Hyundai Card opens Art Library, filled with contemporary art books, in Itaewon

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Hyundai Card opens Art Library, filled with contemporary art books, in Itaewon

Published: 09 Aug. 2022, 15:28 Updated: 09 Aug. 2022, 16:24

The interior of Hyundai Card Art Library in Itaewon, central Seoul. [HYUNDAI CARD]

A library dedicated to art enthusiasts has opened its doors in Itaewon, central Seoul. Neatly stacked on its shelves are original publications of art books — a significant amount of which are quite rare.

Hyundai Card opened Art Library on Tuesday, the fifth in its library series following Design Library, Travel Library, Music Library and Cooking Library. Art Library is located on the second floor of Hyundai Card Vinyl & Plastic, a music store.

It is not the first time for the credit card company to be at the forefront of cultural spaces. Storage by Hyundai Card, located on the basement floor of the Hyundai Card Vinyl & Plastic building, is an art exhibition space that has proven popular, especially among the younger generation.

Music Library houses a rare vinyl collection from legends like Led Zeppelin and The Beatles. Visitors can listen to the vinyl freely by using turntables available on site.

The interior of Hyundai Card Art Library in Itaewon, central Seoul. [HYUNDAI CARD]

Now Hyundai Card has dived into art books with the help of four art experts: Yasmil Raymond, visual art curator and the rector of the Städelschule in Frankfurt; Clarrie Wallis, director of Britain’s Turner Contemporary art gallery; Sophie Cavoulacos, curator in the Department of Film at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York; and Jillian Suarez, the head of library services at MoMA.

“When we chose to create an art library, we contemplated how we were going to approach this field, as it requires professional expertise,” said Ryu Su-jin, vice president of Hyundai Card’s brand division, during a press conference at Art Library last Thursday. “We decided that we would focus on contemporary art, because it reflects modern views and we worked hand in hand with the best experts, like from MoMA. This was possible thanks to Hyundai Card’s partnership with MoMA over the past 16 years.”

Art Library has been jam-packed with over 6,000 books on contemporary art.

"Andy Warhol's Index (Book)" (1967) by Andy Warhol is on display where visitors can flip through the pages themselves. [SHIN MIN-HEE]

"Freedom: A Fable" (1997) by Kara Walker [SHIN MIN-HEE]

Artists’ Publishing Book, a section that houses a collection of art books published by the artists themselves, includes rare works from artists like Andy Warhol (1928-1987), 68-year-old Anish Kapoor and 52-year-old Kara Walker. The books are so invaluable that visitors are required to wear gloves to touch them and staff members are on standby at all times.

Another section, Complete Collections, features every single MoMA exhibition catalog since 1929, every Venice Biennale catalog since 1895 and every edition of Parkett Magazines, a contemporary art magazine, from 1984 to when it ceased publication in 2017.

Moving Image Room is a separate room where visitors are able to watch media or performance artworks from the 1960s to 1970s through computers on site from artists such as Nam June Paik (1932-2006), 71-year-old Bill Viola, Vito Acconci (1940-2017) and 86-year-old Joan Jonas.

“This is an intimate research space where visitors can access roughly 80 works of video art related to the history of performance and history of cinema, and a really thrilling selection, in some cases quite rare [range of works],” Cavoulacos said.

Moving Image Room of Hyundai Card Art Library in Itaewon, central Seoul. [HYUNDAI CARD]

The library has a snug atmosphere, which was influenced by the Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, said Choi Kyung-hee, principal designer at interior design company Spackman Associates. Choi took the helm of the interior at Art Library.

“We tried to produce a warm, comfortable and cozy space, to make it appear as if the library had already existed for a very long time,” Choi said. “Note the details, like the rough texture of the ceiling and factory lights that shed gold lighting. We arranged sofas, desks and wooden chairs to allow visitors to read in different areas of the library. These effects create a different feel in the evening — it’s much more impressive.”

The staircase of the library has glass facades on green frames to heighten anticipation when visitors see the cloudy reflection of the art books awaiting them.

The interior of Hyundai Card Art Library in Itaewon, central Seoul. [HYUNDAI CARD]

“As head of library services at MoMA, my job is to allow visitors to access materials and learn about art history or visual culture,” Suarez said, “and for this project that’s where my mind went: Who would be the researcher coming into this library, who would be interested in art [and] who would spend time at the reference table? With this selection of the books, it was not only foundational text; it was heavy on the theory as well.”

The library is especially welcoming to foreigners as Art Library puts emphasis on collecting books in their original publication form — no matter what language.

"Variation 1" (1960) by John Cage [SHIN MIN-HEE]

“We did discuss what the standards should be for the books’ language,” Ryu said. “It’s true that ultimately, there are few Korean books here. However, we believe that the visual images of art are conveyed better to the reader with its original text rather than the translated versions. We have staff members available if visitors have any queries about the books’ content.”

Hyundai Card Art Library is open every day, from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays. On Sundays and national holidays, it closes at 6 p.m. Visitors must have their Hyundai card and ID with them to enter and are allowed in with up to two more people. If you don’t have a Hyundai card, you can make a reservation to visit though the Hyundai Card DIVE mobile app. The art books are also searchable through the app.

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