The artist duo Kim Na Young and Gregory Maass bring their latest exhibition, Paranoia Paradise, to Atelier Hermès in Seoul, where it will run until February 2, 2025. This ambitious showcase features 60 new works, offering audiences a deep dive into their unique artistic practice that fuses humor, absurdity, and cultural hybridity.
Meeting in the mid-1990s at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, the Korean and German artists began collaborating in 2004. Their work spans sculpture, painting, public installations, curatorial projects, and community workshops. Over two decades, the duo has cultivated a practice that resists easy categorization, drawing on disparate cultural and temporal references to create a world where traditional hierarchies and norms are dismantled.
The exhibition title, Paranoia Paradise, encapsulates the artist’s fascination with contradiction. The juxtaposition of paranoia, a state of fear and uncertainty, with paradise, a vision of harmony and contentment, mirrors the dualities present in their work. Through a combination of found objects, reimagined cultural symbols, and their own handmade interventions, Kim and Maass craft works that provoke surprise, discomfort, and reflection in equal measure.
At the heart of their practice is the idea of "Frankensteining"—combining incongruous objects to create something entirely new. Their works often challenge expectations of harmony and beauty, presenting instead what the artists describe as "deliberate dissonance." For instance, Kitty Enlightenment (2024), a standout piece in this exhibition, transforms a discarded public sculpture of Hello Kitty. The duo restored and modified the piece, adding features like a balloon-shaped halo and expressions of suffering and transcendence, reimagining the iconic character as a symbol of resilience.
The exhibition incorporates a wide array of materials and references, from art historical icons like Picasso and Henry Moore to kitsch objects, pop culture symbols, and everyday items. A hand-embroidered Minnie Mouse, a screen with English calligraphy in brushstrokes, and even whimsical drawings of nose pickings populate the space. Despite their playful and often humorous tones, these works resist simplistic interpretation, challenging viewers to engage with their layered meanings.
Kim and Maass’s works draw attention to the hybrid and often absurd nature of contemporary global culture. By recontextualizing objects from diverse origins, they critique the homogenization of culture in the era of global capitalism while simultaneously celebrating the possibilities of artistic freedom. Their practice can be seen as an extension of movements like Dada and Fluxus, which sought to collapse the boundaries between art and life. However, their meticulous hand-crafted approach distinguishes their work, blending the ethos of ready-made with the precision of fine art.
Paranoia Paradise also reflects on the consumption and reinterpretation of cultural symbols in modern societies. The artists’ ability to seamlessly blend high art with kitsch, and tradition with modernity, creates a unique dialogue about identity and authenticity. Their work is deeply informed by their experiences of living and working in Korea, where globalization and cultural hybridity are particularly pronounced.
The exhibition invites viewers into a paradoxical world where chaos and order coexist. While the abundance of visual and cultural references might overwhelm at first, it also compels audiences to construct their interpretations, making each encounter with the works deeply personal. Through their witty and thought-provoking creations, Kim and Maass challenge conventional narratives of meaning, encouraging us to embrace the complexity and unpredictability of contemporary life.
Running from November 22, 2024, to February 2, 2025, Paranoia Paradise offers a rare opportunity to engage with the dynamic and subversive world of Kim Na Young and Gregory Maass. The exhibition is both a critique and celebration of modernity, inviting audiences to navigate the blurred lines between the real and the imagined, the absurd and the profound.
Sayart / Nao Yim, yimnao@naver.com
