The Korean Cultural Centre UK has unveiled NEW GEN: The Emerging Voices, an ambitious exhibition showcasing eight talented Korean artists currently based in the United Kingdom. This latest edition of the center's annual open call program presents a diverse collection of contemporary artworks spanning painting, sculpture, moving image, and installation, all exploring the intricate relationships between identity, materiality, and modern life.
A distinguished panel of curators selected the featured artists, bringing together expertise from some of the UK's most prestigious art institutions. The selection committee included Daphne Chu, Curator at Ikon Gallery in Birmingham; Alvin Li, Curator of International Art supported by Asymmetry Art Foundation at Tate Modern; and Yung Ma, Senior Curator at Hayward Gallery in London. Their combined international perspective ensures a dynamic dialogue between contemporary art scenes in the UK and Korea.
The eight featured artists collectively examine the intersections of myth, memory, ecology, materiality, and technology, reflecting on how personal experiences intertwine with collective history. Heeyoung Noh delves into the lingering presence of trauma and tenderness within domestic spaces, creating works that reveal the emotional layers of everyday life. Meanwhile, Woojin Joo draws inspiration from folklore and shamanistic motifs, demonstrating how mythic imagination continues to influence contemporary existence.
Yumin Lee's work focuses on survival and emotion within the cycles of capitalism and digital mediation, offering commentary on how technology shapes human experience. Soohyun Choi takes a critical approach by probing the fragile boundaries of authenticity and authority within the art system, exposing how preservation and contamination become entangled within institutional structures that define artistic value.
Sangbum Ahn investigates the complex relationship between ecological and technological systems, revealing how progress and collapse can coexist within the same framework. Jo Jae reconsiders perception and sensibility in an era of technological acceleration, proposing innovative ways of seeing and feeling in the present moment. Both Jihoon Cho and Woojin Jeon examine materiality as a site of adaptation and care, transforming instability and tension into meaningful gestures of endurance and renewal.
The exhibition has garnered praise from art world professionals and critics. Dr. Seunghye Sun commented on the show's impact, stating, "New Gen's emotional power represents a new aesthetics of creativity that does not consume emotion but unlocks soul. All that is called is love. All that is unlocked is Art. Art is not merely an expression of emotion, but its living practice."
Selection panel member Daphne Chu reflected on the curatorial process, saying, "Serving on the selection panel has been a wonderful opportunity to engage with a range of artists whose practices are nuanced and deeply considered. The submissions reflect a remarkable variety of approaches from material experimentation, conceptual inquiries, to explorations in form and subject."
Yung Ma highlighted the diversity of this year's selection, noting, "The selection this year represents a diverse and exciting pool of emerging voices, both in form and in content. They go from the concrete to the abstract and digital, from the whimsical to the prophetic, giving us glimpses of what to expect from the next wave of Korean art."
Jaemin Cha, Curator of the Korean Cultural Centre UK, emphasized the exhibition's broader cultural significance, explaining, "The artists gathered here reveal how Korean contemporary art finds new resonance across contexts - building bridges between cultures, and shaping a living language that continues to evolve within the UK's artistic landscape."
Together, these artists' works create what organizers describe as an ecosystem of voices that illuminate the sensibilities of a new generation - one that is reflective and deeply attuned to the shifting realities of our time. Through NEW GEN: The Emerging Voices, the Korean Cultural Centre UK continues its commitment to nurturing emerging artists and fostering cross-cultural dialogue within the UK's vibrant art landscape. Those seeking additional press information and images about the exhibition can contact Jaemin Cha, Curator of the KCCUK, at jaemin.cha@kccuk.org.uk.
