Contemporary Asian art has rapidly evolved over the past few decades, emerging as one of the most dynamic in the international art scene. The National Museum of Contemporary Art in Korea has recently organized a groundbreaking exhibition, consolidating an extensive collection of Asian contemporary art.
| National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea (photographed by Hwang Dana) |
Made in Popland
“Made in Popland” is one of the largest Asian Pop Art shows to date, showcasing 150 artworks by 42 leading contemporary artists from Korea, China and Japan. The much-anticipated exhibition provides a rare opportunity to see pieces by renowned Asian artists from the late 1980s to today.
The Pop Art movement originally emerged in Britain and reached its height in New York in the 60s, lead by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. It challenged traditional art by using mass media images in new ways. Pop Art in Asia shares many of the same roots and ideas, but was carried out under different political, economic and cultural circumstances. The Pop Art of Asia is distinctive from Western Pop Art, encompassing different styles and subject matter.
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Made in Popland (photographed by Hwang Dana)
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A key element of “Made in Popland” is the idea of “mass.” Divided into four sections, the exhibition starts off by greeting audiences with humorous and colorful paintings. Portraits of Mao Zedong, Marilyn Monroe, Superman and other celebrated figures make up the first section of the exhibit, “The Heroes of the General Public,” along with iconic motif paintings by Chinese artists like Yue Minjun and Fang Lijun.
The highlights of the second section of the exhibition, “The Society of the Spectacle,” include Murakami Takashi’s manga-like “Cosmos” and flamboyant Monogram Multicolor series, which he created in collaboration with Louis Vuitton.
| (left) Works by Murakami Takashi (right) Artwork by Nara Yoshitomo (photographed by Hwang Dana) |
The last two segments of the exhibit, “The Return of the Repressed” and “The Pain of Others,” are less joyful, even uncomfortable, with paintings and installations that satirize consumerism in society and portray the pain and tension of Asia’s fast-paced development. Participating artists include Nara Yoshitomo, Choe U-ram, Odani Motohiko and Feng Mengbo.
| Feng Mengbo, Long March-Restart, 2006-2008 Installation (photographed by Hwang Dana) |
Drawn from the museum’s own vast collection and artworks borrowed from organizations in Korea, China and Japan and participating artists, “Made in Popland” underscores the achievements of the current generation of Asian artists. The exhibition asks audiences to reflect on what role art and media should take in the lives of people in contemporary Asia, and how mass media fits into people’s daily lives. It also reflects the increasing interest and attention given to Asian contemporary art, which is just now coming into the international limelight.
The exhibition runs through February 20 at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Gwacheon. Admission to the special exhibition costs 5,000 won for adults, and is free for people older than 65 and younger than six. Admission is free on the fourth Saturday of every month. Permanent exhibitions are open to all free of charge.
English docent tours are available every Saturday, and start in front of Gallery One at 2 p.m.
For further information, please visit the official website at www.moca.go.kr/eng/ (English and Korean). You may also download museum maps and brochures in English, Chinese and Japanese from the website.
By Hwang Dana
Korea.net Staff Writer
