Kim Min's "Jeokyeonmyeong"
By Kim Hyelin
Photos = Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
"Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper," the theme of this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, is being expressed through art.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Oct. 21 said its hosting of exhibitions at Solgeo Art Museum and Wooyang Art Museum in Gyeongju to coincide with the gathering features tradition and modern Korean art.
Both events interpret the themes of the APEC summit through art to show the expansiveness and global resonance of Korean art across eras and genres.
"Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva" by Venerable Songcheon
Solgeo from Oct. 22 through April 26 next year hosts "Scent of Korea in Silla" for a modern reinterpretation of the culture and art of the ancient Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935). The works of Buddhist monk Songcheon, painter Park Dae-seong, and artists Kim Min and Park Seon-min shown at the exhibition show the diverse ways of presenting harmony between tradition and modernity and that of the material and spiritual.
Park Dae-seong explores the relationship between humans and nature as a leader in the globalization of traditional ink painting, while Songcheon seeks the modern formative application of Buddhist painting. Kim uses gold and silver leaf and traditional pigments in his paintings, while Park Seon-min demonstrates the cycle of the environment and art through installations made with discarded glass bottles.
"My Faust: Economics" by Nam June Paik
In the exhibition "Nam June Paik: Humanity in the Circuits," Wooyang, which was reopened in July, through Nov. 30 marks the museum's reopening and the APEC summit. The event shows the artist's signature works from the 1990s to explore the connection between technology, art and humanity.
Restored works by Paik will be displayed for the first time such as "My Faust: Economics" and "My Faust: Eternity."
A ministry official related to policy said, "We hope that these special exhibitions offer a meaningful opportunity to highlight tradition and innovation in Korean art."
On the left is a promotional poster for the exhibition "Scent of Korea in Silla" at Solgeo Art Museum and on the right is one for the exhibition "Humanity in the Circuits" at Wooyang Art Museum.