Leeum Museum of Art Hosts Idea Museum 'Somewhere In Between' on Gender and Diversity Topics

Exploring New Perceptions and Practices Faced by the Contemporary Era
19 Programs Including Lectures, Screenings, and Workshops from the 21st to the 30th

The Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, operated by the Samsung Foundation of Culture (Chairman Kim Hwang-sik), announced on the 18th that it will hold the public program Idea Museum 'Somewhere in Between' from the 21st to the 30th.

Idea Museum 'Somewhere In Between' Poster. [Photo by Leeum Museum of Art]

The Idea Museum is a mid- to long-term project of the Leeum Museum of Art that interprets the core values pursued by the museum?Inclusivity, Diversity, Equality, and Access?through artistic imagination, and it started last year with the support of the Chanel Culture Fund. To respond to global crises and lead the role of contemporary museums, it sets a new theme every year and operates various public programs such as interdisciplinary research-based lectures, dialogues, and workshops.

The first Idea Museum, held in December last year under the theme of ‘Climate Crisis and Sustainability,’ reflected on anthropocentric thinking and explored the possibility of coexistence between humans and non-humans through symposiums, film screenings, and reading seminars. The artist Thomas Saraceno and the 'Aeroscene Seoul' project were showcased at museums in 10 local communities including Daegu, Busan, Jeju, Daejeon, Suwon, Gwangju, and Yongsan.

The second Idea Museum, with the keyword ‘Gender and Diversity,’ will be held for ten days from the 21st to the 30th under the title 'Somewhere in Between.' It will feature 19 programs in a festival format, including lectures, talks, film screenings, and performances focusing on ▲being with the Other ▲gender transition and fluid identities ▲deconstruction and reconstruction of existing narratives ▲ecological thinking and practices for multispecies coexistence.

This year’s Idea Museum 'Somewhere in Between' is designed to facilitate in-depth discussions on each topic through a format where speakers and discussants engage in deep conversations. Additionally, it is co-planned with the ‘Op/Shin Festival,’ which has attempted to expand contemporary art, and presents performances and workshops exploring ‘embodiment,’ the foundation of gender and diversity. The lecture series enhances accessibility by providing Korean-English simultaneous interpretation, as well as captioning and sign language interpretation.

The program begins with a keynote lecture and performance that open a space of thought based on physical variability, entanglement, and transformation with the Other. Poet Kim Hye-soon proposes the multiplicity of identities and communal thinking and solidarity between women and non-humans in her keynote lecture 'Hee (稀),' followed by dancer and choreographer Cecilia Bengolea’s performance and screening of the video 'Bestiaire,' exploring the formation of new communities and solidarity through mutual transformation.

Movie still from 'Orlando, My Political Autobiography'. ?Paul B. Preciado

Professor of Gender Studies Mel Y. Chen will give a lecture on the impact of imperialism and colonialism on race, disability, and chemical relations. The film screening of 'Orlando, My Political Autobiography' by artist, philosopher, and curator Paul B. Preciado, and the 'Total' performance by choreographer and dancer Angela Go will present attempts to dismantle traditional distinctions and boundaries of identity.

Art historian Kim Hong-hee will give a lecture presenting an alternative perspective on feminist art beyond the limits of traditional art narratives, and Kimberly Pinder, Dean of Yale University School of Art, will illuminate the struggles of artists marginalized in male-centered art history. Visual artist Woo Chang’s film screening of 'Moby Dick, or the Whale' will also be shared as a case of deconstructing and adapting traditional narratives.

Historian Fujihara Tatsushi will give a lecture re-examining the connections between human society and ecosystems through the concept of ‘disassembly,’ and Professor Greta Gaard from the University of Wisconsin will propose a methodology for listening to the ‘Earth Other’ based on ecofeminist epistemology. Curator Philippa Ramos will give a lecture on curatorial practice and exhibitions. Choreographer Seo Young-ran’s workshop 'Building Together,' which reflects on reproductive labor and care, and a gathering talk where visual artists, art historians, and cultural anthropologists come together to contemplate relationships with marine life through artistic practice will also be held.

Gu Jeong-yeon, head of the Education and Research Office at Leeum Museum of Art, said, "The Idea Museum expands the role of the museum as a place for reflection and discussion on contemporary issues, and plans to continuously hold various programs based on interdisciplinary research." She added, "Next year, we plan to continue the public project with artists and carry on the theme of ‘Gender and Diversity.’"

Those wishing to participate in the Idea Museum 'Somewhere in Between' can pre-register for each program on the Leeum Museum of Art website under 'Learning & Research - Programs.' All programs are free of charge.