Shape of Time: Korean Art after 1989 | Philadelphia Museum of Art
Heinkuhn Oh (b. 1963), Jiwoong, August 26, 2013, from the series Left face, 2006–present. Archival pigment print, 52 13⁄16 × 41 in. Collection of the artist.
Written by Jania Marissa
Photo Edited by Lyz Rider
The dismantling of the soviet union gave a new rebirth for many countries who were held under captivity, launching a welcome time of hope. In South Korea, travel bans and oppressive policies were lifted and a reestablishment of identity began. A new exhibition, Shape of Time: Korean Art after 1989, is a collective show spotlighting artists born out of this time, who were able to feel the effects of this new-found world. Over 28 artists are showcased in their various respective mediums.
Yeondoo Jung (b. 1969), Eulji Theater, 2019. Solvent printing with LED lightbox, 6 ft. 6 11⁄16 in. × 32 ft. 9 11⁄16 in. Collection of the artist.
Yeondoo Jung’s 2019 piece titled “Eulji Theater” panels an entire wall as you walk into the exhibition. This photograph, which shows the Eulji Theater, features a paradox of both the real and the fake, the play and the life acted upon. The photograph looks as though it is a still from a movie, or from a play that is being performed in which the actors are frozen. This photography feels three-dimensional, it feels real, too real so that upon further look, the fake begins to be more apparent.
Installation, Eulji Theater
The size of the piece is scaled large, it's hard not to stare at the work. The more you stare, the more immersive it becomes. This allows the viewer to feel involved in the setting being presented, to interact on a deeper level and without context to the historical background of Korea, of the DMZ, of this theater being captured. One begins to question if this photo is even real? If so, what part is real?
Jung started this piece by documenting his experiences for one year at 13 different observatories on the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) located between North and South Korea, acting as a line separating the two once united countries. This line holds several theaters that Jung visited. The presentation of the Eulji Theater is both spectacle and fact, mimicking the observatory he visited. The heavy presence of the military, the preservation of Korean history while also being a place of tourism, and stories of performance.
Ahn Sekwon (b. 1968), Lights of Weolgok-dong, 2005. Digital C-print, 70 7⁄8 × 90 1⁄2 in. Collection of the artist.
Ahn Sekwon (b. 1968), Disappearing Lights of Weolgok-dong I, 2006. Digital C-print, 70 7⁄8 × 98 7⁄16 in. Collection of the artist.
Ahn Sekwon displayed two large photography prints placed next to each other deeper into the exhibition “Lights of Wolgok-dong” and “Disappearing Lights of Wolgok-dong I”. The two images are of the same city with time between, showing the literal changing of Seoul, South Korea but also representing a symbolic change that goes beyond the physical. Sekwon is also evoking the emotional state of the Korean identity during this time of transition, change and re-inventing.
Installation view of the Left face series, 2006–present, by Heinkuhn Oh (b. 1963). Archival pigment prints, 52 13⁄16 × 41 in. Collection of the artist.
Heinkuhn Oh also has photographs that take up an entire wall within the exhibition, a series of portraits of the Korean peoples with their identity in relation to anxiety. What does it look like to wear anxiety? This is what Oh explores in these portraits. The large scale portraits lined in a row cover an entire white wall, differing compositions of human subjects, men, women, close up, far away. The brightly colored backgrounds of yellows, pinks and blues create a juxtaposition of what the common notion of anxiety means and allows the viewer to focus more on the face of the portrait. Look into the eyes of the faces in the portrait, feel the anxiety and hold it with the subject while viewing.
Overall, Shape of Time holds great conceptual exploration of the Korean identity post 1989. Through the lens of emotion, narrative, experience and historical context both from the past and into the future.
