MMCA Goyang “De-position” Open Studio (+Ex-AIR Exhibition)

Seoul, November 13 – 15, 2015, MMCA Goyang

Artists: Kang Minsoo 강민수, Kwon Ahram 권아람, Kim Ga-ram 김가람, Kim Kyung Ho 김경호, Kim Dong-hee 김동희, Kim Moo-Young 김무영, Noh Gi-Hun 노기훈, Park Seung-Won 박승원, Park Jong-Ho 박종호, Bac Ho Un 박호은, Baek Heaven 백현주, Seo Hae-Young 서해영, Ahn Jinkyun 안진균, Andre Maeno 앙드레 마에노, Yoon Hyangro 윤향로, Yim Ju-Youn 임주연, Jung Ji-Hyun 정지현, Choi Soojung 최수정, Christina Maya Leon 크리스티나 마야 레옹

A big open studio event that the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Studios in Goyang, north of Seoul. There have been two approaches to open studios: Many artists decided to create a specific mini-exhibition in their studio, while some artists decided to indeed open their studio doors and show more of a work in progress type of exhibit. In addition to the open studios, there has also been an exhibition of works that Korean artists-in-residence created during their exchange residencies in other countries.

Most of the works were really good, but if I have to choose my favorite it would be Choi Soojung 최수정, a painter working with the idea of Buddhist hell, relating it to pop culture elements. Both the paintings were engaging, as was the installation in the studio that engaged the visitors.

Bac Ho Un 박호은, Kim Kyoung Ho 김경호 and Kang Minsoo 강민수 all presented work which all in one way or another commented on past or present issues in Korean society, which made the work  stand a bit out to me. There actually was a number of other artists that addressed contemporary social issues, but their references remained not clear enough for me as a foreigner to understand.

I also had one least favorite artist, Noh Gi-Hun 노기훈 who presented a trully pathetic assemblage of Chairman Mao posters and souvenirs from his travels in China on one side of the studio, and on the other side of the studio an even more pathetic video of himself cutting his wrist and splattering the blood onto a badly painted portrait of a young girl’s face (maybe his ex who dumped him?).

Here is a few more shots from the event: