DEC 5 – JAN 10

RELATIVE REALITY:  Korean New Media Art Today
opening reception: Decemeber 5, 6–9pm

PANEL DISCUSSION:  December 4, 4:30–6:00pm
School of the Art Institute of Chicago Auditorium: 280 South Columbus Drive


JIA CHANG, YOONSEONG CHANG, JONGBUM CHOI, SEJIN KIM,
JOON KIM, CHANGKYUM KIM, HYESUNG PARK, YANGAH HAM

Chicago, Illinois:
RELATIVE REALITY is a groundbreaking exhibition of cutting edge contemporary video from Korea. It will be opening at Walsh Gallery on December 5, 2003. All eight artists as well as two Seoul–based curators, WonGi Sul and Byunghee Lee, will be present at the opening reception.

The exhibition, recently shown at the University of Hawaii, is a part of the 100 year celebration of Korean immigration to the United States. One component of this exhibition will be a panel discussion at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago on Thursday, December 4th. It will be held from 4:30–6:00pm in the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Auditorium. Contact the Visiting Artists Program at 312.443.3711 or online, http://www.artic.edu/saic/art/vap.

This exhibition of video art has it all. The viewer will be tantalized and disturbed by the video of Joon Kim. In his piece, “Flesh Park,” skin is the subject matter. To say the work is visceral would be an understatement. Skin becomes animated, pulsating with various body tattoos. At one point a nipple, almost wormlike, becomes erect and flaccid while being surrounded by a tattooed flower. Another scene features belly buttons firing gun shots of smoke. “A Prayer For Those That Remain,” by Changkyum Kim, shows a slow motion stroll through a Korean street market. This beautiful, slowed black and white footage is juxtaposed with a rapid fire presentation of disturbing images of popular culture, 9/11, and war. The soundtrack features a psalm sung in an almost Buddhist chant style. Hyesung Park’s video, “Ingres and His Friends,” is a bold, sensual tribute to western art masters. The opening scene features western masterpieces in moving bubbles. The video then launches into a fantasy realm where the viewer is lead through a 3–D journey through each piece. Jia Chang’s black and white performative video features a spoof of a laboratory experiment. A woman is exposed to various stimuli: techno music, blood-pressure checks, and forced milk-drinking. Frolicking rabbits are part of the sterile hospital room scene.

These are just four of the eight video artists included in the exhibition. All artists will be present at the opening reception.