Ha Chong-Hyun 5975: Art Sonje Center

Art Sonje Center is pleased to present Ha Chong-Hyun 5975, an exhibition dedicated to the early works of Ha Chong-Hyun, spanning the years 1959 to 1975. Running from February 14 to April 20, this exhibition investigates how Ha’s materials and techniques evolved in dynamic interaction with the socio-historical context of South Korea. His early works reflect the artist’s response to the upheavals of Korean modern history, including the Korean War, rapid industrialization, and urbanization. Expanding his experiments with diverse materials and their materialities, Ha reimagined social realities and personal experiences, challenging the boundaries of painting and exploring its possibilities through experimental approaches.

Ha Chong-Hyun 5975 explores four stages in the artist’s career, from 1959, shortly after his graduation from Hongik University, to 1975, when he began the Conjunction series—now recognized as his most iconic body of work. The first section, titled “Informel (1959–1965),” examines how Ha’s work, influenced by the Informel movement, captured the chaos, devastation, and uncertainty of the postwar era. The second section, “Urbanization and Geometric Abstraction (1967–1970),” focuses on Ha’s geometric abstraction on themes of rapid urbanization and economic growth, along with his blending of traditional and modern elements in the Naissance series. The third section, “The Korean Avant Garde Association (AG)—New Art Movements (1969–1975),” highlights his experimental works through his involvement with AG. The final section, “Conjunction—The Back-Pressure Method (1974–1975),” presents early examples of his renowned Conjunction series. Tracing these stages, the exhibition reveals how Ha’s early works evolved within their social and historical context.