Former MMCA director explores Korean art's rise on global stage

This year has seen a record amount of global attention given to Korean artists. This is according to Lee Ji-yoon, CEO of SUUM Project, a contemporary art curating agency.

Mentioning the major events and solo exhibitions taking place across the world, the former managing director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art shed light on Korean art in the global context, focusing on how Korean artists began to assert a presence in the global art scene over the past 30 years. She was giving a lecture titled "History of Global Scene of Korean Art” on Tuesday as part of a monthly lecture series held by Corea Image Communication Institute.

“It was not so long ago that Korean artists began to expand their presence globally. It was in fact around 1989 when Korean artists had a chance to explore the global art scene and study abroad to build relationships globally beyond Korea,” Lee said, noting that 1989 was the year restrictions on traveling abroad were lifted following the end of South Korea's military dictatorship.

She highlighted how video art pioneer Paik Nam-june, a Korean-born artist, played a crucial role by participating in the 1989 "Magiciens de la Terre" exhibition, curated by Jean Hubert Martin at the Centre Georges Pompidou and the Grande Halle de la Villette. The exhibition sought to challenge the ethnic biases and colonial complicity of the contemporary art world.

That momentum accelerated in the 1990s.

In 1991, the Korea Foundation, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was founded to promote Korean culture abroad, and in 1995, Asia’s leading art biennale was founded in Gwangju. A year later, the Korean Pavilion was created at the globally prestigious art event the Venice Biennale.

“Over the past 30 years almost, Korean art has grown so fast,” Lee said.

Some of the events happening around the world this year that Lee mentioned include Kim Soo-ja’s installation "To Breathe – Constellation” at the Pinault Collection in Paris, Lee Bul’s four sculptures at the Met’s facade in New York, Lee Mire’s solo exhibition at Tate Modern in London, Yang Hae-gue’s first UK survey exhibition at Hayward Gallery, and Cho Min-suk as the first Korean architect to present at the 23rd Serpentine Pavilion in the UK.

Tuesday's forum was joined by some 20 CEOs, diplomats, artists and journalists, held at Yido Cheongdam, a restaurant run by the pottery brand Yido. CICI, led by its president Choi Jung-wha, was established in 2004 and was registered under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Korea to promote awareness of all facets of Korea.