[ARTBLOC Exhibition Review] “The Best World Possible” in Seoul
December 2019 - April 2020 @Platform-L in Seoul
Translated from:
Who would’ve guessed that an art museum created by Louis Quatorze is in the middle of Seoul, Korea? At Platform-L Contemporary Art Centre, located in Gangnamgu Seoul, various art and fashion displays, performances, films, and classes are held daily. Hearing about their latest exhibition, ARTBLOC decided to explore what the hype was all about!
“At the age of 20, anyone has the option to choose between the world of BLUEPRINT or REDPRINT. Once in the world of either, they cannot return nor see how the opposite world functions.” — from the exhibition introduction
Upon entering the site, the viewer is given a pair of coloured sunglasses according to the world they’ve chosen, and is instructed to navigate the space following the hints in the glasses.
Each collaborating artist with novelist Jidon Jung for the exhibition presents a page for each of their story that the viewer is prompted to collect throughout the space. Although every story is different, it connects at one point of the exhibition to create a complete world of science fiction.
To ARTBLOC’s disappointment, it was initially interesting to choose between the two worlds where one could not experience the other — but that soon became dull after realizing the two only switched up its order of viewing sequence. Also, between having to find lines as instructed, view the artworks, and read each story, it was difficult to focus on one thing.
However, the artworks ARTBLOC encountered during the exhibition were undeniably fascinating, to say the least. They were of unusual characteristics that are not easily seen in everyday art galleries. Among them, only a few artists’ works made a particularly special impression.
From BLUEPRINT: Youngjin Yoo
With structures that can be spotted on the streets, installation artist Youngjin Yoo questioned whether they can be part of a living organism if they pretended to be alive by associating with other things, such as a building (seen below).
From REDPRINT: Sanghwan Byun (Gom Design)
Now let’s move onto the opposite side of the world. There is nothing definite in the world of REDPRINT. Artist Sanghwan Byun approaches this realm from a fresh perspective, recreating things of the everyday that are all too familiar to us. This is where common sense collapses. Whether it’s a yellow banana or a transparent onion, all of the objects are coloured in stark white. Pink gloves become crocodiles, and the chicken laying in various positions become a statue. It is a work where the artist’s imagination and naming sense come together comically.
From REDPRINT: Eunsae Lee
Where rules and consistencies aren’t predictable, doesn’t every moment in REDPRINT feel all the more intense? This intensity is especially felt in Eunsae Lee’s works. These paintings depict actual encounters that the artist has had, where shapes are crushed and it remains unclear what is actually on the canvas. “Monsters of the Night”, which portray madness of drunken women, left a particular impression on ARTBLOC. Regarding this work, Eunsae Lee comments:
“The characters in the paintings become active at night. For young women, dark nights are fearful times, but ‘Monsters of the Night’ portrays rather drunken women who are fuming in anger and madness. The ‘Monsters of the Night’ appear ready for a terrible counterattack against what dark nights may bring.” — Eunsae Lee
Lee’s works were impactful due to their intense visuals, but perhaps it was more so because of the underlying political message hidden in them that left a lasting impression.
From BLUEPRINT: Gwangsoo Park
These scribble-like graffiti works are actually made of a very unique tool: handmade pens! It is questionable why these messy lines would belong in a predictable world like BLUEPRINT, but Gwangsoo Park is interested in the disappearing things that mainly deal with extinction and the end of existence. The first thing that can be predicted by an algorithm is death, a story that everyone knows.
Verses From Jidon Jung’s Novel
“I have seen the universe ending three times. (…) I store everything in my heart. So in me I have a total of 3608 regrets. The end is all worth it and sparkling in their own ways. Indeed, the end of existence is always beautiful…” — from the “World Extinction Tour Guide” by Jidon Jung & REDPRINT Eunsae Lee
“-My husband cheated on me after I became pregnant with our second child.
-Wife, that doesn’t belong in the world of BLUEPRINT.
-He said he was the best husband material.
-Maybe he is the best husband.
-Him cheating?
-Wife… an AI does not follow family laws. I just gather information and make the best reasonable judgement.” — from “AIs do not follow family laws” by Jidon Jung & BLUEPRINT Heemin Chung
Despite many parts of “The Best World Possible” exhibition that lacked, a new perspective on literature & visual arts was interesting. Especially since AI is becoming more and more common these days, it was a great exhibition to think about the future involving them.
About ARTBLOC
Opening up art investment for all, ARTBLOC enables micro-art investment by tokenizing the fractionalized ownership of masterpieces. ARTBLOC serves as a community for sharing art world information and critiques as well as a platform for art investment. ARTBLOC aims to drive the growth of the art market in general and support the artists, ultimately bringing art to our everyday lives.
