2017.07.13 Museums and Galleries

O PHILOI, OUDEIS PHILOS

Atelier Hermes, Gangnam District

To July 23: The exhibition is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the space for contemporary art at Maison Hermes. The exhibition features six emerging artists, all around 30 years old, whose works include their own interpretations of the space, past exhibitions in the space and artists featured in past shows.

Accordingly, it is about both the past and future of Atelier Hermes, curator Kim Yunkyoung said.

The show takes its title from a Greek phrase, “‘My friends, there are no friends,” which Kim said is widely attributed to Aristotle. “It suggests the duality of friendship, its potential and its impossibility,” she said.

The exhibition tests the “possible and impossible” qualities of the young artists’ interpretations of the past.

The participants are Kim Minae, Kim Yunha, Kim Heecheon, Park Kiljong, Baek Kyungho and Yoon Hyangro.

Admission is free. Go to Apgujeong Rodeo station, Bundang Line, exit 5 and walk 10 minutes.

(02) 544-7722.

THE 4TH WALL: STATE OF EMERGENCY II

Art Sonje Center, Jongno District

To Aug. 4: Noh Suntag, 46, is famous for his photographic work, which hovers between photojournalism and fine art. His pictures deal mainly with “state violence in South Korea which often justifies itself by making use of the division between the two Koreas,” according to the artist.

The latest works, comprising 200 pieces on display in this solo show, are no exception. They include the “Drought” series, which depicts the water cannons used against protesters in various demonstrations. Meanwhile, “In Search of Lost Thermos Bottles” is a series about the lives of residents on Yeonpyeong island in the Yellow Sea, which has been bombarded by North Korea, as well as the conservative South Korean politicians who, the artist claims, try to use the bombings for their own purposes.

The title is taken from the controversial German jurist Carl Schmitt, who was part of the Nazi regime and furnished a crucial theoretical foundation for the Enabling Act, or the so-called “state of emergency law.”

The exhibition follows Noh’s “The State of Emergency I” solo show, held in 2008 at the Wurttembergischer Kunstverein in Stuttgart, Germany.

Admission is 5,000 won for adults. The art center is closed on Mondays. Go to Anguk Station, line No. 3, exit 1 and walk for 10 minutes.

(02) 733-8945, www.artsonje.org

THE ABSENCE OF PATERFAMILIAS

Barakat Gallery Seoul, Jongno District

To Aug. 6: The two-person exhibition features media art pieces by Belgian artist Alex Verhaest and paintings by Korean artist Moon Ki Cho. Their mediums and styles are very different from each other, but share a common theme: the love-and-hate relationships and uneasy qualities of human families, which are often portrayed as being beautiful and full of love.

Verhaest’s video pieces, with their very subtle movements, seem inspired by portraits from old Dutch and Flemish masters and a genre of still-life paintings in the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age called vanitas, with their delicately-distorted forms as well as the color, shade and light effects.

Admission is free. Go to Anguk Station, line No. 3, exit 2, and walk 10 minutes.

(02)730-1949, www.barakat.kr

PIXAR: 30 YEARS OF ANIMATION

Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Jung District

To Aug. 8: The exhibition, held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the American computer animation film studio Pixar, features 500 pieces of concept art, drawings and character model sculptures.

Visitors can see the processes that Pixar animated films go through during their creation, from the formation of characters to original storyboards and color scripts, as well as a series of paintings illustrating the layout, emotion, color and mood of each film.

Admission is 13,000 won for adults. The venue is closed on Monday. DDP is located at Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station, line Nos. 2, 4 and 5.

(02)-2153-0000, www.ddp.or.kr

SAMRAMANSANG: FROM KIM WHANKI TO YANG FUDONG

MMCA Seoul, Jongno District

To Aug. 13: In this exhibition, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art shows off 121 of 932 artworks it acquired to add to its collection between 2013 and 2016.

In particular, the exhibits include Korean modern art master Kim Whanki’s abstract painting “Dawn #3” (1964-5), which the museum purchased at K Auction’s sale in September 2016 for 1.3 billion won ($1.14 million). It is the highest price the museum has ever paid for a single piece of artwork to add to its collection.

The exhibit title “Samramansang,” which means “all things and all phenomena in the universe,” was taken from a piece by Korean contemporary artist Kang Ikjoong, which is also among the pieces in the exhibit.

Tickets cost 4,000 won. The museum is closed on Monday. The museum is a 10-minute walk from Anguk Station, line No. 3, exit 1.

(02) 3701-9500, www.mmca.go.kr

VOLEZ, VOGUEZ, VOYAGEZ LOUIS VUITTON

Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Jung District

To Aug. 27: This exhibition retraces the history of the French luxury brand Louis Vuitton, which started in the mid-19th century as the maker of leather goods for travel, and suitcases in particular. More than 1,000 vintage and contemporary bags and trunks are on display along with accessories.

The thematic journey, curated by Olivier Saillard and designed by Robert Carsen, consists of nine sections, opening with the symbol of Louis Vuitton: an antique malle. The exhibition also includes a section about collaborations with famous artists such as Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince, Jake and Dinos Chapman and Jeff Koons. A section dedicated to Vuitton’s works inspired by Korean antiques closes the exhibition.

Admission is free. The venue is closed on Monday. Go to Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station, line Nos. 2, 4 and 5, exit 1.

(02)3432-1854, http://kr.louisvuitton.com/kor-kr/heritage-savoir-faire/lvseoulvvv# or www.ddp.or.kr

BLANK PAGE

Kumho Museum, Jongno District

To Aug. 31: The exhibition includes works from seven teams of contemporary Korean artists, reflecting on site-specific, non-material qualities such as interactive media or light art. The artists are Je Baak, Kim Juree, Joon Y. Moon, Park Jaeyoung, Park Yeojoo, Yang Junguk and the duo Jin Dallae & Park Woohyuk.

Admission is 5,000 won for adults. Go to Anguk Station, line No. 3, exit 1, and walk for 10 minutes.

(02) 720-5114, www.kumhomuseum.com

VOGUE LIKE A PAINTING

Hangaram Art Museum of Seoul Arts Center, Seocho District

To Oct. 7: The exhibition features more than 100 pieces of fashion photography from among the numerous photos for the iconic fashion magazine Vogue over its 125-year history. The featured pieces were inspired by famous paintings or various art movements.

The exhibits include a photo from among legendary photographer Irving Penn’s works inspired by Rococo-era portraits, and works by Erwin Blumenfeld and Erwin Olaf, inspired by the famous “Girl with a Pearl Earring” painting by 17th-century Dutch master Johannes Vermeer. The photos on view were taken by 32 fashion and portrait photographers who range from the late masters such as Penn and Cecil Beaton to relatively young photographers such as Tim Walker and Camilla Akrans.

Curated by Debra Smith of Vogue Spain, the exhibition started at Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid in 2015 and will tour to another country.

Admission is 13,000 won ($11.35) for adults. To go to the Seoul Arts Center, get off at Nambu Bus Terminal Station, line No. 3 exit 4-2 or 5. (02) 332-8011, www.voguelike.com