▲ The artist from the interview, 2023 Korea Artist Prize ⓒ MMCA

Gala Porras-Kim, the artist who explores the point where ancient relics meet modern times holds a solo exhibition, 'National Treasures'.

The exhibition is the second M1 Project exhibition organized by the Leeum Museum of Art in 2023, exhibiting three new works based on Korean cultural heritage and 10 national treasures owned by the art museum.

▲ The installation view ⓒ Leeum Museum of Art

Kim is a Korean-Colombian artist who works in and out of LA and London, presenting works that reflect Mesoamerican civilization and Korean history. She has an interest in the way social and political contexts define and define intangible heritage, such as language and history.

Based on her research, she has explored the relationship between institutional rights and artifacts, including the museum's collection management system and the state's cultural heritage-related laws. She looks at the structure of the museum through the classification, preservation, and directing of collections and artifacts.

▲ The installation view ⓒ Leeum Museum of Art

In the exhibition, the artist examines the state's evaluation and management of artifacts and the context given to Korea's cultural heritage by recalling the national treasures of the two Koreas and cultural assets taken out during the Japanese colonial period.

The '530 National Treasures', which combines the two Koreas' national treasures, reminds us that South Korea's national treasures and North Korea's national treasures originally belonged to one category, "Joseon's Treasures," and sheds light on cultural heritages managed according to the flow of history, such as imperial Japan, South Korea, and North Korea.

▲ The installation view ⓒ Leeum Museum of ArtThrough the exhibition, she presents a sharp perspective on the issue of cultural property leakage, a task commonly faced by countries that have undergone colonial rule.

The exhibition will run until Mar. 31 at the Leeum Museum of Art in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

Sayart / Nao Yim, yimnao@naver.com