P21 opens new space in Itaewon with paper works by Jorinde Voigt, Xiyadie

P21, a contemporary art gallery based in Seoul, is showcasing work by German artist Jorinde Voigt and traditional Chinese paper-cut artist Xiyadie at its new space in Itaewon in Seoul.

The latest exhibition marks the inaugural exhibition at P21's new space, which opened on Feb. 24 after moving from its original place that opened in 2017.

“The former space had a strong character by having two separate storefront spaces but also posed limitations as they were very small. But I didn’t want to leave this neighborhood and was lucky to find a perfect space just 100 meters down the street,” Soo Choi, the founder of the gallery, told The Korea Herald on Friday.

Choi also took over as a director of Koenig Seoul, German gallery’s Seoul venue that opened in 2021.

The inaugural exhibition at the new space is titled “Jorinde Voigt & Xiyadie 2.0,” with a meaning of “the binary symbolism behind the numbers (of 2 and 0),” according to the gallery.

Practicing labor-intensive papercutting, Xiyadie challenges dominant narratives through traditional Chinese paper-cutting techniques. He depicts queer love through intricate papercuts and engages viewers in a sensory and embodied experience. Voigt’s paper works unfold as metaphors for layers of memory, with each meticulous cut creating visual archives in three dimensions.

Since its opening, the gallery has promoted Korean artists at all career levels from emerging to established as well as international artists. The artists represented by P21 are Choi Jeong-hwa, Choi Ha-neyl, Keem Ji-young, Xiyadie, Ahn Tae-won, Lee Hyung-koo and Park So-young. The gallery has collaborated with more than 25 artists and collectives.

The exhibition “Jorinde Voigt & Xiyadie 2.0” runs through April 6.