super/natural: contemporary korean art at christie's | 12-27 september | new york

7/30/2019 SUPER/NATURAL: Contemporary Korean Art at Christie's | 12-27 September | New York

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P R E S S R E L E A S E | N E W Y O R K | A U G U S T 2 0 1 3

F O R I M M E D I A T E R E L E A S E

SUPER/NATURAL

CONTEMPORARY KOREAN ART AT CHRISTIESChristies Private Sales Introduces New Exhibition Category

Choe U-Ram (b. 1970) Echo Navigo, Scientific name: (Anmorome Istiophorus platyperus Uram) Executed in 2004

New York - Christies Private Sales is pleased to announce SUPER/NATURAL, the first private sale exhibition of

contemporary art from Korea, from 12-27 September 2013 in New York. SUPER/NATURAL features five artists with a

sub-theme focus of nature which highlights the rigorous pursuit of innovation in concept and expression that has

established Korea as one of the most exciting contemporary art scenes in Asia today. The exhibition features Ahn Doo

Jin, Choe U-Ram, Kong Sung-Hun, Moon Beom, and Rhee Ki-Bong, who represent both mid-career and younger

emerging artists, and capture the range of expression happening among Korean artists.

By focusing on nature as a theme, SUPER/NATURAL highlights innovations that are at once subtle and profound;

traditional Korean landscape painting is reimagined in new media, the timeless and temporal aspects of ink paintings are

reworked as conceptual touch stones, and the natural order is scientifically investigated and then upended to reveal a

contrary alternate universe. From Choe U-Rams fictive evolutionary creatures, Ahn Doo-Jins mathematically-conceived

surrealist fantasias, Moon Beoms lyrical possible worlds, to the timeless, chthonic seascapes of Kong Sung-Hun, and

Rhee Ki-Bongs haunting, misty landscapes, these artists draw from old traditions while taking them radically forward in

unexpected, exhilarating and provocative ways.


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Ingrid Dudek, International Senior Specialist of Asian 20th Century & Contemporary Art, comments: One abiding aspect

in Korean art is a thorough and meticulous investigation into form and material, which lends itself to a questioning of the

conventional boundaries of old genres. Throughout, cultural traditions are honored, revisited, and redefined in new

modern and contemporary forms, underscoring traditional philosophies and aesthetics, rapidly redefining itself in the

current era.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Ahn Doo-Jin (b. 1975)

Equal parts artist, mathematician, philosopher, and jester, the sacred meets the comic as artist Ahn Doo-Jin subvertstradition while advancing it with his distinct iconography, palette and compositions. Influenced by the writings of Arthu

C. Danto, one of the most influential art

philosophers in the last half century, Ahn

addresses Dantos examination of the

interconnectivity and universality of aesthetic

production by deconstructing our assumptions

surrounding representation and visual

communication. Ahn created his own visual

language based on his theoretical hypothesis

that the visual world is composed of acombination of minimum units, which he

dubbed as imaquarks (a portmanteau of the

word image and quark). His paintings are

the vivid result of his tireless experiments with

his visual language. Ahn creates oppositional spaces and tensions in his paintings, making them visually provocative and

confounding, familiar and yet unsettling, as they rewrite conventional approaches to color choice, composition, and

form.

Choe U-Ram (b. 1970)

Seoul-based artist Choe U-Ram draws upon nature, robotics, and science fiction to create intricate kinetic sculpturesthat invite consideration of our past, present and future. Choes cybernetic creatures each come complete with detailed

information regarding genus and species, mating habits and dominant characteristics, including titles that evoke a

scientific tradition, and all of which are inventions of the artist. Composed of finely polished metal, motors, and

circuitry, the artists kinetic life forms reflect upon alternate worlds of advanced artificial life while drawing upon

contemporary advances in robotics, computer science, and engineering.

Moon Beom (b. 1955)

Arguably one of the most renowned artists to emerge during the lauded

Korean Monochrome movement of the 1970s-80s, Moon Beom is also

among the most technically adept at fusing traditional Korean aesthetics

with Western abstraction, breaking conventions in eliminating

representation and treating the canvas as infinite sometimes sculptura

space. Drawing upon traditional landscape forms, Moons advanced

technical process combines the craftsmanship and soul of Korean painting

with experimental materials to create mesmerizing imaginary landscapes in

perpetual contortions of balance and harmony. Moon prepares his

canvases with a flat acrylic background, then applies oil stick with quick

swirls and sharp lines, a gesture that distills his philosophies of art, time

and life into a tangible physical mark, albeit one that transforms into


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sublime landscapes and ethereal natural forms through repetition.

Kong Sung-Hun (b. 1965)

Kong Sung-Huns tremendous photorealistic paintings

have solidly established him as one of Koreas breakout

contemporary artists. His works are massive philosophical

examinations of nature, both as idea and object, and tap

into the Korean national consciousness by ponderingtradition in the face of rapid change. The subjects ofKongs work, whether urban landscapes or set in nature,

are grounded in reality. His depictions in photorealistic

detail highlight their existence and seemingly accentuate

materiality. However, Kong conflates his subjects with

elements of the unreal that jar the viewer into a different

perspective. Mortality is a central tenet in Kongs

landscapes. Kongs seascapes are terrifying depictions of

nature as chaos, unrelenting, unresponsive, and

indiscriminate.Rhee Ki-Bong (b. 1957)

The haunting, elegiac works of Rhee Ki-Bong offer impressions of time and space; his misty, evocative imagery give the

works a memorial quality, at once somber and nostalgic. His famous landscapesghostly trees shrouded in fog and

mistare results of an intensive process employing painting, sculpture and installation, blending traditional Korean

landscape concepts with contemporary materials. His unique technique of layering acrylic on canvas, and then delicately

overlaying the canvas with

plexiglass, creates a dramatic and

very physical real sensation o

depth. Rhee then paints

additional layers on the plexiglass

before applying a final layer of

acrylic resin on the surface. The

effect creates an emotional and

temporal distance.

PRESS CONTACT: Sara Fox | +1 212 636 2680 |[email protected]

About Christies

Christies, the world's leading art business, had global auction and private sales in the first half of 2013 that totaled 2.4 billion/ $3.68 billion. In

2012, Christies had global auction and private sales that totaled 3.92 billion/$6.27 billion making it the highest annual total in Christies history.

Christies is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in

1766 by James Christie, Christie's has since conducted the greatest and most celebrated auctions through the centuries providing a popular

showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christies offers over 450 auctions a nnually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and

decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $100 million. Christie's also has a long and

successful history conducting private sales for its clients in all categories, with emphasis on Post-War and Contemporary, Impressionist and

Modern, Old Masters and Jewellery. Private sales totaled 465.2 million ($711.8 million) in the first half of 2013, an increase of 13% on the

previous year, and for the third successive year represents the highest total for the period in both company and art market history.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Christies has a global presence with 53 offices in 32 countries and 12 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva

Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai, Zrich, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Mumbai. More recently, Christies has led the market with expanded initiatives in

growth markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai.

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Images available on request

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super/natural: contemporary korean art at christie's | 12-27 september | new york

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