Choi Eunju (Director, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art)

It is no exaggeration to say that the status of a museum is determined by the networks established with domestic and overseas institutions, as well as with artists. Since its opening in 2006 as a local art museum, the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art (GMoMA) has discovered and supported domestic artists, and cooperated with overseas organizations at the same time to share with audiences in Korea the stories of the world. My vision for GMoMA is to help more people experience visual language and become a place to discover new ways of life in the process. We would like to continue to extend the infinite range of contemporary arts expressed to encompass various perspectives of the world.

Irony & Idealism is an exhibition that meets the vision of the GMoMA conceived to realize cultural exchange between Korean and Germany through contemporary art. GMoMA developed the joint exhibition idea proposed by Dr. Gregor Jansen, the Director of Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, Germany, and German artists, and expanded the exhibition into a Korea-Germany exchange show. With the aim to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries, the exhibition ─ intended to run for two years ─ was first held in Korea and in 2018 in Münster, Germany.

Ahn Jisan, Stand on Tiptoe, oil on canvas, 90.9×60.6cm, courtesy Johyun Gallery, 2016

In Korea, the exhibition was held twice at GMoMA and the KF Gallery of the Korea Foundation. Within less than three months, more than 18,400 visitors came to view the exhibition. This exhibition was a rare opportunity to introduce some of the most influential and leading artists of Germany, and it was rated a great success in that contemporary arts of the two countries were brought together in one exhibition. I am most pleased to introduce Korean artists once again to German audiences at the Kunsthalle Münster and to have another opportunity to promote exchanges between Korea and Germany.

I would like to extend my appreciation and respect to the artists of both countries, namely Gimhongsok, Hwayeon Nam, Bae Young-whan, Ahn Jisan, Michael van Ofen, Manfred Pernice, Björn Dahlem and Yoon Jongsuk. It was a most exhilarating experience to get a direct glimpse into their deepest thoughts and contemporaneous sensibility. The participating artists are prominent artists who are either in their prime as artists or being recognized as world-class artists. In addition to their previously produced works, the artists have created new oeuvres for this special exhibition adding variations according to the three different sites. The visual language of their works, incorporating paintings, video, and installations, reminds us that Korea and Germany were connected culturally well before the catchphrase “globalization” gained our attention.

Björn Dahlem,, Milky Way wood, steel, pebble stones, varnish,

175×260×40cm, Courtesy of the artist and Sies+Höke, Düsseldorf, 2010

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Director Gregor Jansen of Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, who proposed the Korea- Germany exhibition; the Korea Foundation; and the Goethe Institut, Seoul; and the Korean Cultural Center, Germany for their cooperation and support. I am also indebted to the private collectors, art museums, and galleries, for enthusiastically lending us their treasures despite the long journey of this exhibition. Last, but not least, I am most grateful to our partners in organizing this exhibition—Gail Kirkpatrick, Director of Kunsthalle Münster, her staff members, and all those who were engaged in realizing this exhibition for their dedication and contribution.

I believe that art can create bridges between Korea and Germany in becoming even closer friends. With a long-term perspective, the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art would like to contribute to creating an art ecosystem that transcends time and space. I sincerely hope that there will be many more collaborations and encounters between Korea and Germany even after Irony & Idealism ends its run. Furthermore, I wish that the cultural connections between our two countries will enter into a new phase and that our understanding of each other will deepen further as a result.

Yoon Jongsuk, Flower, Acrylic on canvas, 100×120×3cm, 2004

We at the Korea Foundation are delighted to hold the Korea-Germany Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition Irony & Idealism in partnership with the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art and the Kunsthalle Münster.

It is truly meaningful that we are holding this contemporary art exchange exhibition to promote friendship and communication between the peoples of our two nations through the medium of culture.

Founded in 1991, and buoyed by invaluable support from the Korean government and the Korean people, the Foundation has continued to show the world the true beauty of our nation, further elevating our standing in the global arena. People worldwide are increasingly interested in Korean culture, with many visiting Korea to experience for themselves the innumerous attractions found from Korea. In this context, the Korea Foundation is committed not only to publicizing Korea internationally but also to introducing foreign culture to the Korean people and helping them develop a greater understanding of our modern world.

Manfired Pernice, Progress III, wood, laquer, courtesy of the artist; Konrad Fischer Galerie Düsseldorf, 2012

Starting with the opening exhibition at the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art in September 2017, followed by this traveling exhibition at the KF Gallery and another at the Kunsthalle Münster in this year, Irony & Idealism allows us to examine our two countries’ societies through the eyes of eight Korean and German artists, punctuated with their cultural diversity and artistic creativity. These works of contemporary art reflect the concerns of the times, materializing the many societal and cultural aspects shared between our two countries.

I would like to express my gratitude to Eunju Choi, Director of the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, Dr. Gail Kirkpatrick of the Kunsthalle Münster, the participating artists, and the countless other people who have endeavored to make this event a reality.

Hwayeng Nam, The Botany of Desire two channel HD video, color, sound, 8min 23sec, 2014-2015

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