Exhibition Information

			Gana Art Nineone is pleased to present, 《Coexistence》, on view from December 29th, 2020 until January 24th, 2021 to show the context of Korean contemporary art history. The title ‘Coexistence’ symbolizes the presence of Kim Kulim, Kim Tschangyeul, Kim Whanki, Lee Ufan, Chun Kwangyoung under one roof who left a great mark in Korean art history from the 1960s to the 2000s. Although their period, main theme, and aesthetics vary, the five artists have communicated with each other in the flow of Korean contemporary art history by putting their works in one place.

Kim Whanki is the first generation artist of Korean abstract painting. He expressed traditional images with modern sensitivity and recreated Korean tradition in a modern form. Kim Tschangyeul is known for his ‘water drop’ painting. He represents the pain and the wound of Korean modern history with hyper realistic waterdrops since 1970. His work aims at the world of zen enlightenment and ideas through repetition of shapes. Lee Ufan, who has had a great influence on Korean modernism, is an artist who combines the Eastern thought and Western philosophy with a formative language of minimalism. He is an artist who globalized “Mono-ha” and oriental abstraction. Kim Kulim shows experimental work as the leader of the Korean avant-garde art in the 1960s and 1970s. He has built his own unique field by challenging unfamiliar genres of art including land art, conceptual art, performance, and video art. Chun Kwangyoung creates a unique painting with three-dimensional aspects by repeatedly arranging triangular pieces wrapped in Korean paper in a structural form.

As such, the featured 5 artists are the figures who have created their own wave and impact by expressing their identity as Korean artists without conforming to the contemporary art scene centered around Western countries. Their traces in Korean contemporary art history, such as their exploration of Korean abstract beauty, the application of oriental thought and diversification of materials, still have a strong impact on the later studies. By re-examining their universe, the visitors would gauge the contemporary art scene and explore its meaning behind. This exhibition will be a great opportunity to acquire and coexist with the artists’ spirits and tenacity throughout the year of 2021.