'Contemporary Art Experiments' Leeum and Hoam Museums Hold Permanent Special Exhibition

Permanent Exhibition Coexisting Tradition and Modernity
Three Special Projects of Contemporary Art Experiments Unveiled

On the 30th, the Samsung Foundation of Culture, which presented exhibitions of Maurizio Cattelan, Joseon white porcelain, and Kim Whanki this year, announced that it will diversify its programs through two permanent exhibitions and three special projects at the Leeum Museum of Art and Hoam Art Museum.

Jae-won Kang, Inflatable, 2022 [Photo provided by Samsung Foundation of Culture]

At the Leeum Museum of Art, artist Kwon Ha-yoon will present an audience-participatory work until September 10th on the second floor of the M1 permanent exhibition hall for ancient art. The work is a homage to Kim Hong-do’s painting "Gunsendo," reinterpreting the procession of figures and stories in Gunsendo through virtual reality (VR). The piece connects scenes of immortals moving through a cosmic space, 1940s Europe, and an imaginary space, offering an experience of completely different times and spaces.

From November, in the same space, an exhibition by Gala Porras-Kim, a Korean-Colombian artist, will be showcased. Gala Porras-Kim will introduce works that examine how the state manages and hierarchizes national treasures and designated artifacts of North and South Korea within the historical contexts of colonization and division.

On the Leeum Museum lobby media wall, John Gerrard’s "Farm (Council Bluffs, Iowa)" will be displayed from July 18th to August 20th. This work builds a realistic simulation of the Google data center located in Iowa, USA, described as an internet "farm," visually representing the vast physical infrastructure of intangible data.

From July 25th to December 24th, the Leeum lobby will feature a diverse array of digital images, installations, sounds, scents, and performances by artist Park Bo-ma. This transforms the niche spaces of the museum lobby into a flexible and sensory stage.

Kwon Ha-yoon 'Eternal Movement - Strange Procession' Image, 2023, VR Installation, ⓒ Yoo Chan-ul [Photo by Samsung Foundation of Culture]

At the Hoam Art Museum, in a project room remodeled from the traditional garden tea house in Heewon, artist Kang Jae-won will exhibit artificial sculptures created with 3D modeling programs from June 27th to December 17th.

The artist proposes possibilities for the future of sculpture through artificial sculptures made with three-dimensional modeling programs. The forms of sculptures realized with various materials such as inflatables, 3D printing, and chrome contrast with the nature of Heewon, while the silver surfaces reflect the surrounding nature, creating a collision and permeation between artificial and natural elements.

Gwak Jun-young, head of exhibition planning at the Leeum Museum of Art, said, "Through various exhibitions, Leeum and Hoam Art Museums aim to mediate and interpret tradition and modernity in new ways as a single museum, exploring the dynamic possibilities of art."