이 책은 국립현대미술관 개관 50주년 기념 도록 〈광장: 미술과 사회 1900-2019〉의 영문판이다. 국립현대미술관의 지난 50년의 기록을 글과 이미지로 담아 역사적 전시의 현장성을 생생하게 전달한다.
Held at MMCA Deoksugung, Part I considers the role and relationship of Korean art with the liberation movement during the Japanese colonial period. Considering the overall theme of how historical conditions influence the art of a given era, this part is divided into four sections: “Records of the Righteous,” “Art and Enlightenment,” “Sound of the People,” and “Mind of Korea.” “Records of the Righteous” recalls the individuals who found their own ways to bravely uphold the nation’s honor and autonomy during Japan’s initial encroachment into Korea and eventual colonial rule: literati scholars who vehemently asserted the need to maintain Confucian tradition and the isolationist policy; members of the resistance militia; people who risked everything to join the front line of the independence movement; people who chose to go into hiding to nurture future generations; and the martyrs who made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their life to the cause. Through Chae Yongshin’s magnificent portraits of these patriots, as well as their own excellent works of calligraphy and painting, this section looks back at how the thwarted dream of building an autonomous modern state led to resistance activities and dreams of enlightenment. This leads to the next section, “Art and Enlightenment,” which presents educational resources, illustrations from newspapers and magazines, and works by the Gaehwapa, a group dedicated to the reform and empowerment of Korea. Visitors can also trace the changing coverage of independence activities in art magazines published before and after the March 1st Movement of 1919. “Sound of the People” reviews how various international art trends were introduced through posters, magazines, and prints, while also examining Korea’s relations with global socialist and proletariat art movements. Notably, this section includes works by Pen Varlen and Yim Yongryun, two master artists who were exiled from their homeland due to colonial rule. Finally, “Mind of Korea” presents works by the pioneers of Korean modern art, such as Lee Qoede, Kim Whanki, and Lee Jungseob, showing how their passion for life and attitude towards art shone through their art, even during times of the darkest despair.
Although many of Korea’s first modern cities had public squares from the time of their establishment, the contemporary concept of the square had not yet arisen in this period. In the early twentieth century, the social and political role of the square was typically filled by the streets or marketplaces instead, where most people met and conversed. However, the artists and freedom fighters who resisted the loss of national sovereignty and struggled to enact a new era never abandoned the collectivism of a public space for the individualism of the back room. There were many possible paths between the back room and the square: some were narrow and winding, some were wide straight boulevards, while others led to a dead end. But no matter which path they chose, they were headed towards the ‘square’ of freedom and liberation, sharing the same vision of restoring Korea’s identity and autonomy.
Held at MMCA Gwacheon, Part II deals with the era of modernization, democratization, and globalization, from the Korean War to the present. Rather than a straight chronological presentation, this part has a mixed arrangement to allow for the intersection and coexistence of the back room, street, and square. To highlight the overarching theme of the exhibition, the title of each section is based on keywords from Choi Inhun’s novel The Square. In particular, this part invokes Choi’s symbolic and metaphorical use of color, especially black, gray, blue, and white. The displays are divided into a total of seven sections: six to the right of the main ramp and one to the left. The six sections on the right are “Blackened Sun”, “Han-gil(One Path)”, “Gray Caves”, “Painful Sparks”, “Blue Desert”, “Arid Sea” In addition, the right side includes a square dedicated to the May 18 Uprising in Gwangju. Finally, the section on the left is “White Bird,” a space for mourning and placing a wreath. Visitors are encouraged to move from right to left, following a roughly chronological path from the 1950s to the present with the square in the center.
Focusing on the 1950s, “Blackened Sun” begins with works by Jeongju An and Kang Yo-bae depicting wounds from the Korean War and the NorthSouth division. Next, “Han-gil(One Path)” explores how the rapid economic development of the 1960s was instigated by the military regime’s imperious push for progress and restoration, prioritizing national production at the expense of individual freedom and expression. By enforcing a uniform standard, the military government effectively denounced both the back room (individual freedom) and the square (autonomy of community). Featuring abstract works by
