A clipped newspaper, a mother painted on wood... An era preserved in ARKO’s collection [fn Art Snap]

Holes punctuate the pages of a newspaper. The articles have been cut out, leaving only advertisements and photographs. This is Sung Neung-kyung’s ‘Newspaper: After June 1, 1974’ (1974). The blank spaces on paper meant to convey information prompt reflection on the press censorship of the time.The special exhibition ‘Collection: Scenes from an Era,’ opening on the 16th at ARKO Art Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, unfolds the history of Korean contemporary art captured in the works. It presents 70 works by 60 artists, selected from the approximately 420 works in the collection of the museum, which is run by Arts Council Korea (ARKO). This is the first collection exhibition in 18 years, since 2008.■ From hanji and newspapers to wood and videoThe exhibition is organized by decade, following the periods when the works were made, from the 1970s through the 2000s. In the 1970s gallery, Kwon Young-woo’s ‘Work 78-76’ (1978), made using hanji paper, and works by Sung Neung-kyung show different directions of experimentation.
At the ‘3rd ST Exhibition’ in 1974, Sung Neung-kyung attached a newspaper to a wall and cut out articles with a razor blade. The newspaper on display is what remained from this act. It bears witness to everyday objects and actions becoming materials for art.
The exhibition explores changes in Minjung art and Korean painting through works from the 1980s, including Min Jeong-ki’s ‘Street of Abundance’ (1981) and Park Saeng-kwang’s ‘Yi Dynasty’ (1980).
In the 1990s, Yoon Suk-nam crossed the boundary between two-dimensional and three-dimensional art by painting a figure in acrylic on wood in ‘Mother 1: Nineteen Years Old’ (1993). Shin Hak-cheol’s ‘Korean Contemporary History 802’ (1994) is also on view as a work from this period.
By the 2000s, modes of expression had broadened, with works such as Kim Eul’s ‘Drawing Machine’ (2006) and Ham Yang-ah’s video ‘Venus of Jeju Island’ (2004). Rather than grouping an era under a single style, the exhibition shows different practices unfolding side by side.
■ A history of support preserved in the collectionFounded in 1974 as the Art Center, ARKO Art Center provided young artists and art groups with a venue to present their work at low rental rates. A total of 275 works, about 65% of the entire collection, were acquired from the museum’s opening through the 1980s.
About 25% of the collection consists of award-winning works donated between 1982 and 2006, when ARKO and its predecessor, the Korea Culture and Arts Foundation, organized and sponsored the Korea Grand Art Exhibition. In the 2000s, as the museum held more of its own exhibitions, it became more active in acquiring works in conjunction with them.
The exhibition includes around 20 award-winning works from the Korea Grand Art Exhibition, including Lee Ki-bong’s ‘Raw—Where a White Towel Lies’ and Kang Ae-ran’s ‘Life-II.’ Around 10 previously unpublished works will also be shown, including Park Saeng-kwang’s ‘Yi Dynasty’ and Kim Gu-rim’s ‘Yin-Yang 99-S, 207.’
At a briefing on the 15th, curator Cha Seung-joo noted that the collection also includes works different from the artists’ familiar signature pieces, describing the exhibition as ‘a chance to take a somewhat more multidimensional look at the artists’ diverse tendencies.’
Alongside the works, the exhibition presents records of the artists’ exhibition participation and artist collective activities, as well as records of the museum’s major exhibitions. A separate archive space shares the findings of six outside researchers who have studied Korean painting, printmaking, sculpture, crafts, and other fields. The research findings will also be made available as digital materials on the museum’s website.
Through December 6. Admission is free Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. A research-sharing session and workshops for children and seniors will also be held.

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