Geunyoung Hong, Dabal Kim, Hansaem Kim, Heesoo Kwon, Wonwoo Lee, Naomi, Min Shin, Zadie Xa

《Make A Wish》 Installation View, 2024. Photo: Sangtae Kim, Courtesy Seoul Museum of Art.

SeMA, Buk-Seoul Museum of Art (General Director CHOI Eunju) is pleased to present Make A Wish, an exhibition about wishes: those for healing and recovery through wise beings from myths and folktales, as well as those cheerfully chanted for peace and happiness in everyday, resonating with people navigating today’s era of rapid change and lightness. Opened on April 23rd (Tue), this exhibition will run until August 4th (Sun), 2024, on the 2nd floor of Buk-Seoul Museum of Art.

This exhibition, featuring eight artists including Geunyoung Hong, Dabal Kim, Hansaem Kim, Heesoo Kwon, Wonwoo Lee, Naomi, Min Shin, Zadie Xa, is divided into two parts, comprising a total of 45 pieces, including 11 new works.

《Make A Wish》 Installation View, 2024. Photo: Sangtae Kim, Courtesy Seoul Museum of Art.

In contrast to a time when universal values remained steadfast, today’s social landscape is characterized by constant change, anxiety, and isolation. In the first part, the artworks strive to foster communication, reconciliation, and symbiosis, drawing inspiration from entities evocative of ‘ghosts’ from shamanism, mythology, and folklore.

Dabal Kim, Ui Embracing the Moon, 2024, silk, synthetic fibers, metal studs, digital printing on silk, 300×454×370cm, commissioned by Seoul Museum of Art ⓒ Dabal Kim. Courtesy Seoul Museum of Art. Photo: Sangtae Kim

Artist Naomi focuses on vanishing elements, constructing magical spaces that mediate between past and present, humans and gods. Zadie Xa and Heesoo Kwon explore alterity from a feminist perspective, utilizing elements of Korean mythology, folklore, and shamanism to depict transcendent yet wise beings through painting and 3D animation, respectively. Dabal Kim attempts to fuse binary gender identities and blur the boundaries between body and clothing.

Furthermore, in a world dominated by digitalization, where one drifts and floats in ‘unbearable’ lightness, grappling with internal voids, these artworks propose cheerful methods to practice faith in peace and happiness, akin to granting wishes like Genie from the lamp.

Geunyoung Hong, A Collector of Misfortunes, 2019, ceramic, incense, wood, clay, dimensions variable Ⓒ Geunyoung Hong. Courtesy Seoul Museum of Art. Photo: Sangtae Kim

Geunyoung Hong demonstrates an alchemy of transforming viewers’ misfortunes into lucky charms by collecting them in the form of clay sculptures. Min Shin creates a giant figurine where viewers can attach their wishes, prompting introspection into their own and each other’s inner selves. Wonwoo Lee stages a sculpture reminiscent of Greco-Roman times offering cotton candy, suggesting that a kind attitude towards others can bring happiness to oneself as well. Hansaem Kim juxtaposes images resembling RPG video games or religious iconography from the Book of Revelation to explore the fantasy of a hero’s redemption in reality.

Accompanying the exhibition are public programs for children and teenagers conducted in collaboration with participating artists. In May, there will be a program with artist Naomi to visualize the essence of faith and produce it into short-form content. In June, there will be elementary school programs conducted by artist Min Shin. Additionally, activity booklets for youth groups visiting the museum will be created and distributed online.

Hansaem Kim, The First Beast, The Red Dragon, The Pale Rider, The Black Rider, The Red Rider, The White Rider, 2024, gold leaf, digital print, resin, acrylic paint, engineered wood, 135×98.5×5cm (6 pieces), commissioned by Seoul Museum of Art ⓒ Hansaem Kim. Courtesy Seoul Museum of Art. Photo: Sangtae Kim

In this exhibition, the stories initiated by the artists will reverberate with each viewer, creating their own narratives, aspirations, and prayers, echoing like ripples.”

Buk-Seoul Museum of Art (2F Gallery and Project Gallery)
1238, Dongil-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, republic of Korea
02-2124-5201

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