Yaiza Nicolas - Exhibition opening Tue Dec 2, Gallery Van, Seoul

The Van Gallery is located 500m from Sinchon subway station, just around the corner from the Ssamzie Space in Hongdae. See map.

Scrapyard Challenge art project workshop, SangsangMadang, Hongdae Nov 27-29

Some New York artists are in town, Jonah Brucker-Cohen & Katherine Moriwaki and they gave a talk at Hongik University at Jochiwon campus about their upcoming public workshop.
There will be a free artist's talk at Gallery SangSangmadang in Hongdae on Thursday Nov 27 at 7pm.

The Scrapyard Challenge Workshops are intensive workshops where participants build simple electronic projects (both digital and analog inputs) out of found or discarded "junk" (old electronics, clothing, furniture, outdated computer equipment, appliances, turntables, monitors, gadgets, etc..) The MIDI Scrapyard version includes a mini workshop where participants build simple drawing robots or "DrawBots" with small, inexpensive motors, batteries, and drawing markers that can also be connected to Serial or MIDI interface. At the end of the day or evening, the workshop participants have a small performance, concert, or fashion show where they demonstrate and present their creations together as a group. No electronics skills or any experience with technology is necessary to participate in the workshops.

Scrapyard Challenge Workshop
SangSangMaDang Gallery, Seoul, Korea
November 27-29, 2008, 10am to 7pm
Today (27th Nov 7PM) there is an artist talk from Janah and Katherine. Please come to listen, if you have time.

From Nov 28, you can join the workshop as a participant or as an observer.
(There is fee to participate this workshop, from Nov 28 it will cost 100,000 Won for two days.
or you can just come by and see what is going on for a while as a observer.)

Contact:
Park Sohyeon (Soni)
Gallery Sangsangmadang
+ 82 (0)11 9922 7308 (Cell)
+ 82 (0)2 330 6224 (Office)
soni@ssmadang.co.kr

Go to www.scrapyardchallenge.com
or see http://blog2.sangsangmadang.com/gallery/category/English

Opening Live Lecture by John Bock 21 November 2008 6 p.m., Arko Art Center, Seoul

John Bock : 2 handbags in a pickle
22 November 2008 - 8 February 2009

Exhibition
"PARA – SCHIZO, ensnarled" Arko Art Center
Exhibition
"Films & Videos", Insa Art Space


Arko Art Center, Arts Council Korea
100 Daehakro Jongno-gu Seoul 110-766 Korea
http://www.arkoartcenter.or.kr

Insa Art Space, Arts Council Korea
90 Wonseo-dong Jongno-gu Seoul 110-280 Korea
http://www.insaartspace.or.kr





Press Opening November 21 2008 5 pm., Arko Art Center

Opening Live Lecture by John Bock 21 November 2008 6 p.m., Arko Art Center

Friday Film Screening 5 p.m. on every Friday from 5 December 2008 until 6 February 2009 Insa Art Space

Wide Floor Talk "Your Existoform" 12 December 2008 2 – 4 p.m., Arko Art Center


Arts Council Korea(ARKO)'s Arko Art Center(AAC) and Insa Art Space(IAS) introduce the solo exhibition and new production of John Bock first in Asia (b. 1965, based in Berlin).

This project was initiated from new film commission by ARKO to the German Artist, which is realized as 40 min. – long two channel video "PARA – SCHIZO, ensnarled"(2008) through an intense, organic collaboration throughout an yearlong period of time. In this project, the two institutions made their first joint venture of integrating two functions by the needs of each work phase. IAS performed itself as a production collaborator whose role was an intimate team player with the artist on the actual production site. AAC, as a communicating and distributing agent of the production, framed the artistic context of John Bock and the process of collaborative production by means of artwork presentation, artist archive composition, public talks and screening programs.

The whole project is composed of exhibitions at two venues, John Bock's live "lecture", a screening program of the artist's cinematic videos, and an accompanying workshop programs. The exhibition at AAC centers around a new film, "PARA –SCHIZO, ensnarled" that incorporates objects, performance, sculpture, costume as well as video. A live lecture is held on the opening day at the exhibition gallery. The exhibition at IAS features a selection of eight single channel videos and runs a separate screening program on every Friday for four long cinematic films by John Bock.

John Bock's New Film, "PARA – SCHIZO, ensnarled"(2008)
40 min., 2 channel video, PAL
Director_John Bock
Produced and presented by Arko Art Center and Insa Art Space of the Arts Council Korea
Courtesy_ Klosterfelde, Berlin; Anton Kern, New York

The work of John Bock is shaped in the process during which the intervention and action of the recipients become real and the energy generated in the interplay takes the form. His new production is the result of dynamic collaboration between two "handbags", the artist and institutions, artist (Germen film crew) and Korean film crew.

"Para – SCHIZO, ensnarled" is a sequence of situational frames that move along the principle of emotional and formal symmetry. It shows two figures who, leading two separate paths of quest in parallel, converge, clash, destroy and reproduce each other in a cycle of mutual interplay. Corresponding to this double narrative, the video is also formed in two channels, and the images and words in each channel are intricately composed as to be divided into a half or synchronized into a symmetrical whole. Each fragment of scene, while retaining the particular quality of John Bock's videos in its sensuous imagery, charged plot, dramatic action and poetic lines, are connected in a complex and multi-layered structure.

The exhibition title "2 Handbags in a Pickle", referring to John Bock's vocabulary, means two microcosms that are situated in another higher level of universe(system, individual, organism, structure, etc). The two immanent elements formulate an absolute, abstract symmetry, but never imply a certain relative values. John Bock sees the two elements as equivalent two's that generate energy in a series of mutual interrelationship between the two variations. What is essential for the artist in these two opposing elements is to observe dynamic mechanism of the relationship, in which each element develops an interaction, evolves and transforms respectively into a mutant. These two elements run as maintaining the parallel to each other, but also can be converged, intersected, and connected into a cycle of circuit. The structural aspect of these two elements therefore is transmittable and porous, not rigidly bipolar. Since this title is an archetypal sign that can be interpreted diffe rently in multiple kinds of contexts, it can be applied to, for example, to Korea's political situation, our general social relationship, our body - beings as a biological structure, the notion of self as psychological and philosophical existence, and even the relationships between the two art institutions.

John Bock does not make an artwork to represent a certain subject, but rather designs the project so that it can perform the subject in total. The metaphor of "two handbags" is repeated and expanded like an echo from the external level between the two institutions, through the internal level within the museum between the two gallery spaces, to another internal level inside of his own works between his object and performance, his performance and video, his video and installation. Each handbag, while also being a schizophrenic mutant running parallel, is "ensnarling at each other" within a Pickle of John Bock, that in turn cannot help but being another structured (pickled cucumber) microcosm instead of a raw cucumber.

For more information about the project and accompanying programs, please visit the website of AAC and IAS.

Platform Seoul 2008 exhibition til Nov 23, 2008

This contemporary multimedia international exhbition is held at a range of venues across Seoul - including the Art Sonje center, the old Seoul Station etc.


Click here to get a full program and guide maps to venues (PDF files)







Exhibition Period
25 October – 23 November 2008

Opening Time
11am–6pm (entrance until 5pm)
Closed on Monday

Admission Ticket
Artsonje Center:
6,000 won / student 3,000 won
Seoul Station Old Bldg.:
6,000 won / student 3,000 won
All Exhibition Pass:
10,000 won / student 5,000 won
Program Single:
6,000 won / Student 3,000 won
All Program Pass:
30.000 won / student 15,000 won
Free Admission Ticket:
40,000 won / student 20,000 won
* Free admission to all the exhibitions and programs except Great Journey of Princess Bari 2008 by Musical Theatre Baramgot

– Free Entrance in other galleries except Artsonje Center and Seoul Station Old bldg.
– University/college students included the discount fare

Docent Tour
Artsonje Center:
2pm / 4pm (Tue–Fri)
12, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 pm (Sat, Sun)
Seoul Station Old Bldg.:
Daily 11:30am – 5pm
Every 30 minutes

Venues and Participating Artists

Artsonje Center
T. +82.(0)2.733.8945
– Salvador Dalí
– John Cage / Kim Soun Gui
– Kang-so Lee
– Jeppe Hein
– Tino Sehgal
– Jooyeon Park
– Vito Acconci
– Trisha Brown
– Dan Graham
– Allan Kaprow
– Robert Morris
– Bruce Nauman
– Yvonne Rainer

Gallery Yemac
T. +82.(0)2.720.9912
– Kim Soun Gui

Gallery SUN contemporary
T. +82.(0)2.720.5789
– Martin Creed
– Angela Bulloch

Kukje Gallery
T. +82.(0)2.735.8449
– Xijing Men (Gimhongsok, Tsuyoshi Ozawa, Chen Shaoxiong)
– Surasi Kusolwong
– Jan Fabre

doART Seoul
T. +82.(0)2.2287.3500
– Marina Abramović
– Xu Zhen
– Markus Schinwald
– contact Gonzo
– Dan Graham
– Keitetsu Murai

PKM Gallery
T. +82.(0)2.734.9467
– Luis Jacob

Weibang Gallery
T. +82.(0)2.720.8222
– Peter Fischli / David Weiss

Songwon Art Center
– Koki Tanaka

ONE AND J. Gallery
T. +82.(0)2.745.1644
– Ujino Muneteru

GaGallery
T. +82.(0)2.744.8736
– Manon de Boer

Lock Museum
T. +82.(0)2.766.6494
– Thoma Vuille

Seoul Station Old Bldg.
– Dong Koo Yun
– Jae Eun Choi
– David Lamelas
– Navin Party (Navin Rawanchaikul & Tyler Russell)
– Akira Takayama
– Hwayeon Nam
– Janet Cardiff
– Tino Sehgal
– Yang Ah Ham
– Gilbert & George
– Kim Soun Gui
– Kang-so Lee
– Play
– Saburo Murakami
– DaDao Live Art Festival
– Action in China
– Sora Kim

Contact
Artsonje Center
www.artsonje.org
T. +82.(0)2.733.8945
SAMUSO:
info@platformseoul.org
T. +82.(0)2.739.7067 / F. +82.(0)2.739.7069

The Circle - multi-media performance by KoPAS

What: A non-verbal image performance staged by the famous Korean group KoPAS (Korean Performance Art Spirit).





When: December 5-7, 2008
Time: Friday Dec 5 at 7.30 pm, Sat Dec 6 at 4 pm and 7.30pm, Sunday Dec. 7 at 4pm (running time - 60 minutes)
Where: Nowon Art Centre. (tel. 02)3392-5721~5) (see map below)
Cost: 20,000 won (full), 10,000 won (concession)
Contact: KoPAS (02) 323-6812


Map to Nowon Arts center:

Juliette Clovis - French pop artist exhibition - Art Monde Art Center, Gallery VIEW, Seoul

What: Juliette Clovis - French pop artist exhibition
Where: Art Monde Art Center - Gallery VIEW, Changjeondong, Mapogu, Seoul, (opposite Ssamzie Space - near Hongik University). See map below.
Dates: 2008.10.27(mon)-2008.11.27(thu)
Website: www.artmonde.com


Click map for larger view:

The Next of Russian Art - exhibition Gallery Loop

Exhibition: The Next of Russian Art

A collection of works from contemporary Russian artists - sculpture, installation, painting, photography, video.

Where: Gallery Loop, Hongdae (see map below)


When: Opening Nov 7 - Nov 28


Website: www.galleryloop. com








Click on map for larger view

SSamzie space - Danish artists group AVPD- exhibition opening and talk

On Friday November 7, at 4.30 pm at Ssamzie Space there will be an artist's talk by Danish interdisciplinary art group AVPD.
The exhibition opening is at 6pm, Friday Nov 7 and will continue until Dec. 31, 2008.

AVPD have innovative approaches in dealing with space, and their interdisciplinary work crosses boundaries between architecture, design and fine arts. They present 5 new multimedia installations expressing their view on human perception/ space/ and the real/virtual.

Ssamzie Space is located in Changjeong-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. (Not far from Hongik University)
Tel: 02 3142-1693
Website: www.ssamziespace.com
Email: ssamziespace@ssamziespace.com
See map for directions:

Gwangju Biennale finishes November 9.

You have only 7 days to see " Annual Report: A Year in Exhibitions", the 7th Gwangju Biennale.

Travel Note: You can get to Gwangju easily from Seoul by KTX in under 3 hours. A one-day trip is very possible. There are free shuttle buses running between Biennale venues.

Under the artistic direction of Okwui Enwezor, (and co-curated by Hyunjin Kim and Ranjit Hoskote) the exhibition is “a report on the distribution system of artistic and cultural forms and a reflection on the intermediary gap between artists, producers, practitioners, and audiences.” Annual Report includes 127 artists from 36 countries, visit the Gwangju Biennale 2008 website for the complete list.

The Biennale is developed around three components: On the Road, a series of exhibitions from 2007 and 2008; Position Papers, a series of curatorial proposals and experiments by curators working in Southeast Asia, North Africa, South Korea, and the United States; and Insertions, a series of new and independent projects, either commissioned specifically for the biennale or invited as proposals into the exhibition framework. The Biennale spans five venues: Biennale Hall, Gwangju Museum of Art, Uijae Museum of Korean Art, Cinema Gwangju, and Daein Traditional Market.

You can watch a video in English about the exhibition here:
www.gwangju-biennale.org/2008gb/eng/about/Movie.html

According to the website:
“The importance of the Gwangju Biennale is, at least, twofold: on the one hand, it is one of the key international cultural institutions to emerge from Korea’s unique modern, national, and historical experience, and linked to the dynamism of Asia in the 21st century…At the same time, the Gwangju Biennale has evolved into one of the few pioneering international exhibitions to engage in the task of analyzing the impact of globalization on the field of contemporary art, and to challenge an older system of international exhibitions based on the outmoded system of national pavilions. In so doing, Gwangju Biennale has provided the space in which to explore the changing nature of international artistic networks, and to examine new modes of artistic subjectivity and conditions of contemporary cultural production that extend beyond national borders or focus on regional modes of identification.”