Re-reading II, Another Phase — Contemporaneity in Korean Modern Art (2001)
Issue
Korean art of the 1960s–70s has often been interpreted as a result of Western influence or stylistic adoption. Such readings fail to account for the complexity of historical conditions and artistic practices of the time.
Kim Ku-lim, From Phenomenon to Trace, 1970, reenacted 2001 at Hanwon Museum of Art
Lee Kun-Yong, Snail’s Pace, 1979, reenacted 2001 at Hanwon Museum of Art
Key Argument
Rather than passive recipients, Korean artists engaged in layered processes of cultural hybridity, negotiating diverse artistic languages—including Mono-ha, Gutai, Informel, geometric abstraction, and performance—within specific historical conditions.
Method / Curatorial Focus
The project combined archival research, artist and critic interviews, seminars, and exhibitions, structured around three thematic axes:
Sensibility embedded in geometric abstraction
Objects and happenings as historical consciousness
Conceptualization and dematerialization
ST Group Discussion, June 1974,
archival material courtesy of the ST Group
Re-reading Contemporary Korean Art, Seminar, October 13, 2001
Archival Significance
This project represents an early critical attempt to redefine the contemporaneity of Korean art, anticipating later international re-examinations of similar historical periods.