A moon jar from the late Joseon Dynasty and "Dark Side of the Moon" by Yee Sookyung create an odd harmony. "Dark Side of the Moon" is made of fragments of black ceramic and pottery produced in Hoeryeong, Hamgyeongbuk-do (North Hamgyeong Province). It contrasts with the white moon jar but their round shapes are similar. The "Beyond and Between" exhibit at Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, in Seoul takes a fresh approach to art through such harmony and contrast. The exhibit is now underway in celebration of the museum's ten-year anniversary.

There are over 230 ancient Korean works of art and modern art pieces from across the world on display at the exhibit, which kicked off on August 19. Visitors will be able to see some 50 artifacts officially registered as "national treasures" or "treasures" including "The Diamond Mountains" (Geumgangjeondo) and "After Rain at Mt. Inwang" (Inwangjesaekdo) by Jeong Seon, a late Joseon painter who went by his pen name of Gyeomjae.

"After Rain at Mt. Inwang" portrays in strong brush touches huge rocks soaked in rain in Inwangsan Mountain while "The Diamond Mountains" is a landscape painting of endless rocky mountains.



The exhibit largely consists of two themes: artifacts from different eras and those produced in the East and the West. In the display of ancient and modern arts pieces at the Museum 1 permanent exhibition section, visitors will be able to see a kind of communion that surpasses the limit of time and space. "White Porcelain Jar" (Baekjacheolhwa Maejukmunho) and "Buncheong Flattened Bottle" (Buncheongsagijohwa Jeoljimun Pyeonbyeong) are also noteworthy.

"Celadon Prunus Vase" from the Goryeo Dynasty is shown with Byron Kim's painting, "Goryeo Green Glaze" in the background. The display highlights the beauty of the bluish green of the celadon. A contemplative abstract painting by Mark Rothko and Alberto Giacometti's sculpture, which has a shape of a person in meditation, also contrast with Buddha statues on display.

In the stairs from an exhibit of ancient artifacts to another with modern arts, there is an installation art by Olafur Eliasson, "Gravity Stairs." Eliasson's works are based on natural phenomena as motifs. The installation art consists of large, round steel rings and mirrors that cover one side of the walls and ceilings, creating a magnificent outer space.




The Museum 2 section has modern arts pieces by both Korean and foreign artists and tries to create communion between the East and the West. On the first floor, visitors can see contrast between Western arts pieces that represent minimalism in 1960s and monochromatic paintings by Korean artists in 1970s. "Blue-Green" by Ellsworth Kelly, "Untitled" by Donald Judd and Kim Whan-ki's painting "Heaven and Earth" are on display.

Choi Jeong-hwa's "Alchemy" consists of small pink, orange, transparent and yellow plastic baskets connected with a rope and hangs from the ceiling. The installation art is made of humble materials but gives a modern aesthetic feeling. Chinese installation artist Ai Weiwei's "Tree" is made of woods from old trees. It is a satirical symbol of a country created artificially and forcefully.

There is a relieved sculpture by Do-ho Suh, "My/Our Country," in the old paintings exhibition hall on the second floor. The piece has a shape of the Korean Peninsula and China shaped with 1.5-centimeter-high people figures made by three-dimensional printers. Suh was reportedly inspired by the painting "Royal Procession Back to Seoul" (Hwaneohaengryeoldo), which describes King Jeongjo's visit during Joseon.


"Artists not only tried to reinterpret outside world but also started focus on expressing their inner world, and this finally led to the birth of modern arts," a Leeum museum official.

The exhibition continues till December 21. Admission costs KRW 10,000 for adults. 6,000 won for children. Opening hours are from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is closed on Mondays. Call at 02-2014-6901 or visit its homepage (www.leeum.org).

By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
jun2@korea.kr