City of art shines at night

Highest art gallery in Seoul offers contemporary work by 14 N.Y.-based artists


The dazzling night cityscape has always been an advantage for Sky Art Gallery, the highest art space in Seoul. Even more credit should be given to it this time, though, for providing a perfect background for the contemporary art show heralding the start of the holiday season.

The jazzy artworks from New York showcased at the exhibition “The City of Art: New York 1945-2000” meld in marvelously with the glitzy atmosphere of the traffic-jammed Seoul seen from the observatory and gallery on the 60th floor of 63 building in Yeouido, central Seoul.

The exhibition features contemporary paintings, photos, prints and sculptures spanning from 1945 to 2000, by 14 well-known New York-based artists including Keith Haring, James Rosenquist and Frank Stella. 

“Yellow Vase (Interior Series)” by Roy Lichtenstein. (Sky Art Gallery)

They are some of the prestigious artists from all over the world gathered in the U.S., namely New York, after World War II. Buoyed by the atmosphere of freedom, the artists led new and experimental trends like pop art, abstract expressionism, minimalism and post modernism. All 64 exhibits, surprisingly loaned from local collectors only, each represent a significant trend of the time.

“It is no exaggeration to say that New York art was equivalent to world art at the time,” said Kwon Areum, curator of the exhibition.

Andy Warhol’s silk screen works of Marilyn Monroe, Roy Lichtenstein’s comic book-like works and Joan Mitchell’s colorful and powerful scribbles assure that the exhibition has pretty much the essential pieces to depict the New York art scene of the time.

Rather than the more famous and familiar works, though, Robert Longo’s “Men in the Cities” are unexpected gems that really add to the New Yorker vibe of the show. The two graphite and watercolor-paintings each feature a businessman decked in suit and a woman in a black cocktail dress, who seem to be either writhing in pain or experiencing a moment of ecstasy. 

“Men in the cities-Eric” by Robert Longo (Sky Art Gallery)

The impressive images of the life-size human figures in chic attire and contorted postures have influenced many artists and commercials worldwide, including the early iPod ads.

The gallery stays open until 10 p.m., so consider visiting after sunset. The artworks and the cityscape stretching out beyond the glassed walls really shine in the evening.

The exhibition runs through March 11 at Sky Art Gallery in Yeouido. Tickets range from 11,000 won to 12,000 won. For more information, call (02) 789-5663 or visit www.63.co.kr.

By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldcorp.com)