In/visible: Things to be Discussed
Wednesday, May 24 ~ Thursday, July 13, 2017
Gallery Korea at Korean Cultural Center NY
(460 Park Ave. 6th Floor, New York, NY)
Opening Reception: Wednesday, May 24 at 6-8pm
Gallery Korea of the Korean Cultural Center New York is pleased to present In/visible: Things to be Discussed, on view from May 24th to July 13th, 2017. The opening reception will be held on Wednesday, May 24th from 6 PM to 8 PM.
This group exhibition is curated by ‘haewooso,’ a group of three young curators based in Seoul and New York: Edie Yonwoo Kim, Hae Lin Park, and So-Ok Park, and has been selected as a winner of the ‘Call for Artists 2017’ at KCCNY.
Today, the contemporary world we live in overflows with information, images, and issues. People have grown increasingly accustomed with making judgments from what they see on the surface. In this societal context, In/visible: Things to be Discussed sheds light on the works of six artists to explore the hidden ideologies behind the scenes of everyday life that may seem mundane. By doing so, the exhibition encourages the audience to perceive things that have been unconfronted, things that people may have missed out in their lives.
The exhibition brings together six emerging artists; Byeong Gi Baek, Caiti Borruso, Daniel Goldfarb, Hyejin Jo, Alex Strada, and Seok-Il You with their captivating contemporary pieces working across painting, photography, installation and video. From different cultural backgrounds, the artists show distinctive approaches by exploring their own interests, concerns, experiences, and societal backgrounds.
Byeong Gi Baek’s installation reflects a recent tragedy in Korea through the image of a whale. The whale is one of the most friendly mammals due to their similarities with humans, but is shown as being dead in his work; Caiti Borruso uses photographs to mirror the psychological distance in her relationship with her hometown as well as her personal trauma behind the familiar scenes; Daniel Goldfarb’s video evokes the concept of excluded beings in our society through a character named BLOCH; Hyejin Jo’s installation takes an issue with the ironic nature of tropical plants that are now prevalent in Korean society where the climate is not ideal for such plant life. Her work thus reveals the contradictory relationship of the sociocultural conventions and the foreign, and alien plants; Alex Strada’s photographs of miniatures of world-famous landmarks reveal the hidden power relationships in the history of the world; Seok-Il You examines the unique nature of youth communities by observing the behaviors of young Koreans during a period of policy change in the society.
In/visible: Things to be Discussed is not about some grand conspiracy or serious fraud - it is an exhibition about the ordinary, the very society we live in, rather than something that is bizarre or exceptional. Therefore, the works feel all the more real and even personal.
Observing and appreciating these works and taking time to understand the social phenomena through them is a humble, yet critical first step in changing our world view and hopefully, how we then affect the world. This exhibition provides an opportunity for fresh perspectives, opening our eyes to the overlooked and observing the “invisibles” from the “visibles,” thus to set the stage for what needs to be discussed.
About the Artists
Byeong Gi Baek (b. 1981, South Korea) lives and works in Korea. He received his BFA and MFA in Sculpture from Dongguk University, Seoul. His sculptural works have been featured in a number of group exhibitions, including “FURTHER INTO THE ARCTIC” at the Korea National Maritime Museum (2016), “Korean Hero” at the government complex-Seoul (2016), and “Land of Bless” at Yangpyeong Art Museum (2015). He has also held two solo exhibitions, “every fells that way” at the Oh!zemidong Gallery (2015) and “Sleep of whales: The Continuing Thought” at KOSA Space (2013). Baek achieved the New Artist’s Award from Korean Sculptor’s Association in 2013.
Caiti Borruso (b. 1993, United States) who lives and works in Brooklyn captures the afterimage of different incidents via photography. She earned her BFA in Photography from Pratt Institute with highest honors in 2016. Her powerful and poetic works were presented in various locations in the United States; Pratt Photography Gallery, Pratt Manhattan Gallery, President’s Gallery, Aviary Gallery, and Asbury Park as well as numerous online galleries.
Alex Strada (b. 1988, United States) is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice involves video, photography, performance, and writing. Her research-based projects center on the intersection of history, politics, representation, and language. She received a MFA in Visual Art from Columbia University in 2016 and a BA in Art History and Studio Art from Bates College in 2010. Strada’s work has been shown internationally, including exhibitions at the Fisher Landau Center for Art, New York; Jewish Museum, New York; National Museum of Iceland, Reykjavik; and the Centro Fotográfico Álvarez Bravo, Oaxaca, Mexico. Strada has participated in a number of artist residency programs including the Art and Law Program in New York; the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vermont; and Takt Kunstprojektraum in Berlin. She is currently participating in the Socrates Sculpture Park Emerging Artist Fellowship.
Daniel Goldfarb (b. 1985, Israel) graduated from Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Israel with distinction in 2012 and he is currently working as a freelance illustrator based in Tel-Aviv. Working mostly in the commercial field, his works have been published in numerous major newspapers and magazines in Israel such as Calcalist, Liberal, 7 Yammim, Mammon and Haaretz. His illustrations was used as the main image of Da’ag Ha’azahav Contest 2015, included in B. Golan Law Firm’s homepage, and now, he is the cover artist for Liberal Magazine. He is currently represented by Richard Solomon Artists Rep in New York.
Hyejin Jo (b. 1986, South Korea) is a Seoul-based artist who earned her BFA and MFA in Sculpture from Ewha Womans University, Korea. Her research-based works include drawings, photography, installation, and writing. Major institutions in Korea have continuously presented Jo’s works in solo exhibitions since 2012 such as the Ujung Art Center, Seoul Art Space Seogyo, Cake Gallery, and Art Space Hue. Her works have been presented in many group shows including exhibitions at Arko Art Center, Seoul; Meymac Art Center, France; National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul; Amado Art Space, Seoul; and Heritage Space, Vietnam. In recognition of the excellence of her works, she has received the New Artist Trend Award from the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture in 2012.
Seok-Il You (b. 1984, South Korea) who lives and works in Korea received his Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Hongik University in Seoul, Korea. His paintings have been presented in group exhibitions including “YouYou” at Chung-Ang University (2010), “Rejuvenation” at Hongik University Museum of Art (2011), and “Class of 2011,” Gallery Hyundai (2011).
About the Curators
Edie Yonwoo Kim received a Master’s degree in Visual Arts Administration from New York University (2015) and received a Bachelor’s degree in Art Studies from Hongik University in Seoul, Korea (2011). She has held various positions in art institutions including curatorial, public programming, special events, and PR in New York. Her previous experiences, ranging from commercial galleries to nonprofit art institutions, includes Gladstone Gallery, Tina Kim Gallery, Judd Foundation, and the Museum of Modern Art. Kim is currently working as an exhibition coordinator at the Curatorial Division of SeMA, Buk-Seoul Museum of Art.
Hae Lin Park is an artist, independent curator, and currently an art museum education researcher at Hyundai Museum of Kids’ Books & Art, Korea. She received a MFA in Visual Arts Administration from New York University (2015) and a BFA in Studio Art from the School of Visual Arts (2012). She is eager to find, create, develop, and share various art through different methods of creative exposures with the core mission of education. Park has experience in art making, curating, art museum education/public programming, and more from her independent work, and experience at institutions such as the Drawing Center, Queens Museum, Bronx Museum of the Arts, Museum of Art and Design, and Tina Kim Gallery.
Before entering into the museum field, So-Ok Park has worked in the education sector at various institutions in Korea. Her experience has expanded her interest to museums where education is open to the public in a multi-dimensional way. In 2016, Park has received her Master’s in Museum Studies at New York University, writing her thesis about elitism and populism in art museum exhibitions. Her past and current experiences both in Korea and New York includes positions at the Independence Hall of Korea, Korea; Daejeon Museum of Art, Korea; Geumgang Center for Buddhist Studies, Korea; Korean Cultural Center New York, New York; and AHL Foundation, New York. She is currently interested in working with emerging artists and understanding how contemporary art exhibitions can enhance audience experience.