Profile 5
Lazy Clouds at ZKM, Karlsruhe, installation view. Photo: Olivia Sand
dynamic for the city which was far behind in terms of contemporary art.
discuss Wittgenstein. I knew John Cage by name, but nothing further. We had a thorough discussion and it lasted a very long time. We had a fantastic conversation and, somehow, we were on the same wavelength. We had numerous things in common which made our exchange so rich. In addition, John Cage was an artist who really made his philosophy the leitmotiv of his life. Some artists have their practice, but live a completely different life. John Cage was the opposite, as his thoughts and life were in complete harmony and his artistic approach was shared by many. In a way, he created an extraordinary community around him. As to Nam June Paik, I knew him less, since I did not have a chance to interact with him that much. Nevertheless, he was brilliant, a fantastic human being even though philosophically, I did not have the exchanges or share a common approach as I did with John Cage.
AAN: In 1986, you organised a multi-media festival in France. What was the legacy of that festival? Did it set new milestones? KSG: In Marseille, there is a cultural
34 Getty Lacquer
building called La Vielle Charité. It is large and ideal as a contemporary art centre; and I was invited to do a solo show there. At the time, I was very passionate about creating exchanges with other people and I suggested to the organiser that I also stage an international festival. Te shop where I had bought my camera sponsored me, and I managed to get a small budget. As to the logistics, I had to keep it
simple with my guests spending the night in a tent I had rented on the beach. Some of my students had a limited amount of rooms for artists coming from abroad. I had booked John Cage in a small hotel close to La Vielle Charité, where he stayed up most of the night chasing mice in his room! It was nevertheless a wonderful experience. John Cage presented two works, Empty Words and Mirage Verbal, the latter being based on an unpublished letter that Alexina ‘Teeny’ Duchamp (1906- 1995) had given him. In terms of multi-media, it was a major first event in Marseille. At the time, nobody believed John Cage was going to attend. It became a milestone for Marseille, creating a
AAN: Throughout your career, you have been writing poetry which has consistently been at the centre of your practice. What is your approach? KSG: I usually do not write any subjective poems, starting with ‘I’. It is neither descriptive nor representative, but it has a lot to do with language – everything is important, every discovery is precious, every work or comma is meaningful. Terefore, poetry remains one of the pillars of my practice. In the 1980s, however, people did not think much of poetry, as everybody was out following a business-oriented mindset, determined to make money. Poetry was considered an anecdote in the greater scheme of things. However, I continued writing poetry, regardless of what trends were popular, or what people thought.
AAN: How do you see the future of multi-media art? What is the next logical step in your practice? KSG: In the continuation of an earlier series called Foolish Photography and Foolish Calligraphy, I would like to create a piece based on a very advanced programme with the latest technology, but where ultimately nothing would work. Basically, it would be a piece at the fringe of stupidity, at the opposite of efficiency, but somehow still working. In French, I would call it Poesie Digitale, or Digitale Poesie, I have not decided yet. My problem is that I need to rely on a technician or an engineer. We are dealing with something rather complex and I am not able to create the programme by myself.
Robot Yeong-Hee, 2019/2022, Lazy Clouds, at the ZKM, Karlsruhe. Photo: Olivia Sand
AAN: Apart from your solo show at ZKM, your work can currently also be seen at Carnegie International. What are you showing? KSG: Te piece included in the Carnegie exhibition, Stock + Garden, is from 2008, and revisits the earlier interactive installation Stock Exchange. I created Stock + Garden almost 20 years ago, but I have always brought it up to date, keeping the idea that the stock market has become the supreme value of our society, dictating the pace of our lives. In the future, beyond developing what I refer to as my ‘stupid project’, I also want to further investigate the qualities of sound, which I find fascinating. Sound has no frame, no limit. I need to work on its technical aspect first, as I am not familiar with it yet.
AAN: Looking back at your journey since the 1970s, leaving Korea for France was a bold move at the time. Would you agree? KSG: Absolutely. Back then, I did not fulfil what was expected of me. I was
supposed to stay in Korea, get married, and lead a normal life. Te most I could have hoped for was to teach philosophy, but not much more. In Korea, as a young woman, I did not want to accept my family’s money, therefore, I taught children in order to have a small income. I followed my path towards independence, passing the exam for university in order to be the best student, which would allow me not to have to pay for my studies. Te only thing I took were the $100 my mother gave me in order to pay for my cab ride once I reached Paris, to go from the airport into the city. I left Korea because I wanted to be like a cloud, floating free. I was longing to do what I wanted, and I had no intention of going back to a society that I considered closed. I think that as I left for France, my family somehow realised that it was not just goodbye, it was farewell.
AAN: You left Korea because you felt the environment was too traditional, not allowing you to fully express yourself artistically. Today, Seoul has become an attractive hub for the contemporary art world. Would you now reconsider spending time there? KSG: Even today, Korea would not be my preferred environment. I find Korea presently rather scary as it is highly commercial, very business oriented, and booming economically. I would feel lost in that environment. I would rather be at the countryside, although much of the countryside has been taken over by an agricultural drive for export. Te only place that is not affected by commercial activity is the Buddhist temple, the one place where the world is almost the same as it used to be.
REACH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE WITH ASIAN ART NEWSPAPER
Asian Art Newspaper has evolved its advertising choices to keep up to date with the advances in online opportunities, as well as continuing to support the print edition.
CLICK HERE to see more images
T e GuardianT e GuardianDaily TelegraphDaily TelegraphTime OutTime Out
CLICK HERE to visit our home page
CLICK HERE to see more images
CLICK HERE to see more images
DIGITAL INTERACTIVE Curated by William Dalrymple Curated by William Dalrymple
FINAL WEEKS - BOOK NOW Closes 19 April
Members & Under 18s go free
wallacecollection.org In partnership with
FINAL WEEKS - BOOK NOW Closes 19 April
Members & Under 18s go free
wallacecollection.org In partnership with
Adverts placed in our print edition also appear in the interactive digital edition. This allows advertisers to add an extra layer to their advert in digital bringing a new dimension to their advert. Advertisers will be able to customise and choose unique links they would like readers to see and experience.
WEBSITE
Adverts on our website are flexible and timely and easily adapted for last-minute bookings, or ideal for a dedicated online campaign with other digital options. For all possibilities, take a look at our rate card online.
ASIAN ART | MAY 2020 | #AsianArtPaper | asianartnewspaper | asianartnewspaper | Asian Art Newspaper
NEWSLETTER Our newsletter goes out each month to a wide variety of collectors, dealers, curators and library heads, as well as students.
asianartnewspaper.com/advertising For more information contact our commercial director Kelvin McManus, +44(0)7877 866692
kelvin.mcmanus@
cksmedia.co.uk ASIAN ART | NOVEMBER 2022
CLICK HERE to watch a video
Advertisers will be able to customise and choose unique links they would like readers to see and experience.
Shaikh Zain ud-Din, Black-Hooded Oriole and Insect on Jackfruit Stump (detail), Calcutta, 1778, watercolour. Gift of Elizabeth and Willard Clark, Minneapolis Institute of Art
Shaikh Zain ud-Din, Black-Hooded Oriole and Insect on Jackfruit Stump (detail), Calcutta, 1778, watercolour. Gift of Elizabeth and Willard Clark, Minneapolis Institute of Art
Openings in March & April
Friday
LateLate
Openings in March & April
Friday
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24
