#4 Contemplation on Art
We spot the fervent state of Korean Contemporary Art in the summer of 2014.
Korea Artist Prize, co-sponsored by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA, Korea) and SBS Foundation, is in its 3rd year. Through the works of the 4 nominees, who attract the most attention today, we will be able to determine our current events into in-depth contemporary art. The works of the 4 nominees are especially characterized by appraisal and controversy as popular but problematic artists. Their genres vary from installation, photography to performance. SBS documentary presents the vivid scenes of heated competition of these four heated artists. SBS Artmentary, Contemplation on Art is an omnibus documentary featuring 4 nominees of 2014 Korea Artist Prize. Singer Chang Kiha who holds great interest in arts and culture, concentrates on the thoughts of 4 nominated artists, while takes part in the narration for documentary.
Chang Jia, an alchemist of agony and taboo
The documentary begins from a gallery in New York. With Bricks made with cow’s blood, an eccentric installation that transformed Chinese 19th century surgical instruments into torturing tool, photographs of naked women urinating in a standing position, the exhibit even shocked the New Yorkers who were already accustomed to the most sensational contemporary art. The artist of this exhibition is Chang Jia. Her name was often followed by the labels like ‘feminist’ or ‘warrior.’ However, she works on the subjects that people tend to avoid because she is an artist with innate ability to challenge taboos. In this documentary, we visit New York, the sacred land of contemporary art to meet Chang who believes in the ‘artistic mission’ to constantly stir the ‘stage of art.’
It is impressive to see the viewers wearing safety helmets. Koo Donghee’s work is a structural installation titled, way of replay that occupies enormous space, almost reaching the ceiling. Viewers are to ‘explore’ the interior of the structure with safety helmet on. Koo has chosen ‘ordinary object or event’ as materials for her work. However, the result is neither plain nor ordinary. In this way of replay, ordinary objects such as baduk table (game of go), wine glass, jelly, scraps of grapefruit stems are displayed without order. It is the ‘fun riddle’ Koo throws to the viewers. We could seek the answer in this documentary.
Kim Shinil, absolute mind observer
It starts with short, yet unique performance. A man with a mask shows up at the exhibit playing mid-century European instrument. The man wearing a mask is actually Ha Rim, a singer who prepared this performance after being inspired by Kim’s works. Ha was inspired by an installation structure made up of three words: <Mind, Belief, Ism>. Kim explains that he intended this to let viewers to ‘stare,’ not ‘read.’ Kim explains that people are too accustomed to this world and thereby become passive, unable to properly observe god’s mind. We meet Kim, the truth seeker, who stares into the mind beyond inertia and force of habit.
Noh Suntag, photographer of mal-functioning reality
Noh has been ‘recording’ the controversial scenes of politics and society with his camera; and how the division of Korean peninsula is closely related to our lives and distorted our lives and society. Taken in a long and deliberate speed, Noh’s photo documentaries are endlessly talking to us. “What I did for the last 10 years is only to grab images into my rag basket of a camera” said Noh. We accompanied Noh to Yeon Pyeong Do where he had taken photos for the past two years for a project, In search of lost thermos.
