Perrotin Paris Hosts 13 Paintings and Two Sculptures in Solo Presentation

Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin

The current exhibition at Perrotin Paris features the works of acclaimed Korean sculptor Shim Moon-Seup, recognized as a pioneering figure in modern Korean sculpture. Born in 1943 in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, Shim emerged in the postwar art scene with anti-academic experimentations challenging traditional sculptural norms. 

▲ Installation view of Shim Moon-Seup’s solo exhibition at Perrotin Paris / Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin

The showcase in Paris includes 13 paintings and two sculptures, marking Shim's return to the international gallery after his inaugural solo presentation at Perrotin Hong Kong last year. Influenced by minimalist artist Lee U-fan and the Monochrome movement in the 1970s, Shim utilized raw materials like stones, paper, tree trunks, and steel plates, focusing on the relationships between natural and manmade elements and the materials and space.

▲ Shim Moon-Seup's "The Presentation" (2022) / Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin

Featured in the ongoing group exhibition, "Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s-1970s," at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, Shim has played a significant role in Korea's avant-garde art movement.

▲ Sculptor and painter Shim Moon-Seup / Courtesy of the artistIn the 2000s, Shim expanded his artistic repertoire to include oil paintings, drawing parallels between the medium and sculptures. The current Paris exhibition showcases canvas works titled "The Presentation," characterized by repeated and layered brushstrokes, reminiscent of the azure waves and tides of Shim's childhood.

Curator Mael Bellec from the Musée Cernuschi in Paris notes that the dominant blue tones in Shim's paintings reference his past and the sea, imparting a lesson in observing nature and collaborating with it.

The exhibition is open to the public until January 13, 2024, at Perrotin Paris.

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Kelly.K, pittou8181@gmail.com