By Yoon So-Yeon
In a post-apocalyptic world where society and politics no longer look like they once did, what would people gather together for?
Multimedia artist Park Chan-kyong doesn’t have a clear answer, but he invites you to participate in the thought experiment at his first solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) Seoul. Park has been chosen as the sixth artist to participate in the MMCA Hyundai Motor Series, a 10-year joint project by the MMCA and Hyundai Motors where a prominent artist is chosen to hold a solo exhibition at the museum, sponsored by the automobile maker. It started in 2014 with Lee Bul, followed by Ahn Kyu-chul, Kimsooja, Im Heung-soon and Choi Jeong-hwa.
Artist, director and also a critic, Park’s exhibition follows a cinematic story referred to as a “narrative of frame” in literature and film. Although the core of the exhibition is about the meaning of gathering, Park focuses specifically on the act of gathering at an art museum.
The first section of the museum is titled “Small Museum of Art,” where works from other artists curated by Park are displayed. Most works resemble Buddhist art, creating a temple-like mood that’s related to what visitors will see in the coming sections. The descriptions of works on the walls are written by Park himself, making it clear that a museum is the work of curation by a certain individual. It’s a “small rebellion to the social institution” and a suggestion that art should be digested by the people who encounter it...
