Show Me Your Hair at space*c

 

Not long time ago I watched the movie "Fur: An imaginary portrait of Diane Arbus". Just curious if curators of this exhibition were inspired by it too.

As you can guess, this time an exhibition at space*c is filled with works of various artists, connected with the theme of hair. Organizator says that "hair has a wide range of cultural meanings", it can show "gender, race, nationality and class, status and power" of a person, but it's also a mystical part of our body, which is "inside and outside the skin, growing but dead, material but spiritual."

Segyung Lee works with ceramics, imitating historical patterns on the surface of porcelain with sticking hairs instead brush strokes. Herlinde Koelbi studies theme of human's "fur" by photography, on the exhibition you can see her series which was made for 6 years. Chrystl Rijkenboer revived story of "The Little Red Riding Hood" in some creepy way. There is also a video record of Regina Jose Galindo's performance at Venice Biennale 2005, when she shaved whole her body and was walking through Venice srteets. Totally 15 Korean and foreigner artists take part on this exhibition.

Actually I get really wierd feelings there. Indeed, isn't a hair that sort of themes which is not forbidden but just uncomfortable to talk about? There's something in it that make us feel more wild, more like an animal, something from unconscious field of our mentality.

Directions: Apgujeong st., line 3, exit 3. Walk to the Apgujeong direction for 5 min. and turn to the right.

Entrance fee: 3,000 won

Thru November, 30

www.spacec.co.kr

Fall Exhibitions at Ewha Women's University Museum

I think it's time to write about the museum where I work as a docent. It's Ewha Women's University Museum, one of the oldest in Seoul, which has been established at 1930. This days it owns a huge collection of ceramics, crafts and modern art pieces, including also some national trasures.

This fall Museum holds 4 new exhibitions. Permanent exposition which is situated on the 1st floor has been rearranged under the theme "Clay and Color: Colors of Korean Ceramics Rediscovered", showing the old history of Korea and Korean ceramics through the changing of they colors.

On the 2nd floor you can watch the "Technology Meets Tradition" and "The Promise of 100 years" exhibitions. The main theme of the first one is how Korean contemporary artists see the national art tradition, and how they can make it revive in their works with support of modern technologies. Another one reflects Korean and Japanese traditional wedding culture and includes historical recils such as wedding dresses, accessories, ornaments, engagement letters etc.

The "Flying Bats: Symbol of Hope" exhibition at the underground floor which was constructed on the base of donations is about the symbolycal meaning of a bat in the late Joseon Dynasty.

Ewha Museum is not that big, but things you can see there is really interesting. Unfortunally this Museum seems not really popular between foreign visitors, so I would like to invite everybody :) Feel free to ask any questions.

Directions: Ewha Women University st., line 2, exit 2. Walk to the University. Museum is to the left from the main gates.

Entrance fee: free

Thru the end of January

www.museum.ewha.ac.kr

Gwangju Design Biennale’11

(published at NEH Magazine, October) 

The 4^th Design Biennale is going on now in Gwangju, South Cheolla Province. This small city with long and sorrow history was not a popular tourist attraction in the past, but recently it became a part of the world art process and attracted attention from the art society. Currently, Gwangju Biennale is one of the most well-known art events in the world and the most prestigious biennial of contemporary art in Asia, and while we have the chance, we shouldn’t lose this opportunity.

An announce on UUL - National Museum of Art, Seoul

Last Sunday in the areas near Samcheon-dong you could watch some curious performance. Young guys was putting off their shirts in inside the box with letters "UUL" on the surface. It seems that an advertising campaign for the new National Museum of Art has been started.

Exhibitions of October

Gwangju Design Biennale
Gwangju Biennale Hall, Gwangju Museum of Art, Gwangju Folk Museum
Thru October, 23
http://www.gb.or.kr/?mid=main_eng

The Court Painters of Joseon Dynasty
Leeum Samsung Museum of Art
October, 13 - January, 29
www.leeum.org

Agony and Ecstasy. Selected works from Francois Pinault Collection
Song Eun Art Space
Thru November, 19
www.songeunartspace.com

Show Me Your Hair
Coreana Museum of Art, space*c
October, 6 - November, 30
www.spacec.co.kr

Anthony Caro
Kukje Gallery
Thru October, 30
www.kukjegallery.com

The Placeholders. Tim Eitel Solo Exhibition
Hakgojae Gallery
Thru October, 23
www.hakgojae.com

Sculptors' Drawing
Seoul Olympic Museum of Art (SOMA)
Thru November, 20
www.somamuseum.org

Nam Jun Paik. Beyond the Time
Lotte Gallery, Bucheon
Thru October, 20