Exhibition Information

Exhibition view

Exhibition view

Exhibition view

			In an era where the standards of yesterday and today are undergoing radical transformation, how can we define aesthetic values? As the boundaries of media blend and the virtual material world overflows, seeking a path forward within the contemporary history of art suggests that the inheritance of the classical and the subsequent sedimentations will offer clues for new directions. This exhibition, commemorating the reopening of Hoban Artrium, presents works that encapsulate meaningful aesthetic narratives from the Hoban Cultural Foundation’s collection, featuring domestic and international 34 artists. Presenting masterpieces by Anish Kapoor, Rashid Johnson, Anthony Caro, Lee Ufan, Kim Tschoon-Su, George Condo, Derek Fordjour, and Hernan Bas, providing an opportunity to explore artworks that bridge the historical trajectories of both Eastern and Western art.



The exhibition begins in the abyss that transcends the reality. When you encounter the reflection in a concave mirror with the gradation of color from deep blue to orange, one is naturally prompted to ask countless questions. Anish Kapoor’s artwork, where the boundaries between painting and sculpture are fluid, reflect the people themselves, subverting the traditional dynamic between subject and object. The mirror, originally a medium that reproduces the object, Rashid Johnson covered the mirror with black soap, attempting a new approach. The flat painting undergoes bold experiments in the material dimension, embracing a sense of volume beyond color, and once again raises questions about painting. Meanwhile, the materiality of art is most strikingly presented in sculpture, where Anthony Caro’s geometric structures, standing on the floor of the exhibition space, raise questions about the very presence of material, intersecting with the ultimate inquiries of painting.



As long-standing art history has shown, we return once again, like a force of inertia, to painting, and let us examine the history of Korean art. Lee Ufan, a ledaing figure in the Mono-ha movement, creates works that resonate universally through their exploration of essence. Whereas Anthony Caro’s sculptures descend from their pedestals to interact with people in shared space, Lee Ufan’s “Dialogue” invites contemplation in a single brushstroke, drawn meticulously between breaths, allowing the people to resonate with the artist’s essence. In a confined frame, the connection between artist, artwork, and people resonates, reaching the zenith of painting. Alongside the stillness of Eastern ink, which guides meditative reflection in shades of black and white, the vibrancy of blue has always been central, and thus, Kim Tschoon-Su ’s ultramarine anchors us, its handprints overlapping to create depth and evoke a different kind of abstraction than that found in the West.



Historically, as abstraction and representation have subverted and shaped the mainstream, this exhibition also offers a chance to appreciate both abstract artworks, filled with intense energy, and figurative artworks that have led contemporary art history. George Condo, a leading in modern American style portrait, use exaggerated facial expressions to create humor while simultaneously attempting social satire Moreover, there are those who have unraveled the narrative of identity, a theme that has never failed to be a major issue since the 20th century. Derek Fordjour, who created works like portraits of an era depicting Black culture with vibrant decorations, and Hernan Bas’s dreamlike symbols encapsulating queer art in America, both challenge the norms. The figures they repeatedly portray, with their distorted forms and staged elements, metaphorically express narratives in a literary manner, and through them, we read the face of the era.



The title of the exhibition, ‘球’ refers to a spherical shape, symbolizing beauty, the cosmos, or the process of creation itself. Throughout history, ideal beauty has been repeatedly constructed and deconstructed, leaving behind its imprints within the trajectory of art. From masterpieces that form persona-driven images to works that seek to expand the boundaries of art through experimental media, this exhibition brings these diverse works together, drawing closer to the ultimate questions they pose. Through this exhibition, we hope to provide a profound aesthetic experience that transcends initial clues and engages with deep, reflective encounters. we hope to provide people with a profound aesthetic experience—one that transcends initial interpretations and fosters deep, reflective encounters.