Korea Herald correspondent
PARIS, France — An exhibition presented at the Korean Cultural Center in Paris offers a rare glimpse into the history of Korean modern and contemporary art built over the past seven decades.
“Colors of Korea: Spotlight on Korean Contemporary Art,” which opened on Oct. 22, coinciding with Art Basel Paris, shows works by 34 Korean artists and was organized in commemoration of the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations next year.
“We began the exhibition with Suh Se-ok, who is regarded as a pioneer of Korean modern art and a figure representing the moment when Korean art truly entered its modern phase,” curator Kim Hae-young told The Korea Herald on Oct. 24.
The exhibition begins with abstract ink paintings by Suh Se-ok and Korean French painter Lee Ung-no. The two artists pioneered modern and contemporary ink painting, which evolved from the concept of literati painting. These scholarly paintings flourished in the Joseon era (1392-1910) and expressed a painter’s thoughts after reading literary works such as poetry.
Next is “Burning,” a video work by Lee Bae, “Translated Vase” by Yee Soo-kyung and Lee Kang-so’s painting, “Island-98153,” among others — artists shaping Korea's contemporary art scene today.
The exhibition includes works by Korean diaspora artists, such as “A Telescope” and “The World Then No Longer Formed,” new works by Anika Yi.
“With growing global attention on Korean culture, we felt it was the right moment to properly showcase the depth of Korean modern and contemporary art in France.
"Some Korean emerging artists have never really been properly introduced in France. We wanted to take this opportunity to present them for the first time,” the curator said.
Emerging young Korean artists highlighted at the exhibition include Woo Hannah and Hejum Ba.
"We are so proud that we had many work commissioned for the show, especially from young and emerging talents such as Jeon Hyun-sun, Chung Hee-min, Shin Gun-woo, Hejum Ba and Helena Parada Kim, among others," said Valentina Buzzi, associate curator of the exhibition.
The exhibition concludes with Korean contemporary art masters Park Seo-bo, Ha Chong-hyun and Kim Gui-line, who have led the Korean dansaekhwa art movement since the 1970s, and Kim Ku-lim who pioneered Korean experimental art in the 1960s.
Two early paintings by Kim Tschang-yeul, best known for his waterdrop paintings, on display here may look unfamiliar to audiences, as they evoke Korea’s traditional five cardinal colors — blue, red, yellow, white and black.
"Overall, the show aims to offer a glimpse into the panorama of Korean contemporary art today, revealing how many incredible voices, ideas and interpretations are woven into it. We hope to introduce the notion of complexity and the plurality of voices that define Korean art," Buzzi said.
The Korean Cultural Center is planning a major exhibition of Korean cultural heritage in collaboration with Quai Branly Museum to be shown from September 2027 to early 2028 where some of the works shown at the current exhibition will be presented, according to the cultural center.
“People mainly associated Korean culture with K-pop or certain shows. But especially in Europe, where audiences tend to have a deep understanding of traditional culture and the arts, there’s growing interest in Korea’s broader cultural spectrum,” said Lee Il-yul, director of the Korean Cultural Center in Paris.
“What began with popular culture is now expanding into fine arts, traditional heritage and even our lifestyle.”
yunapark@heraldcorp.com
