Re:born Party

The Neighborhood Artists - 2.Changhwan Kim, Dongsik Roe, Sangwook Bae

By Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation

Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation

the studio at Dongchun-dongGyeonggi Cultural Foundation

Remembering the last of the studio at Dongchun-dong

Italo Calvino’s novel <invisible cities> takes the form of Marco Polo telling stories to Kublai Khan, the emperor of China about cities Marco Polo himself has seen in his travel. But the cities are not real but imaginary. In the sight of Calvino, a lot of memories, desire and symbols are involved in one city, and there are extremely various ways to interpret these. And Calvino describes the various involvements in this novel. The description reveals that a city is an unstable space where appearance and disappearance recur rather than a simply static substance.

the studio at Dongchun-dongGyeonggi Cultural Foundation

The catalogue of forms is endless: until every shape has found its city, new cities will continue to be born. When the forms exhaust their variety and come apart, the end of cities begins.

From 『Invisible Cities』, Italo Calvino

The instability still lasts in the city we live now. There were artists who had endured the instable movement at Dongchun-dong Sooji-gu Yongin-si Gyeonggi-do where a massive apartment complex will be built. They are three artists; they arranged time to remember the studio at Dongchun-dong which will disappear to be a city of the past making way to a new city under the name of redevelopment.

the studio at Dongchun-dongGyeonggi Cultural Foundation

Artist Changhwan Kim, having built a nest in this studio 7 years before, remembered the studio as an invaluable opportunity given to him at the moment in need. When he started to study late and was a college student majoring fine arts, he had a hard day working as a boiler technician or on the construction sites. The studio, therefore, must be the only space in which enables him to introspect on his life. So he defines the studio as ‘a space of perseverance’. The studio is full of painful but valuable time of the artist who perseveres in fighting against himself.

the studio at Dongchun-dongGyeonggi Cultural Foundation

Changhwan Kim, Dongsik Roe and Sangwook Bae share the studio at Dongchun-dong. These days I often heard news that sharing house is very popular with the youth. Long before this, there were times when collaboration or joint work became prevalent in the art world, and the way of work has been on track and is familiar now. Nevertheless, modern people are poor at considering, respecting and living with others. Efforts for living together could be found here and there in the studio. Studio rules hand-written in the old paper was at the entrance, which showed the attractiveness of the shared studio. All three artists said, there is a definite advantage in sharing a studio.

the studio at Dongchun-dongGyeonggi Cultural Foundation

Artist Sangwook Bae said it was a comfort for him to be with his friends to get it out over a drink, of one mind and help him when he had a difficult time with working by himself like falling into mannerism. In fact, three artists have in common in that their main vehicle is a sculpture but they study properties of completely different materials such as iron, cotton and wood. Sometimes they could get hints for the unsolved issues from each other because they have different ways of solving the problems on the materials they deal with. And sometimes just encouraging could be comforting. ‘Sharing’ studio had a special meaning which is different to living together.

the studio at Dongchun-dongGyeonggi Cultural Foundation

I seemed not to take the transformation of a place serious before I heard the story about the studio at Dongchun-dong. When I made my first visit to Dongchun-dong after having heard of the story, all the pretty old facilities nearby that would be demolished soon looked pathetic. And one day when I saw the newspaper advertisement on ** apartment complex at Dongchun-dong, I realized it would not be long. Artist Changhwan Kim felt sorry for leaving there because the transportation at Dongchun-dong is convenient running in all directions and it was perfect for artists who have frequent off-studio activities like exhibitions and meetings. In the capital area it would be difficult to find a place that is as quiet, inexpensive and convenient for transportation as Dongchun-dong, he said.

the studio at Dongchun-dongGyeonggi Cultural Foundation

In any case, now is time for each of them to leave for a new nest, and they had Re-born party to support the Re-born of their studio and themselves on that evening. Attendees at the party were diverse; acquaintances who usually support the artists, young students and civilians who visited here for the first time, and even neighbors who has been indifferent for years. And the artists who had embraced the transition talked about being sorry for leaving Dongchun-dong and being excited about and looking forward to a new studio. All attendees promised to keep all memories of Dongchun-dong artists shared. But they did not make a special effort to hold any special events to visualize the memories. In fact, the memories were too heavy that it took a long time for attendees to digest and they looked filled with emotion. There might be various ways of remembering a place, but they decided that they gathered at one night and kept memories on the studio in their eyes, ears and hearts. Someday even if Dongchun-dong in our memory does not exist anymore, attendees will be able to prove that there were artists.

the studio at Dongchun-dongGyeonggi Cultural Foundation

At the end of the party, I asked the next move of the three artists. Changhwan Kim answered he was preparing for the new studio at Yangpyeong, Kyeonggi-do. He looked as if his emotions swung between fear and excitement about the new work environment. Sangwook Bae prepared for the new studio that is not far from Changhwan Kim’s one. Maybe it seemed to be difficult to let old friends go. Unlike the two, Dongsik Roe made a decision to move in another joint studio in Kwangjoo, Gyeonggi-do. He may fall in love with the charm of studio sharing. I could read their sincere support of one another’s next move in their eyes.

Written by Nari Kim (Creative Director/Art Critic)

The Neighborhood Artists - 2. Changhwan Kim, Dongsik Roe, Sangwook Bae (2015-09) by Gyeonggi Cultural FoundationGyeonggi Cultural Foundation

1.Changhwan Kim

M.A of Department of Environmental Sculpture at Kyungwon Univ.
B.A of Department of Environmental Sculpture at Kyungwon Univ.

Solo Exhibitions

2013 Rebar Exhibition, Youngeun Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwangju, Gyeonggi
Kim, Changhwan The Invited Exhibition, Lotte Gallery, Seoul
2011 Kim, Changhwan The Invited Exhibition, Hotel Lotte Jamsil, Seoul
Swimming in SSamzigil, SSamzigil, Seoul
Swimming, Han Jeon Art Center, Seoul

Planned Exhibition & Group Exhibitions

2015 The Installation Art reflecting Gapyeong-gun, Jarasum, Gapyeong
Gwanghwamun Cotton Candy Exhibition, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Seoul
2014 Water-Innocence, SOMA, Seoul
2013 The Invited Exhibition of Fubon Art Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan
Pyeong Chang Biennale, Pyeong Alpensia Resort. Pyeong
2011 Geumgang Nature Art Pre-biennale, Gongju
And other exhibitions

Awards & Residency

2013 Residency in Youngeun Museum of Contemporary Art
2009 The First prize of Korean National Fine Arts Exhibition
2001 A special winner of Korean National Fine Arts Exhibition
And others awards


2.Dongsik Roe

M.A of Department of Environmental Sculpture at Kyungwon Univ.
B.A of Department of Environmental Sculpture at Kyungwon Univ.

Group Exhibitions

2015 The 3rd Vornado Art Collaboration – Eco Round, Gana Insa Art Center, Seoul
ART BUSAN, BEXCO Exhibition Hall 2, Busan
The Asian Nostalgia Contemporary Arts, X-COMA, Banpo International Art District, Xi’an, China
PSYCO-OBJETS, Wooyang Museum of Contemporary Art, Gyeongju

2014 Politics from Individuals(Asia Independent Art), Yoonseul Gallery of Gimhae Arts and Sport Center, Gimhae
Drawing Island 1st, Nefs Art Gallery, Seoul
Moving Triennale_Made in Busn, Busan Port Passenger Terminal, Busan
From Now, Seongnam Arts Center, Seongnam
Breeze Art Fair 2014, Nemo Gallery, Seoul
The 1st Able Access Art Fair, Culture Station Seoul 284, Seoul

Awards

2002 A winner of Chunang Arts Exhibition
2001 A special winner of Danwon Art Festival


3.Sangwook Bae

M.A. of Sculpture Department at Tama Art Univ., Japan
B.A of Environmental Sculpting at Kyungwon Univ.

Solo Exhibitions

2004 Alchemy, Gallery Cheongna, Tokyo, Japan

Group Exhibitions

2014 From Now Exhibition, Seongnam Arts Center, Seongnam
2008 Korea Youth Biennale, Daegu Art Museum, Daegu
2007 Take out Exhibition, Gallery Cube, Seoul
2007-08 The Exhibition of Korea Sculptor Association, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Seoul
2006 Solid Seven-person Exhibition, Gallery 52, Tokyo, Japan
2004-06 Nika Exhibition, National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan
2004 RunningWater Exhibition(Korea, China, Japan), Gallery Ewha, Tokyo, Japan
2003 Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition in commemoration of the opening of Hachioji City Dream Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
2002-03 Conversation with a Tree Exhibition, St. Luke’s Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

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