[Yeouido Art Museum]④ Korea Exchange Transformed into a Gallery... A Space for Inspiration and Reflection

Art Exhibition for Employee Welfare... Artwork Selected by Employee Vote
Kim Hyeryeon: "Abstract Art Is a Discovery, Not an Invention"
Lee Seokju: "New Art Must Be Based on Science"

The artwork 'Sound of Silence_Bangu-dae' by artist Kim Hyeryeon is exhibited at the Korea Exchange. ? Kim Hyeryeon

The Korea Exchange has transformed into a gallery. What do we mean by that? Artworks are displayed throughout the first-floor lobby. The decision to exhibit art was made at the end of last year. The Korea Exchange stated, "The works were purchased not for investment purposes but as part of cultural welfare for our employees." They also mentioned that employees voted to select the pieces to be purchased. Now, let us introduce the artworks at the Korea Exchange~!

Kim Hyeryeon 'Sound of Silence_Bangu-dae'

This is a work by artist Kim Hyeryeon that you always encounter when you come to the Korea Exchange. It is located next to the elevator leading to the press room. When I first saw it, it reminded me of the traditional Korean colors called Obangsaek, which caught my attention. I thought it was an abstract painting of Obangsaek, but as I got closer, it turned out to be a work beyond my expectations.

Kim Hyeryeon, 'Sound of Silence_Bangu-dae' ? Kim Hyeryeon

What do you think? Doesn't it look like graffiti scratched on a wall, bearing the marks of time? When looking at the red piece, a human face sometimes appears. The yellow piece seems to depict an autumn barley field. Unlike oil paintings, it feels like a metallic material and is mysterious. When I saw the title, I exclaimed, "Ah!"

'Sound of Silence_Bangu-dae.' As you well know, Bangu-dae is a prehistoric petroglyph site discovered in Ulsan Metropolitan City. It features images of various animals, hunting scenes, and geometric patterns. Sound is a kind of noise, so what about 'silence'? It is a paradoxical expression but seems to perfectly describe the artwork.

Kim Hyeryeon is known as an artist who explores the archetype of Korean aesthetic consciousness. Originally, she majored in German literature at university but switched to art and pursued graduate studies. During her studies in Germany, she mainly visited European cultural heritage sites and museums.

Her interest in cultural heritage continued after returning to Korea. In 2017, Kim was inspired by pottery she saw at the National Naju Museum. It was a pattern of bird-track pottery. Simple yet free and modern patterns! At that moment, she realized, "Abstract art is not an invention but a discovery."

The artwork purchased by the Korea Exchange is a reinterpretation of petroglyphs. The traditional colors and abstract form, along with the free-spirited energy like graffiti, come from this context. Kim Hyeryeon stated in a solo exhibition, "Modern abstract art has its roots in primitive art and is an inherent artistic impulse of human nature." This is also true for masters of modern art history. Matisse and Gauguin also expressed their longing for the 'primitive' in their works.

Seeing Kim Hyeryeon's work at the Korea Exchange, where numbers and analysis dominate, was truly refreshing. The capital market also operates within regulations. However, the driving force behind the market is the impulse toward 'money.'

Lee Seokju 'Reflective Space'

'Private Space', Oil on Canvas ? Lee Seok-joo

This artwork is located on the way to the caf? on the first floor of the Korea Exchange. It is a painting by Lee Seokju, a representative of the first generation of Korean hyperrealist painters. The old book with a red cover caught my eye. I initially thought it was a still life due to its realistic depiction, but it was not.

Can you see the tree branch and a bird above the book? The subject is simply expressed, contrasting with the theme of the painting. Below the book, it looks like a newspaper has been placed, creating a surreal feeling.

Lee Seokju is famous for realistically depicting subjects while expressing subjective emotions. The artist explained the work as "an intention to contemplate the lyrical and metaphorical meanings hidden behind the original meanings of everyday images in an unfamiliar space through the extraordinary arrangement of familiar images."

This work is no exception. The text on the book, the subject of the painting, is in German. The large letters (D?rer) refer to Albrecht D?rer, a master of the German Renaissance, and the smaller letters (Das Graphische werk) refer to an exhibition held in Cologne, Germany. The lower part of the painting seems to symbolize reality, while the upper part symbolizes the unconscious (subjectivity), centered around the book.

Albrecht D?rer was a German artist who established Northern Renaissance painting. While the Italian Renaissance focused on ideal beauty, D?rer showed rational beauty. His surviving studies on human proportions resemble mathematical work. His statement, "New art must be based on science. It must be based on mathematics like precise, logical, and architectural science," fits this context.

Germany is known as the foundation of philosophy in Western intellectual history. The German philosophical tradition, including Kant, Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel, represents modern Western philosophy. Lee Seokju's work evokes emotional responses by depicting a rational and logical subject (the book) in an unfamiliar way.

While viewing the artwork, I also thought it strangely resembles Yeouido, where the Korea Exchange is located. The stock, futures, and options markets are thought to operate on rational market logic by economic agents, but sometimes problems arise when desire and emotion become entangled. That is why I call Yeouido not a financial city but a 'city of desire.' When you visit the Korea Exchange, I hope you take your time to enjoy the paintings leisurely.