Exhibition Current

Introduction

Artspace Boan  presents  which deals with the signs of contemporary attitudes and senses of ‘body and contact’ from August 21 to September 6, 2018. Today, body has become the battleground of gender issues as well as a laboratory filled with desires or fears of evolving into a cyborg. In addition, it is the space in which the ultra-extremes of popular culture commonly referred to as ‘mukbang’* and ‘physical fitness’ flourish, and it is the object which receives careful consideration of the ‘manner hands**’, which coordinate physical distances in the Korean society.

At one point in time, human body was misunderstood to be under full control of the spirit. Later it was recognized to be a significant agent which expresses the will itself, following the development of the philosophy of psychoanalysis and brain science. Rather than focusing on the meaning of the body from the perspective of human history, the body dealt with in follows the theme of various senses of contact. The participating artists in the exhibition presents a wide spectrum of thoughts, starting from sexual issues in which the word ‘body’ and ‘contact’ arouse the most instinctive responses, to a space of materiality composed of protein, fat and water, and to a space of chemical behaviors where the human will and senses are evoked.

Are there discrepancies between a body and another body, a body and individuals senses created by a contact surrounding the body and the ensuing social relationship? Does body contact have any sort of virtue or decadence? And must all of such contacts end up submitting to ethical standards and social relationships? (continues next column)

The exhibition consists of 7 artists’ video, installation, and performance works about the divergence between contact and body which holds many implications. Ahn Eunme, instead of her performance based practice, presents her first  sound installation, which dances in-between spaces. The   (2018) is a sound installation created from a collection of stories about the wedding night of her mother’s generation. The ‘Gorshigee’ in the work offers a glimpse into the social atmosphere and ethical code surrounding physical contact, which was unmodern despite the strong wind of modernization. Kim Jimmmmmung’s (2018) and   (2018) questions the contradictions within the evaluation of the body that consumed by images of popular culture of the so-called idol fandom and otaku. Cho Hyun’s  is a 3D game which determines the ‘presence’ of individuals through social contact with others in a virtual reality space. In this game, ‘contact’ is an important yardstick which determines the loss and extension of life, in other words, the independent existence of the body. The performers in Oh Min’s  never acknowledge each other or come in contact to each other. They simply pursue their directions or take steps in accordance within the pre-arranged scores. The body expressed here is materiality itself which creates rhythms, images,a single rule and a system in a space. Park Karo takes a pseudoscientific approach to body and contact. The fake documentary about germs which proliferate when a contact is made, points to how the facts and belief systems impact the way we see the world. Yoo Sinae’s  deals with the question about the sense of digital hygiene, as a way for an  individual to characterize another individual in the digital age through the form of the body senses such as touch and vision. Chang Jia’s expresses the sense of fear and pleasure about contact and ownership through the saliva of the others produced by and between 6 performers who are wearing T-shirts with words ‘Freedom’, ‘Denial’, ‘Equality’, ‘Resistance’, ‘Independence’ and ‘Human’ printed each. These 6 words were extracted from Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

As such, the works which display different temperatures and perspectives on body and contact touch upon the sensitive layer of senses we overlooked in the history of authenticity. Since the very beginning, art has been making multi-layered use of the human body’s senses. However, such senses were tolerated depending on the purpose and cause of different ages. Nevertheless, such an area was able to remain in the ranks of social justice and norms until this day precisely because the owner as well as the only witness of such senses, our very selves, our bodies always exist here and now.  

Mukbang*
Mukbang is short for ‘eating broadcast’, and it is a term newly coined and widely used in Korea since late 2000. Online programs in which hosts eat and interact with their audience at the same time became very popular, and the media and the entertainment industry adopted this form of broadcasting afterward.

Manner hands**
Manner hands refers to the gesture of men which tries to minimize physical contact with women in the Korean society.

Opening Reception / 2018. August. 21 (Tue), 18:00pm,  33MARKET (BOAN1942 1 F)
–
Artist / Kim Ji Mmmmmung, Park Karo, Ahn Eunme, Oh Min, Yoo Sinae, Chang Jia, Cho Hyun
Period / 2018. August 21 – September 6
Visiting Hours / 12:00pm – 18:00pm (Closed on Mondays)
Venue / Artspace BOAN 1, 2
Curators / Park Suzy, Song Goeun, Shin Aletheia Hyun-Jin
Organization / BOAN1942
Funded by / Art Council Korea

Public Program

1. Performance
   Kim Jimummmmg will perform 5 sessions of the throughout the exhibition period.
   Date: August 21st, 25th, 26th, September 1th, 2nd, 4-5PM
   Venue: Artspace Boan 1

2. Performance
   Park Karo’s performance will be performed during the opening reception .
   Performers: Koh Yeseul, Kim Gunn, Kim Biki, Kim Kidows
   Date : August 21st, Between 6-7PM
   Venue : BOAN1942 1 F,  33MARKET

3. Panel Discussion <Body, Film, Space>
   Date : September 4th, 6 PM
   Venue : Artspace Boan 2
   Panelist : Oh Min, Andrew V. Uroskie