2021 Korean Craft Exhibition is Italy bound

Korean Heritage

Published: 11 Aug. 2021, 17:45 Updated: 11 Aug. 2021, 19:03

2021 Korean Craft Exhibition is Italy bound

Lee Sang-hyeob's ″Moon1″ is a metaphor for Lee's ″endless relationship with things,″ expressed by the countless number of hammer marks on the jar's surface. [KOREA CRAFT & DESIGN FOUNDATION]

The 2021 Korean Craft Exhibition will take place during Milan Design Week 2021, from Sept. 5 to 10, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Craft & Design Foundation said on Wednesday.

This year marks the exhibition’s ninth anniversary. The exhibition will be held under the theme “All About Attitude.”

A total of 126 artworks from 21 artists, ranging from pieces made of metal, ceramic, textile, glass and so on, will be on display online at the Fuorisalone website and offline at Palazzo Litta, a cultural center in Milan. Fuorisalone is an Italian communication platform dedicated to events and exhibitions.

Kim Sea-young's ″Plant Metaphor″ and ″Plant Traditional″ black porcelain series [KOREA CRAFT & DESIGN FOUNDATION]

Kang Jae-young, art director at Mangrove Artworks, planned this year’s online exhibit. Last year’s exhibition was originally set to be held offline, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic it was shifted online for the first time in its eight-year history.

“In a time where we are living in a crisis because of Covid-19 and climate change, ‘All About Attitude’ seeks to reflect on humans’ past deeds,” said Kang. “We hope this exhibit changes humans’ attitude toward crafts and stresses the importance of the role of crafts in social practices.”

The exhibition is divided into three sections: “All About Earthbound,” “All About Companion” and “All About Posture.”

In “All About Earthbound,” crafts are likened to organisms with their meanings constantly changing, like a network between the sky, earth and humans. Artworks by artists like Maeng Wook-jae and Lee Sang-hyeob show ceramic installations and furniture that captures messages related to nature and humanity, such as environmental crises.

Maeng Wook-jae's ″White Forest″ shows the mutated forms of various animals, emphasizing the seriousness of environmental crises. [KOREA CRAFT & DESIGN FOUNDATION]

Lee’s “Moon1,” a large silver jar with countless hammer marks on its surface, is described as “a metaphor for [Lee’s] numerous encounters or [his] endless relationship with things.”

“All About Companion” is a collection of objects that are like “companions” to humans, such as jewelry and other accessories. They are not disposable, but rather objects that have significant value and can last hundreds or thousands of years, which is why they not only connect individuals, but also generations.

Pieces from artists like Chung Ho-yeon, Koh Hee-seung and Kang Mi-na will be on display. Chung’s “Time” depicts the various layers of time and image through the layers of sheer fabric.

Chung Ho-yeon’s “Time” deals with the various layers of time and image through layers of sheer fabric. [KOREA CRAFT & DESIGN FOUNDATION]

Joo So-won's ″Blooming″ necklace symbolizes the brilliance yet fragility of nature. [KOREA CRAFT & DESIGN FOUNDATION]

Finally, “All About Posture” presents crafts that have reinterpreted Korea’s traditional sedentary culture. Featuring works by artists such as Kim Sea-young, Lim Keum-hee and Park Jong-gun, this section focuses on many aspects of Korean tradition that have changed or disappeared in modern times.

Kim has brought jangdo to the exhibit, which are small knives in ornamental cases that have been carried since the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392). What makes Kim’s piece interesting is that dahoe, a braid of silk threads used to decorate clothing, are used as straps for the jangdo. The dahoe has been restored by Lim and will also be shown in the upcoming exhibition.

Park Jong-gun's jangdo with Lim Keum-hee's dahoe straps attached to each one, along with blue shoes that were worn to match the ceremonial robes of queens, also made by Lim [KOREA CRAFT & DESIGN FOUNDATION]

For more information on the 2021 Korean Craft Exhibition, visit the Fuorisalone website https://www.fuorisalone.it/2021.

From Sept. 4 to 10, a virtual tour will also be available on the Mosca Partners website, who is hosting the Milan Design Week 2021 via https://www.moscapartners.it/en.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]