Innehållsförteckning för August 2019 från Space

‘PARK SEO-BO: The Untiring Endeavourer’, an exhibition of the representative artist of Korean monochrome (dansaekhwa) paintings, has been on show at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) Seoul since May 18. The exhibition, in the form of a retrospective, showcases 160 pieces ranging from the artist’s early works to new ones made in 2019, covering a career spanning about 70 years. The exhibition is divided into five periods and offers a panoramic view of his work: his Primodalis period, with the representative works of Korean informel painting; his Hereditarius period of the late 1960s, which saw him drawing on aspects of geometric abstraction and pop art while employing his unique colour sense, as demonstrated by both the Hereditarius series and Illusion series; his early-ecriture of the 1970s,…

In the 1970s, when counter-cultural movements such as the hippie revolution were active across the U.S., Nam June Paik published his thoughts on mass media and art in his essay GlobalGrooves and Video Common Market (1974). After discussing his views on the media environment and on media as common goods, he concluded his critique with a discussion of ecology: ‘Ecology is not politics, but a worldview, a godly world. It is based on the world’s planning, global circulation and the possibility of changes in human behaviour. From “you” or “me” to “you” and “me”.’ ‘Ecological Sense’ which opened at the Nam June Paik Art Center on July 5, is an exhibition that questions the extent to which humans have exerted an influence on the Earth’s ecosystem and suggests a range…

The apartment house has become representative of residential types in Korea. The space of the apartment house, with a kitchen on the kitchen, which has come to define my house when the door is closed and to reveal the neighbour’s house when the door is closed, has become a familiar scene in Korea. Today, the apartment house has various meanings: it is home to many people, but sometimes the background to one living out one’s days and dying alone; a resting place for family or for individuals, and for others the prize of real estate speculation. Post APT a performance work asking questions of this situation from various angles was put on at the Doosan Art Center Space 1111 from June 18 to July 6. In the exhibition, it was…

The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) has announced the four winners of design proposal competitions for public buildings in June. The purpose of Design Proposal Competition for the Open Space Under the Elevated Road at Jongam Junction is to regenerate the deserted space under the 10m-high elevated road. Simplex Architecture (Park Chungwhan, Song Sanghun) proposed a restful community space, which complements the circulation to introduce new pedestrian flow while blocking outdoor noise, exhaust fumes, and fine dust through a lightweight wooden structure, and accommodates various activities such as sport, performances, street markets, exhibitions, and small gatherings. The Design Proposal Competition for the Open Space Under Hannam 1 Elevated Road invited five teams: Notion Architecture (Kim Minsuk), Lee Gil-ho Architects (Lee Gil-ho), Lee-Public Architects ltd (Lee Janggun), mlnp architects (Lee Myungho) and…

The architect Min Woosik (principal, Min Workshop) is bold in his use of form. Emphasising form in architecture requires a certain courage because it involves facing a self-induced critique of one’s personal aesthetic sense and a constant feeling of déjà vu, as one is reminded of the defining forms of other architects and structures. So this experimentation with form does not depreciate and become an empty effort, one not only requires a self-acquired internal logic but also intuitive energy and strategy that can persuade individuals with space. For this purpose, and echoing Chang Yongsoon’s (professor, Hongik University) words, Min ‘metaphorises and reinterprets original form’. He creates a form in whiche empty pillars support the roof (Durastack Headguarters), manifests an open horizontal space with a vaulted roof in a residential building…

Kim Oksun is a photographer who concerns herself with topics considered peripheral and marginal, such as women, international couples, multicultural families, strangers, and exotic plants. Kim introduced 25 new works in ‘Berlin Portraits’ at the Atelier Hermès from May 31 to July 28 . The characters in the pictures are Korean nurses and nursing assistants who left Korea for Germany in the 1960s to the 1970s. Older women sit upright and stare at the camera. It is a strong and solid image far removed from the image of the benevolent, maternal figure. A Taegeukpatterned fan representing Korean identity hangs on the wall in the house, as background to the picture, and the floor is carpeted in a western style, creating a familiar yet unfamiliar sensation. Different figures of a ‘different…

Standing on the platform of Namyeong Station, on subway line No. 1, a neat black brick building over the screen door catches the eye. The building, built in 1976 and expanded to seven floors seven years later in 1983, was the so-called Namyeong-Dong Anti-Communist Branch of the Korean National Security Headquarters. Consisting of the main building, an annexe, and an attached building, the structure, designed by Kim Swoo Geun, has long been used to oppress those critical of the authoritarian regime. The site, which was later changed to the National Police Agency’s Security Branch and human rights centre, will be transformed into the Democracy and Human Rights Memorial Hall in 2022. The exhibition, ‘Unlock,’ which opened on June 10, was conceived as a memorial to the past human rights abuses…

Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) organised an event that would review the results of Seoul Urban Regeneration and to reestablish its future directions. Hosted by the SMG and organised by Korea Urban Regeneration Association (KURA), it took place at the Korea Press Center on July 5. Lee Myeonghun (president, KURA) gave the first presentation on the ‘Global Trend of Urban Regeneration’. He argued that ‘Like major cities around the world, Seoul requires a bigger picture concerning urban regeneration based on the fourth industrial revolution and an innovative economy, with key themes of jobs, culture, and health’. Then, Kim Leetak (leader, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) introduced the Living SOC, Smart City, renewable energy and culture regeneration related to urban regeneration under the theme of ‘Urban Regeneration New Deal’. Next, Yang…

Practice Architecture is the act of balancing an ideal with a reality. Some focus on the ideological aspects of their work, while others concentrate on the actual process of completion and the final result. Before I began working as an independent architect, I learned how to develop conceptual work and a critical voice at art college. After graduation, I gained practical experience in a large interior design firm in Korea. It did not take long to realise that a particular way of working, based upon ideas and concepts, did not suit me. As such, I resolved to find a sense of balance between my intuition and the universal solution in the work. Certainly, this cannot be considered as the perfect interaction between opposing forces; but focusing only on solutions to…

MoYeoGa means a house in which to live together, but it also means ‘to gather’ in Gyeongsang-do dialect. In reality, 30 members of 8 families here gathered to discuss the project with their architect, select the final site, and to determine the house design. It first began with two families. Oh Sinwook joined forces with an old acquaintance, who dreamt of a house for living together and had long been an occupant in collective housing for cooperative childcare. More members joined one by one to eventually make up eight households. It was not easy to match up each other’s needs at the beginning. Some were worried about leaving their apartments and others were reluctant to share their terrace with others. The residents gathered to deliver their opinions on living together…

So Dongho’s works don’t seem to have a uniform formal language. Living objects ranging from lighting, chairs, tables, storage furniture, magnets to posters, and are all the result of different approaches and processes. He sets the starting points of his designs not at the function but at the selected material and technique. Although he has presented work with a strong Korean identity, the definition ‘vernacular design’ is not enough to explain the character of his work. Combining natural and industrial materials, traditional craft and machining techniques at the right moment to create works of both familiar and unfamiliar impressions. As head of ‘studio sodongho’ in Sallim-dong, Euljiro, he is now working as an independent designer. Choi Eunhwa (Choi): At first, you presented work that focused primarily on traditional craft. Is…

There was a time in which one believed that invisible beings governed the world: the world and the next world were considered separate, and rituals took place in daily life, calling for recognition of an existence beyond present reality. A rite was made within its own sphere, in which paper flowers, dolls, amulets, a sacred spiritual items invoked the other or supernatural beings and asked them stay in designated realms. In the modern era, built with hard reinforced concrete structures, these activities and objects are no longer familiar. ‘Shinmulji’, held from July 5 to 25 at the Uran Cultural Foundation in Seongdonggu, Seoul, is an exhibition intending to shed light on the forgotten shamanistic ceremonial tools. Through ‘Shinmulji’ a sacred object made of hanji (Korean paper), the exhibition scrutinises the…

The exhibition ‘Flow Project: Building Movements’ opened on May 11 at the Space of Design and Architecture (SODA) in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do. The project exhibition, which marks its third anniversary this year, invites architects to reinterpret the space at Roofless Gallery, an exhibition hall outside the SODA. This year, under the theme of movement, three teams of architects present works that shape various kinds of movement in a stationary space using immovable building materials. First, Son Joohui has constructed a wall in the Roofless Gallery using colour chips. Scale, comprised of 8,000 colour chips, is a structure that opens and closes in the wind, and when the wind blows, it connects the inside and outside of the boundary and turns into a large window. The sound of colour chips coming into…

The final list for the Godeok-Gangil Residential District 1BL and 5BL Competition, hosted by Seoul Housing & Communities Corporation (SH), has been announced. ‘Five Small Village Community’, jointly designed by UNSANGDONG architects and the Yo2 Architects, has been selected for 1BL; ‘A Place for Living: Common Living Room’ by KUNWON Architects Planners Engineers in collaboration with EMA Architects & Associates has been selected for 5BL. The competition was to turn 1BL and 5BL in the Godeok-Gangil Residential District in Gangdong-gu, Seoul into a ‘Social Smart City’, where advanced smart technologies wil be integrated with an eco-friendly residential complex, diverse urban landscapes, and welfare facilities. After registration in Feb., SH formed a jury consisting of seven architects to review the project, focusing on specialisation plans, including the complex plan, the architectural…

In a distinctive move that departs from his earlier works, architect Min Woosik is beginning to explore the fundamental in his recent works. While his early works, such as the Pangyo residences, were designed under the influence of Steven Holl and Álvaro Siza, his recent works (of which three are introduced here) can be thought to take inspiration from Louis Kahn. Although he used to work in Holl’s office, this shift in design approach says much about how Kahn has become a greater influence on Min than Holl. Min’s architecture recalls a particular architectural archetype; it evokes a feeling of crudeness and primitiveness. Such archetypes are not literal but metaphorized and transformed. Simultaneously, these archetypes are very sensualist and phenomenological, revealing a double-natured design character which has in fact been…

The Development Background and the Current Situation The Characteristics of a Planned City Vitalizing the Local Community by Promoting Food Culture The Old Downtown and its Neighbouring Areas Roundtable: Understanding Sejong Today Food and City Experiences The sense of having settled in a city is often marked by familiarising oneself with where best to procure food, both in terms of dining out and shopping for groceries. Of all cognitive urban theories, the daily ritual of consuming food can be considered one of the most significant ways of establishing an image of the city. When I first moved to Sejong, it was not at all easy to buy ingredients. There was no problem when it came to buying a bottle of water or milk or ice cream, mainly due to the…