Press Release

The Columns Gallery is pleased to present ’Fold & Unfold’, its first solo exhibition of the works by Korean contemporary artist Jeon Byeong Sam. The exhibition - titled based on David Bohm’s quantum theory - features four series of framed mixed-media, diptych prints, a video and some NFT pieces, exploring the intertwined relationship of sculpture, print and image-making.

Many half-folded photographic prints, stacked and layered in various uniformed arrangements, serves as the primary construction for the serial works of Moment, Cosmo, Wave, and Blossom. Jeon reduces the formal qualities of an image to a mere thin line of ink exposed through its straight edge, similar to a single row of stuck pixels on a glitched screen. In Unfold, a pair of square prints feature a central glowing light flare made out of texts extracted from books. Words are resized, arrowed and highlighted to appear as tiny bursting rays of yellow lines against a starkly contrasted background - bright and gleaming ethereally.These unconventional manipulation and qualities are also present in his NFT works and Lost, a framed video display of moving vibrant elongated stripes derived from a warped image of a tower bridge in London. Played in a loop, the lines constantly vibrate, emerge and disappear in various linear configurations to capture the hypnotic experience of walking across one.

Through Jeon’s deconstructive approach, all representational subject and the original context of the print, image or text becomes rendered insignificant, distorted and repeated to create a unique spread and echo of gradient blurs and colours. Visually, they are a materialisation of freedom - calming waves, blooming flower forms and inviting wormhole-like portals to other worlds which serves as an immersive space for one’s introspection on life. Transforming the materiality of media, the inventive and playful works in ’Fold & Unfold’ creates a dynamic installation that fully immerses the viewer in a sensorial experience, poetically tackling themes of entrapment and freedom in the daily lives of individuals.

We will also be featuring 5 NFT (Non-Fungible Token) works from Jeon Byeong Sam. A QR code can be scanned to the view the artwork in motion as a mesmerising looped video.

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About the Artist

Jeon Beong Sam is a South Korean artist who works primarily with everyday objects and images.

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Also Exhibiting at The Columns Gallery

About the Gallery
Originally established in New York, The Columns Gallery came to bear its current name in 2005 after its operations moved to Seoul. Over the last 26 years, The Columns has cemented its reputation as one of the most powerful contemporary art galleries in Asia. Its overarching vision lies in bridging connections between emerging and established Korean artists and the global market by increasing their presence on the international art fair and biennial circuit. Since the addition of a new space in Singapore in 2019, The Columns has expanded its mission to include the promotion of Southeast Asian artists to a broader public. With far-reaching roots in Korea and Singapore, The Columns Gallery is perfectly positioned to seamlessly navigate the global market, as well as to tap the limitless potential for cross-cultural exchange between East and Southeast Asia.
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22 Lock Road #01-35
Gillman Barracks
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Singapore
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Sunday
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Singapore 22 Lock Road #01-35, Gillman Barracks
The Columns Gallery
22 Lock Road #01-35, Gillman Barracks, Singapore, Singapore

Opening hours
Tuesday – Saturday
11am – 7pm

Sunday
12pm – 6pm

Closed on Mondays and Public Holidays
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