ARKO Special Exhibition Features Five Mid-Career Artists in "Anti-Self: Against Myself"

Support Program for Mid-Career Artists by the Arts Council Korea
Showcasing Over 112 Works by Five Mid-Career Artists
On View at the ARKO Art Center Until October 26

The ARKO Art Center of the Arts Council Korea announced on August 22 that it will hold the special exhibition "Anti-Self: Against Myself" until October 26.

"Anti-Self: Against Myself" is a special exhibition that highlights mid-career artists at the ARKO Art Center. It has been organized in connection with ARKO's artist research, study, and criticism initiatives, as well as its support programs for mid-career artists. The participating artists are Kang Honggu, Kim Nayoung & Gregory Maass, Kim Okseon, Kim Jipyung, and Ha Chayeon.

In this exhibition, the participating artists present works that reconstruct the media they use and their past series. Exhibition Hall 1 features photography and installations by Kang Honggu and Kim Nayoung & Gregory Maass. Kang Honggu continuously questions his position in the Korean art scene, revealing his perspective through the lens of photography. Starting from his series "Who Am I?" (1998), he now presents new works that use current AI technology to inject humor.

Kim Nayoung & Gregory Maass reassemble objects and events from various sources that have lost their original utility, continually updating their visual language within a contemporary context.

Exhibition Hall 2 features works by Kim Okseon, Ha Chayeon, and Kim Jipyung. Kim Okseon and Ha Chayeon, starting from their own experiences, demonstrate a movement of solidarity with people from other cultures, outsiders, and peripheral figures. The two artists interpret the meaning of "home," representing house and hometown, in different ways. In her video work "Home" (2023), Kim Okseon narrates the inevitability of changing national identity through individual stories, while Ha Chayeon, in "Sweet Home" (2004), presents the temporary settlements of nomadic people through performance video. Kim Jipyung uncovers and presents marginalized traditions that have been excluded from mainstream discourse on East Asian painting, unfolding what he calls "stories from the margins."

Additionally, through the "Correspondence Exchange" booklet containing letters between the five participating artists and the curatorial team, visitors can read behind-the-scenes stories and commentaries in the artists' own words.

In conjunction with the exhibition, visitors can browse the artists' critical essays, artist books, and catalogs at the Archive Lounge and e-Reading Room. As part of the related programs, a docent program (with English service) will be held on ARKO Day, September 5, and an artist talk will be organized during September.

Chairman Jung Byungguk stated, "Through the ARKO Highlights Exhibition, we will continue to brand the ARKO Art Center's flagship program of special exhibitions for mid-career artists and provide ongoing opportunities to promote these artists."

The exhibition is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, at the ARKO Art Center located in Marronnier Park, Daehak-ro. Admission is free. Information about the exhibition and programs can be found on the ARKO Art Center website and official social media channels.