Seoul is filled with art galleries, museums, and exhibitions all year round that anybody can go to! Insadong, for example, has free galleries everywhere and you can enjoy a variety of different art styles. The major tourist spots also usually have museums that are free and available to foreigners to enjoy the variety of historical and cultural experiences.
This time, I went to a the Galleria Foret, at The Page Gallery, which held a special exhibition called “No More Art”. Luckily, a friend of mine received free tickets to the exhibition that allowed us to enjoy this exhibition free of charge. The title does not mean that there should be no more art, but that the entitled and elite nature of art should not exist and be no more.
The exhibition was divided into two: the past and the present. The “past” exhibition consisted of Lee JongSup, Park SooGeun, Goo BonWoong, Lee InSung, and Na HyeSuk, who are Korean artists from the 1910 to 1960.
The special thing about this exhibition was that it was set up so that there were props and displays that replicated the old Korean shops and items. They had a replica of a train, automobile repair shop, convenience store, coffee shop, restaurant, and a picture shop. This following picture shows an old shop filled with authentic old items from before the 1960’s, including toys, snacks, books, and much more.
“Eunha’s Photo Shop” shows the simplicity of an old photography studio, with a painted background and one camera.
Eunha’s Photo Shop
Old movie posters plaster the walls of the replica of an old coffee shop.
Old Movie Posters
Then the introduction of the television marks the transition to the “present” artists. These televisions show real footage from the time period that was aired.
Introduction of Televisions
The modern artists featured were Nam June Park, Sam Francis, Damien Hirst, Richard Pettibone, Xu Bing, Peter Zumthor, Jung Man Kim.
Sadly, this exhibition only ran from July 3rd to September 28th in 2014, so won’t be available for many. However, with just a little searching, one can find hundreds, if not thousands, of museums to visit.
Also, this exhibition was near the Seoul Forest. The weather was absolutely perfect for strolling, which my friends and I did after we finished enjoying the gallery.
So make sure while you’re here to take full advantage of all of the wonderful museums, galleries, and exhibitions here in Seoul!
By Wonmi from the U.S.A.
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