Seoul‘s Art Scene Braces for Frieze with Provocative โExhibitions Exploring Loss, Productivity, and Confrontational Sculpture
Seoul’s art calendar is surging ahead โof friezeโ Seoul, with a diverse โrange of exhibitions poised to captivate visitors. From Adriรกn Villar Rojas’s imposing sculptures addressing ecologicalโข collapse to a โฃnuanced exploration of melancholy in contemporary Korean art, teh city offers a compellingโข dialog between global concerns and local perspectives.โ These shows arrive at a momentโค when the art world โฃis increasingly focusedโ on Asia, and asโ younger generations grapple with unprecedented pressures related to productivity and societal expectations.
Curatedโ by Kim sung woo, the โคgroup show Melancholia, onโ view at โPrimary Practice until October 11, traces the โpast understanding of melancholy-from an ancient humoral imbalance to a Renaissance ideal of creative introspection and a modern medical diagnosis. Featuring works by Daum Kim, dongโ Hyuk Lee, Ikhyun Gim, and Jinseung Jang, the exhibition examines the tension between longing and acceptance, and the profound sense ofโ loss that lingers after grief.The artists’ video, photography, painting, and installation work resonates โwith the “chronic fatigue induced by the demand for constant productivity that disproportionately afflicts younger generations,” promptingโค a reevaluation ofโ foundationalโ beliefs.
Elsewhere, Adriรกn Villar Rojas’s sculptures at Kukjeโ Gallery presentโ a stark confrontation with environmental degradation.The artist’s large-scale works, frequently enough incorporating organicโค materials, address the urgency of theโ climate crisis and the precariousness of the natural world. These exhibitions, โalongside others across Seoul, position the cityโค as a vital hub for contemporary โart during Frieze โขweek and โbeyond.