POST-YOUNG KOREAN ARTISTS
Young Korean Artists, a regular exhibition held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art with 40 years of history, is one of the oldest and most prestigious programs geared towards discovering young talented artists. As the rst exhibition held after the 40th anniversary exhibition of Young Korean Artists, this year’s exhibition presents a new attempt. As such, the new endeavor focuses on expanding the genre and medium of the exhibited works to architecture and design-centered projects, and sheds light on the “exploring or experimenting” aspect as much as it does on the “young” element of the works.
The 13 artists (teams) participating in this exhibition stand at the forefront of their art world, setting original trends that are different from their previous generation of artists. These architects, space designers, graphic designers, photographers, and media artists transcend the traditional production methods and outcomes of each genre, traversing across the visual art systems. The exhibited works stand independently as an extension of the artists’ previous works, and interpret the subject of this exhibition.
ANNOTATING THE MUSEUM
Young Korean Artists 2023 is about “annotating the museum.” The subjects to annotate include the museum’s space, exhibitions and experiences. The 13 “footnotes,”or works, expand each of the artist’s own spatial /temporal context of the institutional space of the art museum. Inserting footnotes signies a practical gesture of expanding the point of connection between the self (artist) and the museum. The visual languages, demonstrated through the production process and outcome of the works, strike up a conversation with the “space,” “exhibition,” and “experiences” of the museum, which were elements were previously often overlooked. Young Korean Artists 2023: Annotating the Museum explores such narratives through the works of young artists, who experiment with diverse mediums and new methodologies of production.
EXPLORING THE “ART MUSEUM SPACE”
The subject for Young Korean Artists 2023 is the “museum space,” or specically “MMCA Gwacheon,” which is the site for this exhibition. The artists contemplate and explore the space of the art museum. MMCA Gwacheon is an old museum, which opened in 1986. There are recent talks about changing the space infrastructure of this museum which has supported artists, art works and exhibitions for a long period of time. Before such changes take place, however, a look into the space forms that contain the works, artists, and even the audience is essential. The architecture and design today, where global issues like climate crisis and carbon neutrality are accelerating the changes that take place in art spaces and systems, become a very useful yet critical frame trough which to explore these issues.
How should we look at the art museum space, which has been inviting artists, supporting art works and creating sites for exhibitions in the last 40 years, on the brink of its transformation in terms of space? On the other hand, what can the artists, art works and art exhibitions do in order to open up new windows of awareness? These questions prompt us to reect on the past endeavors of the art museum, including the previous records and exhibitions of the museum. This exhibition exposes the hidden orders of the museum, and the artists’ works construct a transition zone that connects the museum today to its future.
Annotating “Space”
These works demonstrate the various architectural forms that make up the art museum space. Kim Kyoungtae, Lee Dami, Kim Hyunjong, Hwang Dongwook, and COM expose the architectural elements of MMCA Gwacheon, such as pillars, oor, rotunda, ramp core and shafts, and suggest that they are seen from a different perspective. While numerous works have been seen and have gone away from this space, the architectural forms that make up the framework of the space still remain.
Annotating “Exhibitions”
The exhibition has always reected the spatial norms of the museum. The exhibition itself is a medium that is produced independently by the museum. It is not subjugated to the art work and the artist, but has its own content and form. Designers form relationships with the museum, producing elements that make up the exhibition such as posters,
brochures, museum labels, wall text and floor plans, etc. Kim Dongshin, O Hezin, and Chung Hyun analyze the
archive of the art museum and offer a re-examination of the exhibition format that can connect the art museum and the audience.
Annotating “Experiences"
These works suggest a distant perspective in looking at the art museum space. They capture a comprehensive perspective on the art museum, such as the audience’s footsteps, perspective of satellite map, and narrative landscape led by oor plan of the building or objects. The visitor can go through the different intersections of the art museum experience, designed by Paik Jongkwan, Heechan Park, Chu Mirim, Jo Gyuyub, and Mu:p. The art museum experience does not remain a reading of the art, but also indicates circulating with the space in harmony.
