On the 23rd at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Seoul Multi-Project Hall
Reexamining the Art World Including Abstract Sculpture, Drawing, and Architecture
Tattoo artist in front of a polyester artwork for the 1967 Shinsegae Exhibition. Photo by National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art announced on the 21st that it will hold a symposium exploring the artistic world of sculptor Moon Shin (1922?1995), who is celebrating his 100th birthday, in collaboration with the Art History Research Association.
The symposium will take place on the 23rd at the Multi-Project Hall of the Seoul branch. It is planned as a related event to the "Moon Shin 100th Anniversary Exhibition," which will open in September at the Deoksugung branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.
Moon Shin was born in Takeo, Kyushu, Japan, spent his childhood in Masan, Gyeongnam, and then went to Japan to study painting at school.
After liberation, Moon Shin worked as a painter in Korea and settled in France in the 1960s, dedicating himself to abstract sculpture. He participated in various exhibitions held in France for over ten years and returned to Korea in 1980, establishing his base in Masan and leaving behind many works.
Many of his works were inspired by the vitality of nature and the universe. They are characterized by symmetry and refined finishing. His representative work is the 25-meter-high stainless steel piece "Olympic 1988" located in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. The artist opened the Moon Shin Art Museum, which he personally designed and built, in 1994 and passed away the following year.
This symposium will shed light on Moon Shin’s little-known periods of study in Japan and residence in France. It will also introduce his works beyond sculpture, including painting, drawing, and architecture.
The presentation topics include "A Study on Moon Shin’s Early Works: Focusing on His Study in Japan," "Postwar Foreign Artists in France and Moon Shin," "Moon Shin’s Sculptural Perspective Through Materials from the 1960s and 1970s," "Primitivism and Intrinsic Impulse in Moon Shin’s Sculpture," and "The Art of Line, the Praise of Life: Reflections on Moon Shin’s Drawings."
The symposium will be held at the Multi-Project Hall of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, with on-site registration on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no prior online reservation, and participation is free of charge.
Yun Bum-mo, director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, said, "Despite his originality, sculptor Moon Shin is not well known to the public. This symposium will stimulate interest in Moon Shin’s life and art and provide researchers with a foundation for diverse and multidimensional studies."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
