'Collection, Scenes of an Era' surveys Korean art trends from the 1970s to 2000s

70 works by 60 artists on view, including more than 20 Korea Art Exhibition prize winners and over 10 previously unseen pieces

A view of "Collection, Scenes of an Era" at Arko Art Center. [Provided by Arts Council Korea]
A view of "Collection, Scenes of an Era" at Arko Art Center. [Provided by Arts Council Korea]

Arko Art Center, run by Arts Council Korea, opens its special exhibition "Collection, Scenes of an Era" Friday, running through Dec. 6. The show draws on works acquired since the museum's founding in 1974 to trace the diverse currents of Korean contemporary art from the 1970s through the 2000s.

The museum's collection of roughly 420 works reflects the evolving role of Arts Council Korea over the decades. From its opening through the 1980s, the museum acquired or received as donations 275 works — about 65 percent of the total holdings. During the years when Arts Council Korea hosted and sponsored the Korea Art Exhibition (1982–2006), prize-winning works were donated in large numbers, accounting for roughly 25 percent of the entire collection. From the 2000s onward, as the museum expanded its own curated programming, acquisitions tied to in-house exhibitions became more active.

The exhibition presents 70 works by 60 artists, including Kim Ku-lim, Lee Kun-yong and Sung Neung-kyung. More than 20 Korea Art Exhibition prize-winning works are on view — among them Lee Ki-bong's "Raw — A Place with a White Towel" and Kang Ae-ran's "Life-II" — alongside more than 10 previously unseen pieces, including Park Saeng-gwang's "Joseon Dynasty" and Kim Ku-lim's "Yin-Yang 99-S, 207."

The 1970s section introduces monochrome painting, experimental art, semi-abstract painting and figurative sculpture. Twelve works by 10 artists are on display, including Kwon Young-woo's "Work 78-76," Sung Neung-kyung's "Newspaper: Since June 1, 1974," Choi Young-lim's "Summer Hat" and Min Bok-jin's "Mother and Child."

The 1980s section illuminates minjung art, abstract painting, sculptural experimentation and shifts in Korean-style painting through 26 works by 22 artists — among them Min Joung-ki's "Street of Abundance," Park Seung-gyu's "Diffusion Space," Park Suk-won's "Red-8209," Park Saeng-gwang's "Joseon Dynasty" and Lee Shin-ja's "Work-80."

A view of "Collection, Scenes of an Era" at Arko Art Center. [Provided by Arts Council Korea]
A view of "Collection, Scenes of an Era" at Arko Art Center. [Provided by Arts Council Korea]

The 1990s section both continues the artistic tendencies of the preceding decades and turns a spotlight on experimental work in which boundaries between genres expanded. Sixteen works by 16 artists are featured, including Kim Ku-lim's "Yin-Yang 99-S, 207," Shin Hak-chul's "Modern Korean History 802," Yang Man-ki's "Darwin's Garden" and Yang Ju-hye's "Untitled — Roadside Sculpture Quilt."

The 2000s section examines a period of transition in the museum's operations — marked by rental exhibitions, the end of its Korea Art Exhibition sponsorship and the expansion of self-curated programming. Sixteen works by 15 artists are on view, including Kim Eul's "Drawing Machine," Song Sang-hee's "Blue Hope," Bae Jong-heon's "Farm Tools Designed for a Concrete Farmer," Lim Min-ouk and Frédéric Michon's "Rolling Stock" and Ham Yang-ah's "Venus of Jeju Island."

Arts Council Korea Chairman Lee Beom-heon said Arko Art Center would continue to "share art-historical achievements with the public and, building on that foundation, serve as a dynamic platform that produces new visual-art discourse and opens up new frontiers for the art of the future."


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