Ocula Conversation Bani Abidi: ‘What you see in my films is what I know’ A group of voices accompanies me in the exhibition. They are singing words I cannot comprehend, yet the warm tunes are familiar: folk songs, love songs, songs of longing. There are letters, too. They speak of the quotidian details of a soldier's life: the hardness of the war, sending money to the family, and longing for familiar landscapes, food,...
Ocula Report Aichi to Okayama: Art in Japan Looks to the Future 11 Oct 2019 : Stephanie Bailey for Ocula There has been a flurry of triennial and biennial art activity in Japan this year. The Aichi Triennale opened in Nagoya this August, sparking a national debate about the shutting down of a display of formerly censored works—the result of public backlash against a burnt image of Emperor Hirohito and a statue commemorating the women forced into...
Ocula Insight | Video Hans Hartung and Art Informel at Mazzoleni London (1 October 2019-18 January 2020) presents key works by the French-German painter while highlighting his connection with artists active in Paris during the 50s and 60s. In this video, writer and historian Alan Montgomery discusses Hartung's practice and its legacy.Born in Leipzig in 1904, Hans...
Kukje Gallery has been a pivotal cultural hub in Seoul, Korea since its inception in 1982. Kukje Gallery is located in the heart of Samcheong-dong, a historically and culturally significant district. The gallery boasts three unique buildings, each titled according to its age: K1, K2, and K3. K2 opened in 2007 to celebrate the gallery’s 25th anniversary, and K3 opened in 2012 to commemorate its 30th anniversary.
Committed to showcasing both international and Korean artists, Kukje is widely celebrated for its diverse and ambitious programming. Specializing in modern and contemporary art, Kukje is often the first venue in Korea to present prominent artists, and major exhibitions have been staged to introduce leading international artists such as Anthony Caro, Anselm Kiefer, Alexander Calder, Louise Bourgeois, Donald Judd, Anish Kapoor, Bill Viola, Roni Horn, Candida Höfer, Julian Opie, Paul McCarthy, Jenny Holzer, Eva Hesse and Jean-Michel Othoniel.
In conjunction with its focus on international artists, Kukje is committed to promoting Korean artists abroad, introducing artists such as Haegue Yang, Kimsooja, Gimhongsok, Kyungah Ham, Yeondoo Jung, Sora Kim and Jae-Eun Choi at major art fairs around the world. Just as importantly, Kukje has made a strong commitment to post-war Korean artists including Ha Chong-Hyun, Lee Ufan, Chung Chang-Sup, Kwon Young-Woo, Park Seo-Bo, and Chung Sang-Hwa. In particular, Kukje has played a critical role in introducing Korean artists to important collectors, museums and cultural venues around the world, and many Korean artists supported by Kukje Gallery have exhibited in international biennials and major museum exhibitions.
These projects along with the gallery’s ambitious and scholarly exhibition catalogues and ongoing lecture series are what make Kukje a significant contributor in shaping Korea’s cultural landscape. Building on its unmatched reputation, Kukje continues to play a key role in developing the domestic art market as well as providing an important venue for introducing international trends.
Ocula Photolog Frieze London 2019 3 October 2019 'Frieze London brings together more than 160 galleries from 36 countries, representing the fair's most international edition since its launch. Introducing new curators and sections showcasing performance, emerging artists and the contemporary significance of complex art genealogies and colonial legacies, Frieze London creates an exceptional moment...
Ocula Report Art Jakarta Lowdown: Art Shows to See 27 Aug 2019 : Aisha Johan for Ocula Between 30 August and 1 September 2019, the 11th edition of Art Jakarta will take place at its new home at the Jakarta Convention Center following its rebranding, with collector Tom Tandio as director, and Enin Supriyanto as artistic director.At the fair, viewers can encounter large-scale exhibitions as part of the 'Spot' sector, including...
Ocula Report Taipei Dangdai: Art Fair as Ecosystem 25 Jan 2019 : Stephanie Bailey for Ocula There was a great connection between the first edition of Taipei Dangdai (18–20 January 2019), staged on the 4th floor of the Nangang Exhibition Center, and the 11th Taipei Biennial, Post Nature—A Museum as an Ecosystem (17 November 2018–10 March 2019). Installed at the fair's entrance was John Yuyi's live tree, I Tree to Call You (2018),...
Ocula Photolog Art Basel in Miami Beach 2018 6 December 2018 'This year, over 200 of the world's leading international Modern and contemporary art galleries display artworks by over 4,000 artists, including paintings, sculptures, installations, photography, film, video, and digital art.' –Art Basel in Miami Beach (6–9 December 2018).
Related Press Kimsooja in conversation Art Gallery NSW : 24 September 2019 In the new exhibition Here we are at the Art Gallery of NSW, some of the most compelling women artists at work today consider the connections we create with others and how these connections resonate outwards through our lives.In the 2009 video A needle woman by Kimsooja, from the Gallery's collection, the figure of the artist, seen from behind,...
Related Press Superflex turns financial crisis into art Korea Times : 17 September 2019 BUSAN ― Danish artist group Superflex interprets the symbolism of power and capital at the heart of the 2008 global financial crisis in "In our dreams we have a plan" at Kukje Gallery Busan.The title of the exhibit is borrowed from the lyrics of ABBA's hit song Money Money Money, but changed "my" to "our," suggesting...
Related Press Haegue Yang embarks on a surreal multi-sensory space odyssey in Seoul Wallpaper* : 12 September 2019 They say art is abstract. But wait until they see the works of Haegue Yang. Even this broad term doesn't fully encapsulate the creations of the Korean artist, who is taking abstractionism to a whole new level.
Related Press When the Arts Resist Imperialism Hyperallergic : 7 September 2019 A resplendent display of 272 fuchsia-colored paper lotus lanterns adorns the light-filled oculus on The Rubin Museum of Art's top floor. The sweeping circular installation, Lotus: Zone of Zero (2019) by Kimsooja, is among the more striking of the works by 10 international artists selected by guest curator Sara Raza for the exhibition Clapping with...
Related Video & Audio Bill Viola Cameras are Soul Keepers Louisiana Channel : 14 December 2017 When video artist Bill Viola was 6 years old he fell into a lake, all the way to the bottom, to a place which seemed like paradise. 'There's more than just the surface of life.' Viola explains. 'The real things are under the surface'.
Related Video & Audio Park Chan-kyong: '안녕 安寧 Farewell' Installation Video Kukje Gallery : 26 June 2017 Park's work explores the changing roles of artists in the contemporary world. His work frames modern and contemporary Korean history, engaging complex socio-political subjects including the Cold War, the conflict between the two Koreas, folk religion, and the (re)construction of history. His multi-media works contemplate Korean society, grappling...
Related Video & Audio Teaser Trailer | Park Chan-kyong: '安寧 Farewell' Vimeo : 11 May 2017 Park Chan-kyong first became known as an art critic in the 1990s. His first major exhibition as a visual artist was in 1997 at the Kumho Museum of Art titled Black Box: Memory of the Cold War Images. Park's practice is celebrated for its multidisciplinary approach and he has garnered praise for transcending genres as a media artist, film director,...
Related Video & Audio Zoe Chun, Kukje Gallery on Deductive Object at Art Basel Hong Kong CoBo : 27 March 2017 CoBo speaks to Zoe Chun, Communication Director of Kukje Gallery – CoBo Challenge at Art Basel Hong Kong 2017.
