The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea has brought South Korea’s emerging artists to the fore at exhibitions dedicated to young artists since the state museum was founded in 1986. “Young Korean Artists” is the museum's longest-running program that aims to discover young artists.
Thirteen emerging artists and collectives recommended by the state museum's curators and art experts are participating in this year's exhibition titled “Young Korean Artists 2023: Annotating the Museum,” which opened April 27 at the museum’s Gwacheon venue in Gyeonggi Province.
The artists include architects, furniture designers, graphic designers, photographers and media artists whose works offer visitors an opportunity to experience the museum space in a myriad of ways. Created using their own visual vocabulary, the artworks focus on the space, exhibitions and experiences connected to the museum.
The section “Annotating Space” features works by Kim Kyoung-tae, Lee Da-mi, Kim Hyun-jong, Hwang Dong-wook and COM that show the various architectural forms that comprise the museum setting, including its columns, rotunda and ramp core, giving a different sense of experiencing the space.
At the section titled “Annotating Experiences,” works by Paik Jong-kwan, Park Hee-chan, Chu Mi-rim, Jo Gyu-yub and Mu:p, whose works are based on a variety of perspectives, are on display.
Located at Gallery 2's exit, “13 Interviews -- 13 Comments” presents archival materials alongside interviews with the participating artists. The videos here offer a glimpse of the creative process of the young artists who are exploring different fields including architecture, design, media and photography.
The museum will publish a book of the works, including discussions around the exhibition, in July. Titled “Annotating the Museum,” the book is authored by Choi Choon, an architect and professor of architecture at Seoul National University; Choi Sung-min, director of Sulki & Min and a professor of visual design at the University of Seoul; and Chung Da-hyoung, a curator at the MMCA, among others.
The exhibition will run through Sept. 10.
