The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea(NMOCA) has opened an exhibition titled Art Folly 2012_Cubrick, a work by architect Kim Chan-joong, to the general public. The exhibition will run from January to June just outside the museum in the plaza of Seoul Grand Park, under the concept of 'A Meeting of Art and Architecture', as part of the public art project of the NMOCA. With the start of Cubrick, this exhibition will expand the scope of conventional art to several outdoor spaces.
This project has been planned jointly by the NMOCA and Seoul Grand Park to maximize the uniqueness of the venue, i.e., the art museum and Seoul Grand Park. It is the first project to have been planned jointly by the two organizations since the NMOCA was moved to Gwacheon in 1986. For this exhibition, Kim Chan-joong’s work takes the form of an open structure that enables spectators to see the scenery of the park from various angles by utilizing the characteristics of the venue.
The work was created by stacking 42 cubes made of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP). The artist made six kinds of modules by cutting the sides of each cube differently. Each open window created by the gaps between the stacked modules captures various scenic views of the surrounding area.
The floor of the art work is made of LED, and various patterns and information about art exhibitions and cultural events are projected onto the floor, providing dynamic images in real time to spectators who are standing on the floor or looking down through the gaps between the windows.
Artist Kim Chan-joong (currently serving as a professor in the Department of Architecture at Kyeonghee University) also runs 'The_System Lab' to achieve the specialization of production and design systems related to space, ranging from small-sized housing to large-scale urban environmental projects. <Cubrick> was created in the process of exploring new materials and production methods for the contemporary industry, and will provide a special space that crosses over the boundaries between architecture, art, and industry.
Curator Chung Dah-young, who planned this project, said, “These outdoor installations will provide a unique spatial experience to the general public for a certain period of time,” adding, “Art Folly will capture people's mind and eyes as an open venue and a new window to art.”
<Art Folly> is a new public art project of the museum, following the series comprising <UUL Art Fence Project>, <Nuclear Power Plant Art Project_Yeonggwang 2010>, and <Museum Link_Itjanayo(You know...)>. It materializes a major motto of contemporary art, “Art Outside the Museum”, with the museum's new public art project. This exhibition will become an open space for all to explore and participate in art.
The NMOCA will launch its second series of Art Folly in summer 2012 by utilizing the outdoor sculpture park and courtyard of the museum to create synergy effects together with <Cubrick>. Furthermore, the museum will promote the museum's openness to the public by linking a series of events such as Art Folly, the ongoing Korea Architecture Archive Project, and Korea's Contemporary Architectural Exhibition, which is scheduled for 2013.
Several experience programs will also be offered as part of the educational programs of 'Art Folly 2012_Cubrick,' which are designed for children who are on winter vacation. Children will be able to participate in creative art experience activities such as completing children's stories using seven scenes by utilizing the ‘Museum Made of Cheese' activity postcards, which are installed along the walkway between Seoul Grand Park and the Museum.
The NMOCA is planning to grow as a leading agency in the genre of contemporary art, as well as in various genres of visual art such as architecture and design.
