Entering into the twentieth century, suspicion began to incur whether art is simply an imagery reflection of literature, religion, nature and figures. In this age where image overly flourishes due to the advancement of information and technology, would it be adequate for artists to create other images and throw them into the gigantic ocean of images? Such inquiries began to function as one of the engines that drive contemporary art for more than a century.

MMCA’s Collection Highlights:‘The Wall’ unveils one portion of Contemporary Art’s many years of endeavor to answer this question. Painting divested its golden frame protecting the illusory world and hung on the wall as raw canvas while sculpture stepped down from the absolute space of pedestal to the bare floor. Consequently, two-dimensional painting protruded into space as if it were three-dimensional object and sculpture rather began to enjoy leaning against the wall. Now contemporary art is becoming something that walks a fine line among the myriad of dimensions.

About fifty works from the Museum Collection was chosen despite of their diversity for they commonly contemplated the fundamental condition of an art exhibition, the ‘wall’. By means of revealing the physical existence of the wall behind the work, twisting our preconception projected on the wall or the artwork, and even becoming another wall by itself, these works remind us yet again of the ‘wall’ in the existent space shared with other people. They liberate us from the illusionary wall by exposing the concrete wall, thereby acknowledging its existence, and invites people to the open conversation unfolded before the wall.

*image(left)
Hwa-jin Chang
Gate series, 2014
MMCA Collection, courtesy of the artist