Atelier Hermes explores blurred line of reality, fiction at new exhibition ‘Elsewhere’

Atelier Hermes -- a nonprofit gallery in Seoul run by Fondation d’Entreprise Hermes -- has brought together rising South Korean contemporary artists around the theme of “Elsewhere.”

“Elsewhere” -- which opened Friday and runs through Oct. 25 -- showcases five new works by five Korean contemporary artists that explore the domains of the psyche and the subconscious, questioning our visual perception.

Artists Kim Dong-hee, Kim Hee-cheon, Noh Sang-ho, Son Kwang-ju and Cho Jai-young present diverse genres of contemporary art, from installations to drawings and video.

In a 21-minute film titled “Writing ‘The Five Caretakers,’” video artist Kim Hee-cheon explores the blurred line between reality and pseudo-reality. The enclosed space that appears in his new artwork alludes to the world struck by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Painter Noh Sang-ho examines human desires revealed on social media in his painting, “The Great Chapbook3.” Noh became popularly known after the cover of an album by Korean indie rock band Hyukoh featured his art.

Installation artist Cho Jai-young’s new work, “The Cross Sections of the Void,” is made of cupboards that present an imaginary space reminiscent of the fantastical world of “Alice in Wonderland.” The work aims to criticize the tacit political elements embedded in urban spaces that subliminally control how people think.

Fondation d’Entreprise Hermes, run by the French luxury fashion house, has four exhibition spaces around the globe dedicated to contemporary art -- in Korea, Japan, Belgium and France.

Exhibitions at Atelier Hermes in Seoul aim to promote talented young artists and provide them with the financial support they need to create new works, according to Atelier Hermes. Atelier Hermes is located in Gangnam, southern Seoul. It is closed on Wednesdays.


By Park Yuna (yunapark@heraldcorp.com)