Art shows this week

Taking an office building constructed by architect Kim Swoo-geun in 1971, the space went under a transformation in 2014 to become the Contemporary Art Museum that it is today. As it was built by such respected architect, the original structure was left almost untouched—the building itself was preserved and treated as a piece of art. Although the building did take on an extension in 1977, it has low ceilings, narrow staircases, and windows of all shapes and sizes, as it was modeled after traditional building conventions. Inside the maze-like lair lies the well curated collection owned by domestic artist "Ci Kim" or Kim Chang-il, one of Seoul's most well-known art collectors. As the gallery is also equipped with a bakery, café, and restaurant completely incased in glass, you'll find plenty to occupy yourself with at Arario in Space, even if you are not very fond of fine art.

Filled with numerous sewing needle factories and textile manufacturers that supply the neighboring Dongdaemun Market, Changsin-dong has been largely a working-class neighborhood since the 1960’s. It is in this historic district where artist Nam June Paik spent part of his early childhood, and where his memorial now stands. Located in a quiet and unassuming part of a narrow alley, the memorial is in the shape of a hanok, the traditional Korean house, making it visibly different from the rest of the neighborhood. One step inside the main entrance, you get an immediate glimpse of Paik’s artistic style, at the door, which is created from putting nine televisions side by side. The televisions depict scenes from history to capture the environment in which Paik grew up. Born in Seoul in 1932, Paik lived in Hong Kong, Japan, Germany and the U.S. throughout his lifetime, before returning to Seoul in 1984. His diverse life experiences are manifest in his artwork. The inside of the house is a simple L-shape with a small courtyard, allowing visitors a short but thorough look into the life of Paik as an artist. The memorial features a short history of Paik’ career with commentary from friends and influences, as well as his signature television art projects, such as Good Morning America and collaboration with soprano Sumi Jo. At the end, you can enter a room modeled after Paik’s apartment in Soho, New York, where you can watch the interactive biography, the Paper Theater. Nam June Paik...

After seeing the works in person, my perspective on your works have changed. The figures are a lot smaller in person—how on earth did you get clothes this small? On the “Still Life (Pieta)” (2007) is an altered jack we found, but everything on the sculpture is made. You can’t just get a dress off the rack, and it would take years to look around for clothes this tiny, with the right kind of color and fabric.    And who is this “we” that you speak of? My mother. She’s a dress maker, and the only person that I have ever met that is as fastidious and as particular as I am. So for “Woman and Child” (2010), I gave her my design, the fabric, and a foam body that she could put the pins into. Usually, a version is made to be tested on the mock-up, because these are all hard bodies that we can’t manipulate to fit clothing onto, as the sculptures are oddly positioned. But my mother is an expert. She’s the best.   Before you “became” an artist, you were a commercial sculptor in the film industry. How and when did the transition come about?   I started out as an illustrator when I was quite young, but went into advertising and making models for TV ads. The transition into film came naturally. The film industry was great fun, but there was always someone else who molded and painted the form that I made. It wasn’t artistically satisfying, so I kept making my own artwork, and showed them when given the opportunity.   I saw a clip where you were inserting the hair strands into the silicon,...

Chen Shaoxiong and Tsuyoshi Ozawa worked as a duo before. Why did you decide to bring in Gim? Ozawa Working as a duo for two years, we started to run out of ideas. So we asked Gim, who took part in a group exhibition with us at the time.    Does communication ever become an issue? Gim To have a decent conversation, we have to meet in person. The meeting in itself becomes a sort of trip, so it’s exciting. Depending on the situation, we meet in South Korea, Japan or China.  Ozawa Language wise, it’s always difficult. But it has gotten better with more conversations, like a habit.    The three of you all work on independent projects. Do you have any difficulty working together as a group? Gim I love the fact I cover a wider range of works that I couldn’t do as the sole artist. An idea may strike as embarrassing at one point, but when the three of us come together, I feel that it’s okay to carry on.  Ozawa I agree. Three is less embarrassing than one.  Gim Oh, I remembered one thing. Chen only likes healthy food, like seafood! It’s so hard to decide on a restaurant for dinner.    Your works definitely hold an element of humor. Why’s that? Ozawa We never tried to inject an element of humor on purpose. But when the three of us come together to perform, the works naturally evoke laughter. Gim The demand for contemporary art is still big in London and New York. It receives the most attention, and is expressed strongly. Serious art is important, but the three of us...