[Exhibition of the Week] Shepard Fairey, Take Action! · Batimang Exhibition and More

Salt Wind 110.7 x 97cm oil on canvas, 2022. Photo by Doing Art

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] ▲ Lee Ji-eun Solo Exhibition 'Mare Nostrum' = Mare Nostrum means "our sea." Through works inspired by the vast sea, the artist invites us into a beautiful tranquility.

Before the overwhelming sea with its unfathomable deep blue and immense size, we naturally look inward and seek our true selves. Artist Lee Ji-eun also aims to convey the abyss she faced while gazing at the sea.

She conveys to the audience the peace she felt when her heart raced upon seeing the turquoise Mediterranean Sea, the emotions captured by the underwater scenery, the mysterious corals, the colorful fish, and the swaying seaweed dancing with the waves as if alive.

The artist explains, "I simply picked up my brush and painted the corals blooming like flowers and the sea landscapes as my heart led me. I sincerely expressed all the creatures I encountered while swimming in the sea near where I live and during my travels. Although I could not capture all the feelings I experienced?the yellow sunlight of that day, the salty scent brushing my nose, and the silence even the wind kept?I did my best to depict the serene scenery of the sunlit sea on the canvas."

When viewing the artist’s works, one is stimulated by various imaginations as if a story is woven within, and discovering the wit hidden in the lovely images naturally brings a smile. With richer colors and bolder touches each year, she presents a freshness different from before. The artist suggests freely encountering the beautiful tranquility of the sea, open to anyone, through her paintings. The exhibition runs until August 20 at Doing Art, Seocho-gu, Seoul.

Shepard Fairey's 'Hope' poster depicting Barack Obama, the 2008 U.S. presidential candidate. Photo by Lotte Cultural Foundation.

▲ Shepard Fairey, Take Action Exhibition = A large-scale exhibition of the world-renowned street artist Shepard Fairey (52) is being held at Lotte Museum in Jamsil, Songpa-gu, Seoul.

This solo exhibition features about 300 representative works from early pieces to new works, including two murals, tracing Shepard Fairey’s process of bringing street art into the broader art market. His works encourage public communication through silk-screen posters and sticker works carrying social messages about peace, justice, and the environment. He also actively collaborates on art products with various brands and participates in public art projects in major cities worldwide. Fairey gained global recognition in 2008 by creating the portrait poster "HOPE" of then U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama.

The exhibition’s subtitle, "EYES OPEN, MINDS OPEN," reflects a recurring theme and life philosophy in Fairey’s work. The artist emphasizes that accepting new ideas while carefully observing and analyzing is essential. The exhibition runs until November 6 at Lotte Museum, Jamsil, Songpa-gu, Seoul.

Batiment in Paris, first made in 2004, (right in the photo) Batiment in Sydney in 2014. Photo by Miss Jackson

▲ Leandro Erlich: B?timent Exhibition = Leandro Erlich, an icon of contemporary art and a leading Argentine artist, unveils his signature work "B?timent" for the first time in Korea in this exhibition.

“B?timent,” meaning “building” in French, is an immersive participatory installation artwork that uses amusing elements of urban life to allow visitors to creatively reinterpret visible reality and challenge the completion of the work. The piece consists of a massive facade installed on the floor modeled after a real building and a mirror tilted at 45 degrees. Visitors who climb onto the model facade and look up at the mirror experience a surreal visual sensation as if defying gravity. Visitors freely enjoy the artwork by striking creative poses on B?timent, becoming part of the artistic experience.

B?timent was first created in 2004 as a large-scale installation for the world-renowned Paris art festival Nuit Blanche. Over 18 years, it has toured cities worldwide including London, Berlin, Tokyo, and Shanghai, attracting an average of 4,500 visitors daily and maintaining widespread popularity.

??-???????El-Avion-2011-_-??-?????-?????Night-Flight-2015-1024x771. Photo by Miss Jackson

Besides B?timent, the exhibition showcases various works that offer insight into the artist’s oeuvre. Works featuring familiar spaces such as classrooms, subways, gardens, and airplanes provide visitors with unique visual enjoyment. Notably, participatory installations like "Lost Garden" (2009) and "Classroom" (2017) use glass mirrors to evoke reflections on spatial concepts.

Additionally, the artist’s window series?'El Avi?n' (2011), 'Night Flight' (2015), and 'Global Express' (2011)?use window frames and video to give visitors a sense of liberation as if traveling abroad. The exhibition runs until December 28 at Nodeul Island, a cultural complex in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.