[Exhibition of the Week] David Kim Whittaker Exhibition · Ligia Pape Solo Exhibition and More

Editor's NoteThis week's exhibitions introduce a variety of diverse and captivating shows that can be experienced nationwide over the course of one week.

▲David Kim Whittaker Solo Exhibition 'A Compendium' = Opera Gallery Seoul presents a solo exhibition titled 'A Compendium' by British contemporary artist David Kim Whittaker, who poses profound questions about the essence of life through an expressive fusion of figurative and abstract art. This exhibition is designed to revisit the artist's body of work over the past 15 years, a period filled with artistic and philosophical transformation and development.

David Kim Whittaker / David Kim Whittaker. Born In Mothers Wine, 2009. Oil, acrylic, china marker and collage on panel. 30x30 cm
Photo by Opera Gallery

David Kim Whittaker, an artist from Redruth in Cornwall, located in the southwest of the UK, gained significant attention in the art world for his unique expressions and interpretations of the human head and its metaphysical essence. His works generally take on human forms, which are divided into figurative depictions and abstract expressions.

Within the mirror frames that replace the face/head, beautifully serene natural landscapes are realistically painted, while the surrounding areas are cluttered with intricately arranged lines, disordered colors, and phrases that are difficult to comprehend at a glance, existing as an indistinct mass of abstract expression.

David Kim Whitaker. The Privy (To Look In The Mirror), 2019. Oil and acrylic on primed canvas. 152x152 cm. Photo by Opera Gallery.

By intentionally combining figurative and abstract elements in his works, the artist powerfully reveals the beautiful era we live in alongside its fractures?such as social discrimination, war, and exploitation of nature. Viewers encounter a process of questioning and answering complex issues faced in this drifting world through their engagement with the artworks.

Opera Gallery Seoul stated, "Through this exhibition, we aim to guide visitors into the profound space of thought created by the artist, accompanying them on an artistic and philosophical journey toward new realizations." The exhibition runs until April 9, at Opera Gallery Seoul, 154-gil, Eonju-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

Foreigners Are Everywhere (English, Italian, French, Korean) Neon Sign, Frame, Transformer, Electric Wire, Variable Size, 2004. ?Kim Sang-tae
[Photo by Hermes Foundation]

▲Claire Fontaine Solo Exhibition 'Beauty is Ready-made' = At Atelier Herm?s in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, the first solo exhibition in Asia by French artist Claire Fontaine is held.

As the exhibition title 'Beauty is Ready-made' suggests, the artist appropriates pre-existing visual forms. Claiming to be heirs of Marcel Duchamp, who opened a new chapter in contemporary art history, they borrow existing objects and artworks and imbue them with existential use value.

The name 'Claire Fontaine' is taken from a French stationery brand. It is a collective founded in Paris in 2004 by Italian theorist Fulvia Carnevale and British artist James Thornhill.

Meaning 'Clear Fountain' in English, Claire Fontaine is an homage to Duchamp's work 'Fountain' (1917). Fulvia Carnevale and James Thornhill refer to themselves as "assistants of Claire Fontaine, not the artists." They explain their choice of ready-mades?using what already exists in art?as an attempt to abandon the mythical and heroic ego of the artist.

Untitled (It’s only 4 degrees), 2018 Industrial frameless LED lightbox with pearl vinyl digital print, 277×156×10 cm Claire Fontaine, Photo Aur?lien Mole
[Photo by Hermes Foundation]

The exhibition features 10 representative works by the artist. These works propose urgent political agendas as well as contemporary visual culture. Among the four-piece series, 'Foreigners Everywhere' (2004-) is a signature work revealing Claire Fontaine's political orientation. The two words were borrowed from flyers of the Turin collective that fought against racism and xenophobia in Italy in the early 2000s, delivering a powerful resonance.

The new work 'Cut-up' is an immersive floor installation reflecting the migration history and cultural complexity of Palermo, Italy, where the artist resides. Numerous lemons symbolize the economically disadvantaged southern Europe and metaphorically represent useless and cumbersome migrants. The artist, who believes that "art has become a place for political refugees," delivers a strong message to a society engulfed in political helplessness. The exhibition runs until June 9, at Atelier Herm?s, Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

Lygia Pape 'Tteia 1,B', 2000, ⓒ Projeto Lygia Pape [Photo by White Cube Seoul]

▲Lygia Pape Solo Exhibition = White Cube Seoul presents the first solo exhibition in Asia of Lygia Pape, a pioneer in the Brazilian art scene. Lygia Pape was a leading figure in the Brazilian Neo-Concrete movement and a pioneer of Latin American contemporary art.

Held on the 20th anniversary of the artist's passing, the exhibition in Korea comprehensively covers her half-century career through paintings, prints, sculptures, films, performances, and installations. It notably showcases a diverse range of new forms of abstraction exploring spatial dynamics.

'Concrete art' is characterized by geometric and abstract compositions made up of lines, colors, and planes, with symbolic meanings thoroughly excluded. Born in 1927 in Nova Friburgo, Brazil, the artist experienced World War II. In the early 1950s, while studying at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, she formed the 'Grupo Frente' with avant-garde artists.

Lygia Pape, 'O Ovo (The Egg)', 1967 Performance ⓒ Projeto Lygia Pape [Photo by White Cube Seoul]

At that time, they rejected the conventions of Brazilian modernism, which leaned toward figurative art, and pursued geometric abstraction free from observed reality. Later, she co-founded the Brazilian Neo-Concrete movement with H?lio Oiticica and Lygia Clark, advocating for heightened sensual perception, freedom of color, and enhanced interaction in art.

The captivating work series 'Tt?ia' in the exhibition is from the artist's later period, featuring a structure where multiple taut golden threads intersect to create pillars of light. This form, realized through woven geometric structures, leaves a strong visual message. The exhibition runs until May 25, at White Cube Seoul, Dosan-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.