ASYAAF 2010

After Seoul Station ("When we first met") and the old Defense Security Command ("We meet the future"), the Asian Students and Young Artists Art Festival (titled "Open your eyes, look up the blue sky") will invade Sungshin Women's University.

Does SWU have a plan to turn into a museum ? As we saw earlier :
- Seoul Station, still under renovation, will host a major exhibition space. BTW: Seoul city is looking for pictures of meetings between Korean presidents and Seoul citizens, which used to take place there.
- the Defense Security Command will become the Seoul branch of the National Museum of Contemporary Art / MOCA (see "MOCA - Defense Security Command, continued"). BTW : we'll know within weeks the winner among the five finalist projects.

As usual (see ASYAAF 2009), ASYAAF will display works from 777 young talents from Korea and other Asian countries, with a break in the middle of the exhibition to replace all items with a new set. And as usual, I strongly advise art lovers to come twice : there's always some good surprise, sometimes where you least expect it, in the darkest corner of the building (see UPDATE BELOW).

Two innovations this year : Korean artists abroad are also participating (ie students from les Beaux Arts in Paris), and curators have mercifully decided to ban the kind of embarrassments that plagued previous editions (typically : "photoshop paintings" of realistic sirupy candies which have more to do with advertising than art).

ASYAAF 2010
20100728-20100823
Part 1 : July 28 - August 8
Part 2 : August 11 - 23
Sungshin Women's University (College of Fine Arts), 249-1 Dongsan-dong 3-ga, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, ROK 136-742
Subway Line 4, Sungshin Women's University Station Exit 1
Tel : +82.2.724.6361 to 6367


Seoul Village 2010

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IMPORTANT UPDATE 20100728

I DO NOT recommand the visit this year. To my utmost dismay, this edition of the ASYAAF is an embarrassment : the quality is overwhelmingly low and the few familiar faces didn't save the day. The only artistic note was the ballet of workers painting the walls for the inauguration, hanging from their ropes against Seongbuk-gu skyline.

MOCA @ Defense Security Command, continued

As we saw earlier, the National Museum of Contemporary Art will open a new branch in Sogyeok-dong. And I was pleased to read today* that the DSC would not be obliterated : all five finalists to the architectural contest will respect an old building which proved its relevance for contemporary art (see ASYAAF 2009 last summer or the Shinhotan exhibition last autumn).

It's hard to judge by the pictures published in the JoongAng Daily, but each project seem to have its way of transforming the Defense Security Command complex (ie under one vast but thin slab for Lee Pil-hoon, scattered in colorful bars for Shin Chun-gyu...**), and all are gaining new volumes under the ground. Finalists will improve their submissions until the final decision in May and the result shouldn't be too intimidating, nor as massive as the National Museum in Yongsan. Mercifully, the jury rejected Frank Gehry - style soulless extravaganzzas (this guy basically runs a nice computer program to compensate the lack of vision of his clients), and that leaves room for sustainable creativity.

This project is significant from a cultural as well as an urban point of view : it will redefine the dialog between the Gyeongbokgung and the other side of Samcheongdong-gil, already a major art gallery cluster, but must also benefit the whole area around Anguk Station : Samcheong-dong restaurants to the North, Gahoe-dong alleys to the West, Insadong to the South... Art lovers will spend whole days zapping from early Joseon to late Lee Myung-bak periods by foot or on a bicycle.

Seoul Village 2010

* "New museum accentuates cultural hot spot" (JoongAng Daily 20100209)
** the other finalists : Jeong Ill-kyo, Kim Dong-hoon, Mihn Hyun-jun.

Shinhotan, Beginning of a new Era - a big MOCA cup for Seoul

A "Shinhotan" is a flare to show the way, what we Frogs call "un eclaireur".

"Shinhotan, Beginning of a new Era" is a relevant name for the exhibition preceding the transformation of the former Defense Security Command (Kimusa) into the Seoul MOCA, the Seoul branch of the National Museum Of Contemporary Art, Korea.

Kimusa was closed late last year and recently hosted ASYAAF 2009, confirming the potential of the site for contemporary art. This time, it's fully exploited, including the roof. "Space Transformation Project" bodes the transformation to come, while "Art Museum Project" showcases Korean contemporary artists from Gwacheon collections (in Kimusa's main building), and "Documentary Project" showcases images of this most controversial place in Korean minds. Overall, 300 works by 58 artists.

It's as much an end as a beginning : this is the last opportunity to visit this very intriguing place before it mutates into something completely different.

You have absolutely no excuse : admission is free.

Shinhotan, Beginning of a new Era - National Museum Of Contemporary Art, Seoul / 신호탄 - 국립현대미술관, 서울관 건립예정지
2009.10.22 - 2009.12.06
165 Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel: +82.2.2188.6000
seoul.moca.go.kr
artmu.moca.go.kr

Seoul Village 2009

Botero v. Renoir

A smart way of beating summer heat is to tour Seoul museums, and a charming way to do so is to double it with a walk in Deoksu palace area.

These days, you're likely to come across a lot of colors and plump bodies : the MOCA Annex at Deoksugung features Fernando Botero, and the SeMA Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

There is definitely a pattern for both museums, with a Latino flavor for the former (see last year's "Masters of Latin American Art of the 20th Century"), and an impressionist (yet blockbuster) touch for the latter (Monet, van Gogh... even if the latter reaches beyond impressionism and even expressionism).

If you feel in a darker mood, you can also check that other SeMA exhibition, "Monster era - Dissonant Visions". Warning : unlike the recent neo-pop "Art in Bloom 2009" show, this one could be disturbing for young kids.



Renoir - "Promise of Happiness"
2009.05.28-09.13
Seoul Museum of Art
30, Misulgwan-gil, Seosomun-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, ROK 100-813
Tel +82.2.724.2900
renoirseoul.com

Fernando Botero
2009.06.30-09.17
The Annex of the National Museum of Contemporary Art at Deoksugung
Deoksugung, 5-1 Jeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel +82.2.368.1414
botero.moca.kr

"Monster era - Dissonant Visions"
2009.06.24-08.30
Seoul Museum of Art
Apocalypse of Dystopia : Ahn Chang-hong, Ji Yong-ho (Jaguars), Kim Haesook (Metamorphosis), Lee Han-soo, Park Bul-ddong (3 collage effects including a startling portrait), Shin Hak-cheol, Song Myeong-jin
Forbidden Land : Debbie Han, Han Hyo-seok (portraits and installation recently exposed at Gallery Artside - Zeitgeist exhibition), Jang Ji-ha, Jeon Min-soo, Kim Joon, Kim Nam-pyo, Lee Wan.
Inner Monster : Lee Jae-heon (obviously a Bacon wannabe), Lee Seung-ae, Lim Yeong-jeon, Oh Chi-gyoon, Ryu Seung-hwan, Shim Seung-ook.