Gwangju Museum of Art
By Adam Hogue
Art is the voice of a culture.
It lives with the culture, it remembers the culture, and it guides the direction in which the culture will go. Without art, a culture loses its identity. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the Gwangju Museum of Art (GMA). This is the place where Gwangju’s artistic culture comes to live, breathe, and tell stories.
GMA first opened its doors on August 1, 1992, and since that day, it has made a special purpose of preserving what Gwangju stands for. Every exhibition that comes through the museum places special emphasis on the theme of social justice. The curators at GMA work to bring socially conscious art work to the museum to reflect the themes that Gwangju is known for: art and human rights.
In honor of its twentieth anniversary, GMA is currently holding two exhibitions, Two Modernisms and Jin Tong (진 통). The exhibits emphasize educating in Korean modern art and celebrating Korean contemporary art. This past week, I had a chance to meet one of the GMA curators, Lim Jong-young, and take a tour of the two exhibits. Lim Jong-young has been a curator at the museum since 2004, and prior to that, he taught art and art history at Salesio Girls’ High School.
Two Modernisms explores the history of Korean modern art from the 1930s until today. The abstract and the representational come together for the purpose of education in this exhibit, and they flow into one another as one walks through the gallery. There are many notable Korean artists that are household names in Korea with work on display at GMA. Among their work is a piece that I personally love, called The Women by the Inlet (갯가의 아낙들) by Kang Yun-gyoon. Kang Yun-gyoon was himself a former director at the GMA.
Perhaps the most well-known artist in Korea is Park Soo-gun. GMA has many of her pieces on display that are well worth the visit. They are abstract and gritty in texture, very interesting up close. Her pieces are more concerned with the process and means of creation rather than the result or message; they embody a certain spirit of contemporary art.
It is interesting to walk through the Two Modernisms exhibition and to take note of art in the larger world context at the time. The art made around the world in the 20th century, the modern art, all speaks the same language, and it is fascinating to see those connections.
The exhibition is small, manageable, and to the point. That is one aspect of GMA that really appeals to me. It is a small museum, so it has to make its point in limited space, and what we see is the bare, essential art. Only the pieces that work and speak are used in the exhibitions, and a lot of research and work on the part of the curators goes into making strong exhibitions that have a clear message.
When you enter the museum, you immediately notice a tree made out of old televisions. The installation is a piece by the most internationally renowned Korean artist, Paik Nam-june. Paik Nam-june was a pioneer in the use of visual media, and he is recognized as one of the premiere avant-garde artists along with his contemporaries Joseph Beuys, musician John Cage, and dancer Merce Cunningham. For an idea of his work, check out the satellite installation, Good Morning Mr. Orwell.
The video installation by Paik Nam-june is a part of the second exhibition at the museum called Jin Tong, meaning “to advance, to communicate.” However, when “Jin-tong” is said, it sounds like the Chinese characters meaning “asperities” or “the pain before creation.” So while the pieces in the exhibition represent progressive contemporary art, they also hold the artist in a place of being unfinished: We are still on the edge of something, and we always will be.
Jin Tong celebrates both where GMA is going and where art is going. The exhibition features Korean contemporary artists of many different genres. It is a feast for the senses. Walking through the exhibit, visitors are met with one medium after another – video meets painting meets sculpture meets installation. The pieces speak about the culture now. They are relevant, thought-provoking, and representative.
The Jin Tong exhibition features many prominent artists in Korea today. Check out the work of Hong Sung-dam; he works big, which I like. His murals depict everyday life in Korea with a sort of magical-realism twist; his “Rock Band-ajeolssigu” is something to see up close, and his “Family Map of the Urban Garden” is a great social commentary on the family dynamic in Korea today.
On the second floor landing, visitors are greeted by a giant, steel Darth Vader. That would be the work of Goh Geun-ho, an artist creating his sculptures right here in Gwangju. Yoon Nam-eung is another Gwangju artist on display in the Jin Tong exhibition. Both artists have studios in and around the Dae-in Market area, among others in the exhibition. So Dae-in Market is worth a look if you are into or want to learn more about the Gwangju contemporary art scene.
On September 6, a new exhibition of Chinese contemporary art opens along with a solo exhibition by Lee Uhwan, who is featured in the Two Modernisms exhibit. For more information, you can check out the bilingual GMA newsletter, find GMA online, or just go visit GMA in person. Also, be sure to check out the Kwak Duck-joon solo exhibition on display now.
The GMA is a beautiful museum that is very accessible to foreigners. Art is the universal language, and the museum does a wonderful job of making that message clear for anyone who goes for a visit. The museum is concise, to the point, and most of all, a very inexpensive way to spend a Saturday afternoon (the entrance fee is merely 500 won).
The exhibits are an important voice in keeping the memories of culture alive as well as shedding light on where Gwangju’s culture is going. GMA is doing their job of keeping art (both old and new) relevant and available to everyone here in Gwangju, and they are definitely worth a visit. Check out GMA and celebrate its 20th anniversary with these two great exhibits and many more to come.
The museum is located on Joongoe Park opposite the Biennale and the Gwangju Folk Museum. It is connected by trails to the Gwangju Art and Culture Museum which many buses go to.