Joy of Reading Sculptures’, an exhibit of sculpture collection takes place at NamSeoul art gallery of the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA, Director Yoo Hee-young) from October 16, 2009 through February 16, 2010. This exhibition is designed to suggest diverse views on the sculptures of human body by exhibiting 27 pieces of works from 21 great artists in the genre of sculpture, which have been selected elaborately from sculpture collections of SeMA.
Given the normal conception that human body sculptures by modern and current artists are old-fashioned, a close look at them will enchant people with touch, movement of sculptures beyond mass of materials, and emotions of artists. Works of art, which are social products as well as expression of sensitivity, reveal how social changes influenced them, if people watch them closely.
SeMA keeps a large number of sculptures which have been breathing with us long time and reflect our history, and particularly for this exhibition, it is considered that sculptures of human body made of materials and components of expression meeting eye levels of youth are chosen.
Characteristically, the exhibition is organized so that students and adults alike view and feel the works of sculptors as illustrated in the fine arts textbook of middle and high schools, and directly appreciate ultimate emotion three-dimensional formative arts bring forth.
Organization by section and participating artists
SectionⅠ. Warmth of Life
Based on expression of human body, this section is composed of works by seasoned artists who have sought to establish their own world and identity. As a matter of fact, modern sculptures of human body in traditional technique have been overshadowed by various and compelling media of the postmodern era and ruled out in the mainstream. But it is undeniable that those works to be shown in this exhibition with rich expression components are the source and origin behind development of sculpture, and it is right time for us to revaluate their true value.
Section Ⅱ. Caring Touch
Brancusi said: “Substance is not the exterior look of things but their essence. In this context,
imitation of their surfaces cannot express anything substantial.”
This section is composed of works directly addressing abstractionism as a representing art language of the 20th century, works completed based on the abstract concept, and works which focused on revelation of materialistic energy and characters of each material as primary concern of creation. These works are expressed in a reserved way reflecting artists’ deep intention rather than pursuing artistic reality figuratively.
Section Ⅲ. Vision for Tomorrow
Sculpture means carving and shaping, while plastic arts has the combined meaning of sculpture and molding – carving, shaping, building together and modeling to complete the artworks. Some colleges of fine arts name the three-dimensional art department as that of plastic arts, but it is already long time since such boundary vanished, entering the modern era.
This section is composed of works by artists who attempt diverse methods to express their inner world beyond the limits of prevailing form and materials – works back and forth between abstract and figurative world, or works using new mixed materials. They are typically not satisfied with the present and strive to have their own ways of creation and move forward steadily to achieve their goals.
The exhibition sheds shine on Korea’s history of sculpture in macroscopic point of view through the sculptures of human body as created as a result of painstaking artistic efforts. It provides the opportunity for the audience to directly view the works of great artists which they could only access by the textbooks, and thus to understand with ease and interest modern sculptures of human body, which must have been difficult to understand and old-fashioned to them. Taking this event, SeMA offers academic aspects of the exhibition by way of explanation of various sculptural materials and the artists in an easy way, and allows the audience to directly view the famous works as shown on the textbook. By such enhancement of familiarity, SeMA expects to be rooted as an open space museum where anybody can frequent with pleasure and comfort at anytime.
This exhibition is particularly designed for educational purposes for students of elementary, middle and high schools. And there are extra events of field practice throughout the winter vacation as well: For elementary school students, ‘Making natural soap with mother’ takes place, whereas for middle school students, ‘Making a notebook of viewing the museum’ is introduced as a guide for their difficult vocation assignments. Also there are special lectures on three-dimensional formative arts and how to boost creativity, five times each during January 2010.
