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| Introduction to online exhibition 'The Peaceful warriors in Museum' / Courtesy of BLUE C&S |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
The coronavirus outbreak brought disruption to cultural sites such as museums and theaters. Out of the confinement, the online exhibition "The Peaceful Warriors in Museum" brings together four artists in four different metropolises of the world, all who fight fiercely for recognition in their professional field.
Curator and art historian Cho Eun-jung, who organized the exhibit, said the exhibition is constructed in the time of COVID-19. Defying the isolation of international and local travel bans, Cho invited four artists ― Kim Hong-shik from Seoul, Park Yoo-ah from New York, Shin Mee-kyoung from London and Yun Ai-young from Paris ― to take part in this online exhibition.
"I always go to art museums and galleries because that's my job. However, I was sick in bed with a cold and couldn't leave the house even for hospital, let alone museums," Cho said in a phone interview with The Korea Times. "As I had more time to think about myself and my work, I pondered over how we appreciate art and realized that we need contextualization of artworks. There are many great pieces of art online, but they need to be properly connected to have significance. So I started to organize an online exhibit with artists whom I have known and worked with."
It only took three days from Cho's first message to the artists to open the online exhibition site.
"The process was almost identical to that of a typical art exhibition. I contacted the artists and discussed which artwork to present under the theme. Then we wrote captions and wall texts. The only difference is that we don't need shipping and insurance charges," Cho said.
"This provides a new way of experiencing artworks. Viewers can appreciate art on their computer and mobile phone anytime they want. Typically, an average person spends only about 10 seconds looking at a work at museums. However, they stay longer online, scrutinizing the artwork and reading the captions conscientiously."
The title of the exhibition is inspired by Dan Millman's "Way of the Peaceful Warrior," about a gymnast's journey to find the balance between spirituality and physicality. All four participating are female artists in their 50s with established artistic careers and home lives.
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| Kim Hong-shik's 'Dialogue in Museum' is on view at the online exhibition 'The Peaceful warriors in Museum.' / Courtesy of BLUE C&S |
"I asked the artists to bring out works about living life to the full. Park even premiered her latest 'Ubermensch' series, despite it being a non-traditional online exhibition," Cho said.
Kim, who describes herself as a "flaneur" (urban explorer) of the city, captures visitors to museums and adds layers of meaning onto them. Within a fancy golden frame, Kim caught a variety of people looking at artworks ― ranging from Berthe Morisot's "The Cradle" at Musee d'Orsay in Paris to a Buddhist image at the National Museum of Korea ― and their different ways of appreciating art.
Park's "Ubermensch" series consists of portraits of Korean adoptees around the world. Inspired by Glenn and Julie Morey's documentary "Side by Side," which features 100 interviews of now grown-up Korean adoptees, Park painted their life and history seen through her eyes in traditional portrait style.
Shin of London presents her iconic "Written in Soap: A Plinth Project" and "Toilet Project" in pictures. Shin, best known for her soap sculptures, shows the passage of time as her sculptures wear down due to weather in "Plinth Project" and visitors to bathrooms in "Toilet Project."
The exhibition features Yun's installations "Secret Garden" and "Onde de Lumiere." Though the online platform is not the best way to appreciate the multi-dimensional works, it gives a peek into the Paris-based artist's search for life and energy through light.
Cho knows well of the limitations of the online exhibit, but the exhibition came out of her thoughts to overcome isolation due to COVID-19 spread in this hyper-connected society.
"A digitalized image is very different from an actual artwork. You have to see it in person to fully comprehend it," Cho said. "Online media will play a more important role in experiencing and delivering knowledge in the future. However, the content and value do not change and this exhibition will give observers a chance to think about the importance of art in life."
The exhibition can be visited at https://sixshop.com/bluecs through September.
