the Korean-born founder of video art, who passed away 10 years ago, the museum has invited 10 local and foreign curators from outside the museum. They include those whose jobs are not originally art curators such as a scientist, a novelist and a linguist.
Each of those 10 curators, along with the head of the museum, Suh Jin-suk, selected inspirational pieces from among the museum’s collection of Paik’s works. And then they each invited artists to create a new piece inspired by the Paik’s work, or an already created related work. The results comprise the exhibits. The works by Paik are on display on the first floor of the museum, and on the second floor are the works inspired by them.
Admission is 4,000 won. The museum is closed on Mondays. Take bus Nos. 5000 or 5005 from Seoul and get off at the Singal five-way intersection in Yongin.
(031) 201-8500, www.njpartcenter.kr
HORIM MASTERPIECE 100
Horim Art Center, Gangnam District
For an indefinite period: Horim Museum is home to some 15,000 artifacts, including eight state-designated National Treasures, 52 Treasures and 11 city-designated cultural properties. The museum’s Sinsa-dong branch, called the Horim Art Center, on Nov. 10, launched a new permanent exhibition that lets people enjoy these ancient Korean masterpieces.
The show includes three national treasures including the “White Porcelain Lidded Jar with Plum and Bamboo Design in Underglaze Cobalt Blue” (National Treasure No. 222) and 19 treasures including “Gilt-bronze Standing Sakyamuni Buddha at Birth” (Treasure No. 808). Exhibits at the exhibition will partially change every six months.
Admission costs 8,000 won. The museum is closed on Sundays. Take bus Nos. 145 , 440 or 4212 and get off at the Horim Art Center stop.
02) 541-3523~5, www.horimartcenter.org
Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Jung District
To June 30: The exhibition is a retrospective of French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier, famous for avant-garde styles including the iconic “cone bra” he created for music star Madonna in 1990.
The show features over 150 haute couture pieces as well as some ready-to-wear clothes he designed since his career began in 1976, including his latest creations inspired by Korean traditional clothes or hanbok.
The exhibition has been touring around the world since 2011 came to Seoul before heading back to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The Seoul exhibition was organized as one of the events to mark the 130th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic ties as well as the 21st chapter of Hyundai Card’s cultural patronage projects.
Admission is 15,000 won. The venue is near exits 1 and 2 of Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station (line Nos. 2, 4, and 5). www.superseries.kr
REALLY?
Arario Museum in Space,
Jongno District
For an indefinite period: “Really?” is the inaugural exhibition of the Arario Museum, which opened on in September 2014 in the iconic ivy-covered brick building “Space” designed by the legendary Korean architect Kim Swoo-geun (1931-86). Space’s intricately linked display areas and spiral staircases remain in their original state, while the artwork is wittily installed in unexpected locations.
About 100 pieces by more than 40 artists including Korean American video art pioneer Nam June Paik, British artists Marc Quinn and Tracey Emin, are on display. They are part of the vast collection of Ci Kim, one of Korea’s most important collectors.
Admission is 10,000 won for adults. Children under 10 are not allowed.
Go to Anguk Station, line No. 3, exit 3, and walk for 3 minutes.
(02) 736-5700, www.arariomuseum.org
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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