“The donation of 500 works and the construction of the artist’s museum have also been cancelled.”
Artist Gulim Kim is speaking at a press conference held at his studio in Pyeongchang-dong, Seoul on the 28th. Intern reporter Seojin
“This opportunity made me realize for sure that there is no place for writers in this country. I decided to leave this country soon.”
Artist Kim Gu-rim (88), a pioneer of Korean experimental art, said this at a press conference held at his studio in Pyeongchang-dong, Seoul on the 28th. He, who is in conflict with the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Kookhyun), said he would close all of his domestic work space within this year and then move his base to New York, USA.
At the center of the conflict is the catalog of the retrospective exhibition ‘Kim Gu-rim’ held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Jongno-gu, Seoul from August of last year to last month. Artist Kim claims that the state of the plates included in the catalog produced by Gukhyeon is at the level of damaging the original work. He also argued that the government had to recruit people who were unfamiliar with modern art and the world of artist Kim’s work to write the essay included in the exhibition catalog, and that artist Kim had to find the writers himself. Another issue was that the number of works included in the catalog was small compared to the works submitted to the exhibition.
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Artist Kim said, “I used a black background (as the background for the ceramic plate) to make it completely different from the actual work,” and added, “More than 100 works are printed in this way.” Author Kim received a proof sheet from Gukhyeon during the catalog production process, but he also said that he could not provide an opinion on color correction because it was a black and white print.
Kookhyun’s position is that writer Kim’s claims are different from the facts. An official from Kookhyun said, “During the catalog production process, the content was explained accurately, color proof sheets were passed around three times before printing, and author Kim himself made corrections. The final printed version was also shared with the author.” He added, “Everything related to the catalog, including the included works, editing, and selection of writers, was shared with the author.” “This part was coordinated in advance,” he said.
Before leaving for the United States, artist Kim also plans to cancel the plan to build his Pyeongchang-dong studio into an art museum. He added that he plans to build an art museum with the Jongno-gu Office in Seoul and cancel all plans to donate 500 of his works to the museum’s collection.
Artist Kim, who received the Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit in 2017, is considered a pioneer in Korean avant-garde art through his avant-garde work that is not limited by genre. He left for the United States in 1985 and established a reputation overseas, including holding a two-person exhibition with video artist Nam June Paik.
