[Exhibition of the Week] Yun Hyup 'Nocturncity' · Ian Cheng 'Thousand Lives' and More

Editor's NoteThis week's exhibitions introduce a variety of attractive shows from across the country that can be experienced over the course of one week.

▲ Yoon Hyup Solo Exhibition 'Nocturne City' = Lotte Museum is hosting Yoon Hyup's solo exhibition 'Nocturne City.' This exhibition presents over 230 works in one place, including early works reflecting his artistic trajectory, new works, paintings, sculptures, videos, and drawings.

Good Night (Manhattan), 2014. Krink on canvas, 50.8 x 61 cm ? Yoon Hyup. Photo courtesy of the artist Photo by Lotte Museum

The artist captures his experiences and subjective emotions inside and outside the city in his city series. 'Seoul City' (2023) expresses his feelings toward his hometown Seoul, while 'Walking by the River' (2023) reflects memories of Paris, which he visited after holding a solo exhibition in London. Having lived in New York for the past 13 years, the artist says he feels the city as a space of joy, sorrow, and anger. Furthermore, he stated, “The city is a vast organism filled with diverse energies, and expressing it means showing the energy I directly felt while observing the individuality and culture within the city.”

The exhibition's theme, 'Nocturne City,' refers to art inspired by the time of 'night.' The artist explains that night evokes fragments of memory and is an enchanting time when various individualities, unseen during the day, shine more vividly.

Caramel Boy, 2003. Photo by Dahahm Choi & Yoon Hyup. Photo courtesy of the artist [Photo courtesy of Lotte Museum]

The 16-meter large panoramic work 'Night in New York' (2023), unveiled for the first time in this exhibition, captures the nightscape of Manhattan. The artist recalls cycling 200 km round trip from Brooklyn to Bear Mountain, and viewing the nightscape from the Hudson River felt like seeing Earth from outside the atmosphere. Watching the city lights reflected on the Hudson River's surface, he completed the work inspired by Claude Monet's 'Water Lilies' series.

The exhibition also debuts 'Juggler,' a work born from painting into sculpture, and the newly developed 'Little Titan' series. These pieces evolve from the artist's distinctive painting techniques of 'dots' and 'lines' into sculptures. The exhibition runs until May 26 at Lotte Museum, Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul.

Ian Cheng 'Thousand Lives'
[Photo by Gladstone Gallery]

▲ Ian Cheng Solo Exhibition 'Thousand Lives' = Gladstone Gallery Seoul presents the solo exhibition 'Thousand Lives' by artist Ian Cheng. Through animation works utilizing artificial intelligence (AI), the artist has posed questions about the essence of human existence and consciousness. He has continued exploring how human consciousness acts as a mediator with certain abilities to adapt to ever-changing environments through AI within various virtual worlds created in his works.

The AI simulation work 'Thousand Lives,' unveiled in this exhibition, depicts the daily life of the turtle named Thousand. On the screen showing Chalice's apartment, Thousand slowly moves inside and understands and learns about the objects encountered through AI. Like a child, Thousand initially does not comprehend the meaning of surrounding objects but gradually learns the relationships and meanings of what he encounters through AI learning, regulating basic desires. During his wanderings in the apartment, Thousand experiences death but is resurrected with 20% of previous learning retained as memory, continuing the simulation endlessly. The work thus remains connected with the audience beyond the screen.

American writer Ian Cheng poses at a press conference for his solo exhibition "Thousand Lives" held on the morning of the 22nd at Gladstone Gallery in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The artist presents virtual reality simulation works using artificial intelligence (AI) and game engines.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Additionally, the animation 'Life After BOB: Chalice Study,' previously shown at the Leeum Museum of Art in 2022, is also featured in this exhibition. The AI 'BOB' implanted in Chalice simulates the optimal life path at every moment. BOB guides Chalice to make appropriate choices, but as Chalice leads his life, he gradually becomes lethargic.

The exhibition space, where two organic videos interact with the audience, offers the joy of encountering 'living artworks.' The exhibition runs until April 13 at Gladstone Gallery, Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

Nick Schleicher, CLD-WVE, 2023, Acrylic, glazing medium, fluorescent and iridescent pigments on canvas, 27.9 x 35.6cm
Photo by Gallery JJ

▲ Nick Schuyler Solo Exhibition ‘Cloud Wave’ = Gallery JJ is hosting the first solo exhibition in Korea by artist Nick Schuyler titled ‘Cloud Wave.’ A total of 32 paintings, including newly created unique triptychs and arch-shaped vertical works, are presented in one place.

The artist draws inspiration from the surrounding world he belongs to, capturing objects, fleeting moments, popular culture, and art history, exploring painting media and space through color field paintings and object works. He translates various everyday themes and emotional narratives into color to communicate. The smooth surfaces, reflecting the surroundings like mirrors, contain a spectrum of layered colors based on beautiful color combinations.

The harmony between irregular, trembling edges and softly curved frames is a characteristic of his work. The paintings, which change and shimmer depending on the viewing distance, angle, and light, reject monotony. While revealing a beautiful, painterly narcissism as color field abstraction itself, the rich references hidden within the works?such as culture and intimate private moments?sometimes serve as subtle hints, inviting diverse interpretations and imaginations.

Nick Schleicher, GOO-DRR, 2023, Acrylic, glazing medium, fluorescent and iridescent pigment on canvas, 35.6 x 55.8cm
[Photo by Gallery JJ]

The exhibition title ‘Cloud Wave’ comes from a nickname given by the audience to the works. The pieces presented in this exhibition are based on color palettes inspired by significant events and specific moments in the artist’s life last year, such as color combinations evoked by a trip to Mexico. Through the dynamic energy created by the fusion of the surrounding environment and the works, the atmosphere intensifies, allowing the audience to once again appreciate the artist’s unique charm. The exhibition runs until March 30 at Gallery JJ, Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.