The 'New Beauty' Created by the Meeting of Sports and Arts

Soma Museum of Art Hosts Sports Art Exhibition Planning Contest 'Body ∞ Mind'
First Public Display of 5 Kim Yuna Dresses Designed by Lee Sangbong

The Soma Museum of Art, operated by the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, announced on the 4th that it will hold the exhibition "Body ∞ Mind: The M?bius of Body and Mind" until August 7. Photo by Soma Museum of Art

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] New artworks that fuse sports and art are coming to audiences.

The Soma Museum of Art, operated by the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, announced on the 4th that it will hold the exhibition "Body ∞ Mind: The M?bius of Body and Mind" until August 7.

This exhibition was planned with the purpose of exploring the expansion of a new art genre through the theme combining 'sports' and 'art.' The exhibition title "Body ∞ Mind" signifies that the body and mind are infinitely connected like a M?bius strip. Through artworks, the exhibition discusses the cultural and historical relationship between sports and art, which challenge the limits of the 'body (physical)' and 'mind (spiritual).'

The Soma Museum of Art presents 35 works that fuse sports and art, created by 17 teams of artists from 10 countries, including Marina Abramovi?, Sadek Waff, James Harris, Park Jesung, Oh Minsu, Yoo Jihyun, Lee Sangbong, Lee Sangyong, Jang Bichi, and Jang Jia.

The major early work of "the master of performance art," Marina Abramovi?, "Rest Energy," expresses tension through a performance where the artist and her counterpart Ulay each put their body weight on a bow and arrow, so that if either loses balance, the arrowhead will pierce the artist's chest.

The exhibition is organized into three themes. ▲‘BodyBody,’ which discusses the beauty of the human body seen when enjoying sports from an artistic perspective ▲‘Ready & Go,’ which captures the newly pioneered forms of sports and art alongside scientific advancements ▲‘Bravo,’ which shows the intersection of sports and art challenging the limits of body and mind. The Soma Museum of Art explained that it will be an opportunity to see new interpretations and imaginations of sports and art.

The Soma Museum of Art, operated by the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, announced on the 4th that the exhibition "Body ∞ Mind: The M?bius of Body and Mind" will be held until August 7. Photo by Soma Museum of Art

Light designer Moritz Waldemeyer showcases the artistry of 'martial arts' through an audience participation work called "The Way of the Sword." Paula Garcia, who wore magnetized armor and withstood heavy nails thrown by participants, now expresses repeated challenges toward the concepts of human limits, uncertainty, and risk through a performance where she directly enters a car and collides head-on with a stunt driver.

Meanwhile, artist Oh Minsu illuminates nature and humans from the perspective of harmony and coexistence rather than competition and challenge, portraying people enjoying various sports and leisure activities as modern landscape paintings. Park Jesung presents a video starting from the question, "What if we taught swimming to an AI without a body?" exploring various philosophical contradictions arising as AI learns how to swim.

Not only contemporary artworks but also dresses designed by designer Lee Sangbong for figure skater Kim Yuna will be unveiled. The dresses, created for figure skating, are a good example of sports art that condenses performance, music, technology, and fashion through collaboration between athletes and artists. Five costumes made for Kim Yuna, from the World Championships to the closing performance of the 2013 Pyeongchang Special Olympics, will be exhibited for the first time.

Curator Kim Seungmin, who planned the exhibition, said, "In a dystopian situation unfolding due to the pandemic and climate change, I wanted to emphasize humanity by highlighting the commonalities between art and the spirit of sports," adding, "This planning presents the potential expansion of sports art in various ways, encompassing the correlation of body and mind contained in sports and art, as well as their popularity and historicity."