[Herald Interview] Korean artwork historical past on view at Venice

Lim Keun-hye, director of Arko Artwork Middle, poses for a photograph at “Each Island is a Mountain” at Palazzo Malta-Ordine di Malta in Venice, Italy. (Arts Council of Korea)

Marking the thirtieth anniversary of the Korean Pavilion on the Venice Biennale, the historical past of the pavilion is being offered at Palazzo Malta-Ordine di Malta, a couple of minutes stroll from the Giardini Backyard, one of many principal venues of the Venice Biennale.

Entitled “Each Island is a Mountain,” the exhibition at Palazzo Malta-Ordine di Malta brings collectively 36 artists who’ve participated within the prestigious biennale over the past three many years, in addition to archival materials on the Korean Pavilion.

“The exhibition goals to indicate the 30-year historical past of Korean artwork on the Venice Biennale,” Lim Keun-hye, director of Arko Artwork Middle, who curated the exhibition, stated on Aug. 1 in Seoul. “Similar to islands are interconnected beneath the ocean by way of underwater terrain, the theme means that particular person lives and artwork are intrinsically linked to historic and social contexts.”

Set up view of “Each Island is a Mountain” (Arts Council of Korea)

Arko Artwork Middle has been answerable for the Korean Pavilion since 2023 after the commissioner of the Korean Pavilion, the Arts Council of Korea, transferred the duty to the affiliated museum in an effort to safe experience in working the pavilion. The Venice Biennale takes place yearly, interchanging themes of artwork and structure.

“I believed we’ve got to grasp how the Korean Pavilion has been working and displaying works for the three many years, and that’s the place to begin for shifting ahead for the approaching many years,” stated Lim, who was inaugurated because the director of Arko Artwork Middle in 2020.

The exhibition unfolds throughout the Palazzo’s intimately clustered chambers, tranquil courtyards and outside gardens. It’s identified for its long-standing custom of hospitality and inclusiveness, deeply rooted in a medieval historical past of providing solace and therapeutic to pilgrims and knights.

The corridor-flanked exhibition rooms are like “islands,” making a nuanced topography akin to submerged mountain ranges, guiding guests by way of the works of 36 artists, together with Jung Yeon-doo, Suh Do-ho, Bae Younger-whan, Moon Sung-sic and Kang Ik-Joong.

Set up view of “Information From Nowhere: Eclipse” by Moon Kyung-won & Jeon Joon-ho at “Each Island is a Mountain” (Park Yuna/The Korea Herald)

“The location is so distinctive that it dominates the exhibition. The monastery constructing has been in existence for the reason that thirteenth century going by way of the Crusades, functioning as a spot to deal with wounded folks,” Lim stated.

The exhibition begins with archival supplies that present how the Korean Pavilion was made potential in 1995 after Korean-born video artwork pioneer Paik Nam-june received the Golden Lion for Greatest Nationwide Pavilion in 1993 as an artist featured on the German Pavilion. It’s extensively identified that Paik performed a pivotal function in founding the Korean Pavilion.

“Having no Korean Pavilion was certainly a disgrace, but possessing one now doesn’t justify extreme pleasure. … Boasting about it, just like the Olympics, would solely invite worldwide ridicule. Sports activities and artwork are totally different; whereas profitable is paramount in sports activities, in artwork, the essence lies not in who is healthier — however in how they differ,” a quote attributed to Paik from the January 1995 challenge of the Wolgan Misul journal reads on a wall on the exhibition. Paik died in 2006.

Set up view of “Each Island is a Mountain” (Arts Council of Korea)

Paik’s philosophy of artwork impressed Lim when she considered the theme for “Each Island is a Mountain,” intertwining artwork into ecological concepts.

“What would he have instructed 30 years after the pavilion was based? He most likely not solely transcended the East and West, however expanded his concepts of mixing artwork and expertise to the ecological realm,” Lim stated.

On the subject of the that means of the Venice Biennale, Lim stated whereas the “centripetal power” has weakened in comparison with many years in the past as worldwide artwork occasions have begun to develop world wide, the Venice Biennale continues to be highly effective for delivering the discourse within the international artwork scene.

“Venice Biennale has contributed to increasing the artwork discourse to incorporate different areas akin to Asia, South America and Africa, at a time when such discourse was targeted on Western Europe,” she stated. “I believe it would proceed to develop its presence together with different biennales,” she stated.

“Each Island is a Mountain” runs by way of Sept. 8.