Seminar VI - Soyeon Ahn
Curator Soyeon Ahn was in overall charge of curating exhibitions at Rodin Gallery/PLATEAU for a long period of time. At this seminar, Ahn shared the concepts and exhibition methodologies for major exhibitions she curated and executed at the museum.
Space Study (May 5 - Jul 10, 2011), the first group exhibition held at Rodin Gallery after changing its name to PLATEAU, commissioned artists to produce works under the subject ‘space’ as a ‘place’ charged with memory. spectrum spectrum (Jul 24 - Oct 12, 2014), was a group exhibition of artists who have shown their works in the Art Spectrum exhibition series at Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, while (Im)possible Landscape (Nov 8, 2012 - Feb 3, 2013) demonstrated a new contemporary interpretation of ‘landscape’ based on the traditional motif of ‘landscape painting’
The role of the curator can vary depending on whether it is a group exhibition or a solo exhibition, but it is just as important in organizing solo exhibitions. Some of the most impressive solo exhibitions of international artists include Liu Wei: Panorama (Apr 28 - Aug 14, 2016), Elmgreen & Dragset: Aeroport Mille Plateaux (Jul 23 - Oct 18, 2015), and Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Double (Jun 21 - Sep 28, 2012). The exhibition by Elmgreen & Dragset was a project in which the artists - having actually visited the museum for the exhibition - took in consideration the museum space made of glass and steel as well as the name of the museum which reminded them of 1000 plateaus, and transformed the museum into a temporary airport. The exhibition transformed the museum in the most organic way in terms of both its meaning and space. The museum also held remarkable solo exhibitions by artists from Korea, including Bae Young-Whan: Song for Nobody (Mar 1 - May 20, 2012), Gimhongsok: Good Labor Bad Art (Mar 7 - May 26, 2013), and Minouk Lim: The Promise of If (Dec 3, 2015 - Feb 14, 2016), etc.
Through the joint-organized exhibitions to be held next year, the three participants proposed to shed light on mediums that are increasingly being overlooked, focusing specifically on sculpture. In reality today where the frames that distinguishes the boundaries or traits of genres are no longer valid, the participants are exploring how the concept of sculpture is changing, or perhaps, expanding. Suggestions were offered to give general directions for fascinating exhibitions by looking at fragments of specific traits of young artists, whose works engage with light material, reject representation, apply new technology like 3D printers, and use found objects. In addition, conversations on the comprehensive process of how contemporary art exhibitions come to fruition were shared, based on personal empirical experiences such as artist research, artist selecting process, actual exhibitions, displaying of work, and interviews. Ahn asked the participants to be particularly attentive of how narrow stereotypes and risks may follow traditional ‘sculpture exhibition’. She continued to explain that they must value the emphasis on the specific genre today where such issues are no longer considered important, and that they must be able to demonstrate the timeliness of such subject. Finally, Ahn also advised the participants to continuously strive to find subjects that captivate many people, through actual curatorial experiences and by engaging in intimate relationships with artists.