2020.4.20 Museums & Galleries

Menschen, Bilder, Emotionen
Leeahn Gallery Seoul, Jongno District

To May 18: Leeahn Gallery Seoul presents the first solo exhibition in Korea for young German artist David Ostrowski, gaining fame in the contemporary art world with his abstract paintings.

His “Frame” series became famous for being hung inside Ivanka Trump’s apartment and has since become popular for being interior-friendly.

His minimal use of color and shape makes his works adaptable to any space.

For his new “F” series displayed at the Seoul gallery, Ostrowski looks at “failure” - particularly those failures that offer accidental, yet beautiful elements.

His use of cloth, spray paint and other unusual tools opens our eyes up to the beauty that does not fit our everyday notion of beauty, or that which we take for granted.

Leeahn Gallery is a five-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station, line No. 3, exit 3.

(02) 730-2243, www.leeahngallery.com

Jonggeon Lee : Three pillars and a wall
Pibi Gallery, Jongno District

To May 23: As the second solo exhibition of Lee Jong-geon to be held at Pibi Gallery, “Three pillars and a wall” looks at the shifting properties of a space, wherein the elements change according to their surrounding environment.

In this exhibit, Lee uses walls, arches and pillars to build a new space within the gallery space, which used to be a white cube before the elements were added.

Only four installations are on display, making up a single project.

Windows are patterned out onto a flat surface; a cement pillar is covered in wooden patterns; and an arch-shaped pillar and arch-patterned metal installation lie on the ground.

All these features are usually seen in the outer facades of large buildings, but here, they work to define a new possibility within a new context.

Get off at Gwanghwamun Station, line No. 5, exit 2, get on the Jongno 03 bus and get off at the Korea Banking Institute Station and walk five minutes.

(02) 6263-2004, www.pibigallery.com

Park Youngsook: Tears of a Shadow
Arario Gallery Seoul, Jongno District

To June 6: Born in 1941, photographer Park Young-sook is a leading figure in Korean feminism. She has actively brought women to the forefront of her works.

As always, Park’s works focus on how the female body and mind have been suppressed by society - silenced by power dynamics and denied the right to their own sexuality.

“Tears of a Shadow” revolves around two ideas: the absence of the person and the objects that take the place in their stead.

Park traveled to a region called Gotjawal in Jeju Island, where the rough terrain has left it uninhabited.

She then placed various objects commonly associated with the lives of women, such as the wedding dress or makeup boxes, to speak for the missing femininity.

Admission is free. Go to Anguk Station, line No. 3, exit 1, and walk for 15 minutes.

The gallery takes one person or team for a tour due to the social distancing guideline during the coronavirus pandemic.

Reservations can be made both online and on the site.

(02) 541-5701, www.arariogallery.com