Honest Talk in the Playful Space

Daejeon Expo Park, KAIST, Kumdori Land, Hanbat Village, Gov't Complex ... Glancing at it, it's true that Daejeon is more dryness than Busan, whereas Busan seems to be a more passionate city. For what reason, Daejeon gives an impression of a quiet city! Beyond this prejudice, did you know that the  artists born or working in Daejeon have a good command of deep and earnest humor among the amusing and brilliant ideas? In fact, we cannot be bothered to know of our neighbors, so it's hard to pay attention to the other city. This is our reality these days. What would we get if we take a look around our local neighbors from a different angle?

The exhibition <Local to Local -Play in the Gap> is the third exhibition of the annual event <Local to Local> taken place in Openspace Bae, proceeding to connect local to local as a culture and art interchanging project. We are attempting to communicate and connect Daejeon and Busan's culture by introducing artists that have vigorous and active work all over the country with the base in Daejeon. Futhermore, we are trying to propose the wider discourse and tighten the local, cultural gap between the locals by reading, comparing and contemplating the two local's culture and art code.

Through this culture-art interchanging exhibition <Local to Local>, artist Oh Yun-seok, Hong Sang-sik participated in 2008, artist Yoon Ji-sun, Lee Kang-wook, Lee In-hee, Hong Won-seok in 2009. And its third story in the year 2010, we would like to invite artist Kwon Young-sung, well-known as his work 'Map series', which shows a sublimation of painting with the motif 'Map', artist Chun Yun-jung, who changes the canvas and walls into dynamic ones that transcend time and space by using thin black tape, and artist Heo Ku-young, who showed his shadow installation 'Shadow- I'm not (  ) here' at 2008 Busan Biennale. The exhibition is to introduce a combination of these artist's former works and new works in Busan.

In these days, the list of conceptual art, kitsch, public-friendly as well as commercial potential, such characteristics of contemporary art go along the current trends, whereas finding some profoundity with some fun element melt in art appears to be difficult. The public gives visual affirmation and acclamation for such art to be more provocative, full of impact, far more sarcastic.  Which remains simply a prejudice against the fact that containing seriousness or plain taste to art is a little boring. For these abovementioned reasons, our aim is to broaden the perspective of regional art through Daejeon-born artists, whose artworks attempt to put a humorous side but never too light in terms of the themes, based on developing a unique technique with notions of artistic originality and aesthetic individuality, while improving public awareness of their artworks. However, rather than pushing ahead with an idea of 'regional-division' at the era of generalization and globalization of art, we reflect upon an obsolete way of thinking on categorizing into regional, local, international art, on the basis of acknowledging a rapid growth of an exclusive generalization of art. Through respecting the individuality of the artist, this exhibition is to transcend the limitation arose from the word 'Daejeon', but to focus on the work of art itself.

Starting from such reasons, the exhibition 'Play in the Gap' holds a value of narrowing a cultural gap between regions, and put significance on determining the particular gap based on the various characteristics found in the heart of each artist with an interesting eye. A gap, it could be simply understood as a gap itself which was found in the process of understanding the differences, or it could be just a vague border. in this exhibition, we try to acknowledge the meaning of 'gap' in a positive way. Our ultimate intention is to look forward the optimistic aspect of art reality by introducing artist Kwon Young-sung, Chun Yun-jung, Heo Ku-young 's work of art, who have been fiercely working on the foundation of observing the ambiguity and the differences. We believe that their works define the art of delight that pursues visual amusement while conducting full of concept, and imparts a good impression with ordinary subjects, and being modern, yet full of sensibility.

A full and frank discussion of contemporary art is now about to reveal in an alternative space so-called 'Openspace Bae'! The three artists' frank confession through the wide variety of artworks call for a barometer reflecting passion for life and art.

So, if you are ready, let's get into the place where a cheerful riot arises!