After greater than 5 a long time, the artwork world is correctly catching up with Sung Neung Kyung. The 79-year-old South Korean artist is included within the main group exhibition Solely the Younger: Experimental Artwork in Korea, Sixties–Nineteen Seventies, which opened on the Seoul’s Museum of Fashionable and Modern Artwork (MMCA), and is now on present on the Guggenheim Museum in New York (ultimately travelling to the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles on 11 February). Alongside this, he has a solo present in Seoul at Gallery Hyundai and is finalising plans for a New York solo exhibition at his different gallery, Lehmann Maupin, as a result of open in 2024—his first-ever solo present outdoors South Korea.
Sung signed to each galleries solely up to now 18 months, and was beforehand unrepresented. Certainly, for a lot of his life, he has flown within the face of each the federal government and the mainstream artwork world, embodying a counter-cultural spirit of a era whose first a long time have been formed by Japanese occupation, the Korean Battle and the next navy dictatorship.
Sung’s physique of labor will be outlined by its use of mundane objects, equivalent to newspapers, in addition to acts of erasure and endurance. His work on the Guggenheim contains one in every of his best-known, Newspaper: from June 1, 1974, wherein he hangs up pages from a Korean each day newspaper and removes sections with razor blades. The work feedback on the state of being underneath an repressive authoritarian regime; it additionally questions the facility and authority held by the media. Efficiency is a big a part of Sung’s observe too, and he’ll carry out this work on the Guggenheim on 17 and 18 November.
At Gallery Hyundai you staged a newspaper studying efficiency wherein dozens of individuals all over the world will learn from native newspapers. Are you able to inform me extra about this and why you wished a world group of individuals? Is a world viewers one thing you might have all the time desired?
My Studying Newspaper efficiency idea e-book was acquired by Gyeonggi Museum of Fashionable Artwork in 2019. In 2021, the identical museum staged the seven-person Studying Newspaper efficiency utilizing that idea e-book. Town of Ansan, the place the museum is situated, had a big inhabitants of overseas labourers. I highlighted that attribute and requested two girls from Southeast Asia to learn newspapers or newsletters from their native international locations of their languages; they learn and scrapped out supplies of their languages. Subsequently, this efficiency served the genesis for this collective Studying newspaper efficiency with 100 people from all over the world.
Globalisation, which progressed since Alexander the Nice, has steadily elevated the variety of overseas immigrants in Korea to an simple quantity that immigrants who glad sure necessities got the proper to vote. Studying Newspaper with 100 individuals confirms this social phenomena in Korean and concurrently amplifies the presence of overseas immigrants by means of their voices. I included a gaggle of residents from all all over the world to enchantment to Koreans that overseas immigrants, too, are accountable residents.
All these years later you’re nonetheless performing—do you plan to proceed?
After all. Fortunately, efficiency is just not result-oriented. Even after I develop frail, I might be capable to present new representations of my bodily existence. Stunning our bodies and robust our bodies will not be the one our bodies. Emaciated our bodies and exhausted our bodies are our bodies, too. I intend to point out the method of decline, not the consequence, in my performances utilizing emaciated and decaying our bodies. It’s a path nobody has traveled but. Would there be discontent if I have been to comply with that path? Ranging from the efficiency I confirmed as a younger performer, in direction of the efficiency of an aged performer, I hope to current new performances by means of that course of.
The importance of newspapers has modified loads because you started your artwork observe. To a brand new era they tackle completely different meanings. Do you suppose this additionally modifications the interpretation of your work?
The paper medium is in a predicament. This have to be the case in America as nicely. In that respect, younger artists’ curiosity within the paper medium will doubtless diminish. The activation of digital will remodel the concepts surrounding different media. Certainly one of lately, printed newspapers will disappear. I proceed to make use of printed newspapers in my work, as I’ve nostalgia for that distinct scent of paper. Such traits endow a considerably completely different sensibility upon the digital era. I don’t know if that can result in a unique interpretation. Nonetheless, do I’ve to care?
Sure there’s a completely different sensibility to newspapers in a youthful era. That being mentioned, your work additionally attracts consideration to the automobile of content material, whereas destroying or obscuring the content material itself. In an age the place we’re subjected to fixed, usually banal, data, mediated by digital units owned by tech conglomerates that harvest knowledge and spy on us, this method additionally feels prescient. What do you make of this digital-era studying of your analogue work?
Newspapers throughout the time of my Studying newspaper had been managed by the authorities. Nonetheless even such newspapers had nonetheless endeavoured to report on the extreme travails of Korean society. For instance, editors headlined insignificant articles to ingratiate themselves with the authorities, whereas vital and unfavourable data have been tucked away within the margins of the newspaper. Those that acknowledged their effort have been the younger information distributors on the streets. They underlined these important articles with a crimson marker pen–although these have been promotional methods to promote newspapers–to emphasise their significance whereas demonstrating the braveness to re-edit the editor’s edits. In different phrases, the workplace chair and the road vendor’s stand collaborated.
Together with the democratisation of Korean society, publications in Korea regularly obtained autonomy. Nonetheless, the main conglomerates of “digital units” emerged quickly after, “the place we’re subjected to fixed, usually banal, data,” as you addressed. The rampant dissemination of “faux information” has made it tough to find out the truthfulness of data. In recognition of this, my idea e-book textual content at Gyeonggi Museum of Fashionable Artwork specified that digital data on cellphones is “learn and deleted”–not “learn and minimize out” as in printed newspapers–and executed in entrance of a display screen, permitting the viewers to witness the method. This has been carried out on the seven-person Studying newspaper efficiency.
I consider you possibly can perceive my intention, though not completely sure, to interact with issues relating to the algorithms of the digital conglomerates in addition to the falsity and banality of data. Nonetheless, within the Studying newspaper efficiency with 100 individuals, the act of “studying and deleting” digital data is just not included. That’s to focus on the voices of the overseas residents in Korea. If I’m given an analogous alternative sooner or later, I intend to proceed with the efficiency of “studying and deleting” digital data. The assessing and “studying” of my “analogue” Studying newspaper by the “digital-era” is completely as much as the “digital period.” I’m humbled by their assessments and studying. The artist is the one who’s “doing,” and the “studying” is finished by others.
You’ve gotten discovered gallery illustration comparatively far into your profession — had you acquired provides beforehand from industrial galleries? Why did you resolve to signal with a gallery now? And made you resolve to signal with Gallery Hyundai and Lehmann Maupin?
In 1991, I had a solo exhibition entitled S’s Posterity: Botched Artwork is Extra Stunning at Samduk Gallery in Daegu. Samduk Gallery, nonetheless, was not a commercially lively, or sales-oriented, gallery; it was extra like an exhibition house that organised reveals and displayed artists’ work.
The industrial gallery, which prioritises gross sales, was a more moderen improvement. Up till that time, Korean artwork scene had not been professionally commercialised, excluding three or 4 main galleries. Certainly one of them within the Nineteen Seventies was Gallery Hyundai, though I used to be not the gallery’s goal artist. No industrial gallery embraced experimental artwork at the moment, and the entry was difficult for artists like myself. Thus, I can say I by no means as soon as collaborated with such galleries.
It appears pure for me to recently start collaborating with and signing with galleries. I assume it’s the impact of the Guggenheim present. Guggenheim’s recognition of Korean experimental artwork as a big artwork historic motion has allowed many artists, together with myself, to be acknowledged with significance. In consequence, I consider industrial galleries have approached me with enlarged pursuits. All through that course of, naturally, I started working with Lehmann Maupin—a distinguished American gallery. I believed my participation in Lehmann Maupin’s program could be a possibility for Korean artwork, in addition to for myself, to develop globally.
How did you maintain your self as an artist for thus lengthy with out gallery illustration?
I continued my artwork practices, regardless of not having a gallery illustration, as a result of I used to be immature on the time, not realizing learn how to reside on this world. I by no means considered making ends meet. My mother and father, after I was younger; my older brother and his spouse, after I had grown; and my spouse, after marriage, nourished me. My spouse was a major faculty trainer. So, with none curiosity in learn how to make ends meet, or learn how to reside life, I occupied myself with art-related ideas, from daybreak until nightfall, whether or not or not at work.
I by no means acquired grants; nonetheless, in 2001, I had a solo exhibition/retrospective entitled Sung Neung Kyung: Artwork is the Shadow of Distraction at Arko Artwork Middle. Then in 2009, Baik Ji Sook, director of Arko Artwork Middle, bought Newspaper: from June 1, 1974, on, which marks my first sale. Since Arko Artwork Middle’s acquisition, many museums have bought one or two work/s yearly as much as a current date. The establishments which have acquired my work embrace Nationwide Museum of Fashionable and Modern Artwork, Gyeonggi Museum of Fashionable Artwork, Seoul Museum of Artwork, and Daejeon Museum of Artwork. There has not been a personal collector. The museums have approached me first with requests for acquisitions, with out the help of galleries.
You famously captured the political spirit of a repressive navy dictatorship in Korea. Some folks view Yoon’s presidency as a reactionary shift that’s even threatening Korea’s cultural establishments. What do you make of this present political second in Korea?
It’s tough for me to reply since this can be a reasonably political query. I consider the current administration is completely different from the repressive one which presided within the Nineteen Seventies and 80s. We can’t repeat the previous.
The present authorities does recur to right-wing tendencies; nonetheless, I don’t see this as a return to the previous’s oppressive navy dictatorships. Due to the right-wing tendencies of the present authorities, these with progressive views could also be dissatisfied. I perceive that. But, because the administration is just a bit over a 12 months outdated, I wish to stay impartial and assert that I’m who I’m. Departing from the political discourse, I wish to advocate for and respect my place. I’m who I’m. However, I’ll roll-up my sleeves if a navy authorities of the identical variety units in.
Are artists in Korea nonetheless making work commenting on up to date politics? Or do you suppose the connection between artwork, politics and private life has now shifted, and that making explicitly political work is redundant?
Just lately, I watched many artist exploration packages on YouTube; it was an excellent alternative to come back throughout younger artists. It appeared that they had no aversion to promoting their work; their items have been apolitical, advancing their subjective
accounts within the realm of visible arts. So, whereas it was difficult to come across political tendencies, in some circumstances, a couple of artists and galleries nonetheless preserve that political engagement by selling political artwork. Nonetheless, these galleries are unable to seek out industrial success.
However, I don’t consider that making explicitly political work is redundant. It, too, pertains to our existence. Whether or not apolitical or politically engaged, each are tied to our existence. When it comes to questioning my very own existence or how all artists contemplate their existence, artwork remains to be political. Whereas criticisms on real-world politics have diminished, in valuing existence, I view that every one artists, together with myself, have a political message. You’re nonetheless referred to by some publications as a “insurgent artist”. Is that this a time period you might have ever accepted or felt comfy with?
I had not thought of myself a “insurgent artist.” Nonetheless, the repressive political state of affairs within the 70s had stifled me a lot that I aspired to liberate myself from it by means of political art-making. As a result of that had outlined my existence. Is it not apparent to be sincere to my existence?
The time period “insurgent artist” doesn’t fulfill me, however I can’t reject it fully. Actually, the phrase “insurgent” is unfamiliar to me, and I want to change that phrase to “resistant.” My resistant political tendency was a barrier to coming into industrial galleries. There have been hardships due to that, however I by no means wished to vary that angle. Discomfort is the driving power of my artwork. It’s as a result of that defines my existence.
Your work has been described as an try and query the function of authority possessed by artists, and in addition by critics. Do you agree with this view, and do you suppose these energy dynamics have shifted because you first started making artwork?
Once I hear the arguments of latest artists, I can’t escape the sensation that they’ve all become critics and theorists. I, too, expend lots of effort and time to supply discourse surrounding my work. I do not negate the importance of criticism and idea; in truth, additionally it is true that the function of the critic or the theorist has been diminished. The authority and affect over exhibitions is given to many proficient curators at museums.
In consequence, the roles of critics and theorists have been transferred to the curators, which has shifted energy dynamics of their favour. I consider the system of artwork is being constructed in that course. Regardless, such transformative tendencies demand critics and theorists to reply severe questions on their methodology of survival and answer. I don’t suppose, because the query suggests, that the “energy dynamics” have completely shifted. Nonetheless, they have to revive their earnestness about criticism or idea. Solely then, will they uncover their path ahead and develop the sphere of criticism or idea. I consider the artist, too, should proceed to stroll the anxious tightrope between life and artwork.
