CounterART: Aesthetics of South Korean Activism and Global Perspectives

Published: Nov. 25, 2019
CounterArt

There is still time to see the exhibit “CounterART: Aesthetics of South Korean Activism and Global Perspectives” curated by International Studies steering committee member and CU Denver Art History Prof. Yang Wang and artist Sammy Lee. The exhibit is open until December 15 at the Redline Gallery, 2350 Arapahoe St, Denver, CO 80205.  Here is a blurb from the curators Wang and Lee-- In the wake of the 30th anniversary of Tiananmen Square and ongoing protests in Hong Kong, CounterART: Aesthetics of South Korean Activism will examine public protest in East Asia through the lens of art. It is the first exhibit in the U.S. to focus on works of art created during the 2016 South Korean Candlelight Revolution, a distinctively peaceful anti-government protest that led to the dramatic impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, the first female head of state in East Asia. The widespread protests and creative participation that took place are an empowering case study for how art can shape political narratives and become an outlet for public participation. CounterART  features works of art created as mechanisms for socio-political change within the political discourse of South Korea. The exhibit will feature 30 works of art by 14 established and emerging artists, including Oksang Lim, a Seoul-based artist who was a key figure in the historic Minjung (“People’s”) Art Movement, a political and populist art movement in the 1980s. Through Lim’s art one sees the intersection of South Korean history, politics, and visual traditions that gave rise to the forms employed by the artist-protesters. With a growing Asian American population and host to one of the largest turnouts of the 2017 Women’s March, another protest with ricocheting political impact, Denver is the unexpected but appropriate site for this unique exhibition. The widespread protests and creative participation that took place in South Korea offer a case study for how art can shape political narratives and create avenues for public participation. CounterART: Global Perspectives will be on display concurrently featuring artists from six different countries and feature examples of how other artist-led protests took shape as a result of similar political tensions and protests against statehood. 

https://www.redlineart.org/current//counterart-aesthetics-of-south-korean-activism-global-perspectives