Korean Contemporary Art

Miki Wick Kim
Prestel

Published to highlight the dynamism and complexity of the contemporary art scene in Korea, this text offers a basic introduction to the work of 30 of the country’s most talented and prolific artists and their works.

Beginning with a brief introduction and a succinct essay from Shinyoung Chung discussing “Recent Movements in Korean Contemporary Art”, the author offers a sound basis for the growing curatorial and editorial interest. There’s definitely something missing though. Does “contemporary” refer to Korean art of the last 20 or 25 years – what’s the time span? There’s mention that the contemporary art scene gained international recognition after the 1988 Olympic Games; does this indicate that we are measuring the development through strictly Western eyes? These are pertinent questions, which could have been explored through a broader range of materials. However, the rich selection of works and artists profiled certainly indicates that Korea is a fertile ground for cultural exchange and offers a brief, if not slightly Wikipedia-style, insight into the world of contemporary Korean art.

Florence Wright