The Seoul Museum of Art is presenting “Perhaps, All of Us,” a touring exhibition of contemporary Korean art, in Ottawa.
The exhibition opened at the Korean Cultural Centre Canada on Aug. 25 and runs through Oct. 14. It comprises 18 works spanning painting, sculpture, photography, installation and new media.
The 13 participating artists are Gala Porras-Kim, Ayoung Kim, Jaehun Park, Park Chan-kyong, Hyesoo Park, Mijung Shin, Jisun Shin, Eunwoo Lee, Jiyang Lee, Youngzoo Im, Jung Yeondoo, Young-jun Tak and Jeongwon P.
The exhibition takes Seoul, Washington, D.C., and Ottawa as its geographical framework. Drawing on their shared status as national capitals, it examines how political and administrative centers also become places where different cultures, identities and collective memories intersect.
The exhibition is structured around three themes: publicness, historicity and diversity.
The first section, “Us That We Do Not Know,” considers how communities distinguish between “us” and “others,” focusing on the points where exclusion and hospitality intersect.
The second section, “Time Out of Joint,” addresses events and memories that have been forgotten, silenced or omitted. The works examine how the present has been shaped through both historical accumulation and absence.
The final section, also titled “Perhaps, All of Us,” considers difference and unfamiliarity within communities. Through painting, photography, video and installation, the artists explore possibilities for coexistence among people with different identities and experiences.
The exhibition previously ran at the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C., from June 17 to Aug. 11, where 20 works by the same 13 artists were shown. The Ottawa presentation contains 18 works.
The project is part of Touring K-Arts, an international exhibition program funded by South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and administered by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange.
Organized by the Seoul Museum of Art and the Korean Cultural Centre Canada, the exhibition is free to attend. No docent tours are offered.
SayArt.net
Jason Yim yimjongho1969@gmail.com
