“We’re very excited to be in L.A.,” said art dealer and gallery owner Tina Kim, who’s based in New York.
Known for introducing Asian artists to the U.S. market, the spotlight in her booth was on South Korean artists Ha Chong-Hyun, Mire Lee, Suki Seokyeong Kang and Gimhongsok. She was also celebrating Filipino artist Pacita Abad, whose show at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art will soon open at MoMA PS1 in Queens. Abad’s work will be shown at the Venice Biennale this year.
“When I come to L.A., I am very excited to see the institutions here and their focus,” she said, highlighting the “Only the Young” show at the Hammer Museum — the first exhibition in North America to explore art emerging in South Korea in the decades following the Korean War. She had three artists represented in the show, which debuted at the Guggenheim in New York before traveling to L.A.
“You know, I think it really shows with Hammer bringing the ‘Only the Young’ show — ICA [Institute of Contemporary Art] has an Asian American art show right now and MOCA with Clara Kim [as chief curator and director of curatorial affairs], they have a very powerful Paul Pfeiffer show — West Coast museums are really looking into diversity and making research-focused exhibitions, which is very exciting for me,” she added.
