Kyobo Art Space An Seong-sik & Lee Woo-sung Two-Person Exhibition 'A Storm Blows in Paradise'

Lee Woosung 'A Song for Today, Not Tomorrow (2017)' [Photo by Kyobo Book Centre]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] Kyobo Bookstore's exhibition space, Kyobo Art Space, will hold a two-person exhibition titled "A Storm Blows in Paradise" featuring artists An Seongseok and Lee Woosung from the 13th of this month until the 30th of next month.

The exhibition title "A Storm Blows in Paradise" is a phrase written by art critic Walter Benjamin (1892?1940) about Paul Klee's (1879?1940) painting "Angelus Novus" (1920). Benjamin described the "angel" in this painting as having a startled face due to a fierce "storm," naming the historical progress that moves forward without reflection or contemplation as the "storm." He wrote that the angel, pushed by the storm from the paradise of the past where human bonds existed to a future where such bonds have disappeared, witnesses the debris?the remnants?created by the storm.

This exhibition aims to question the loss of social bonds and the contemporary meaning of historical places through artworks in an era that still values technological progress as the highest ideal. Artist Lee Woosung, who experiments with image communication at the boundary between comics and painting, and artist An Seongseok, who explores the genre expansion of art through photography, video, and VR, both show interest in history and society while presenting works that break away from traditional genres.

Ahn Sung-seok 'Compressed Capsule (2020)' [Photo by Kyobo Book Centre]

In this exhibition, Lee Woosung presents large-scale hanging paintings that transcend the frame, such as "A Song for Today, Not Tomorrow" (2017) and "Running While Sweating" (2019), which encourage reflection on the values of "solidarity" and "harmony" between people. An Seongseok unveils a new VR experience work titled "Compressed Capsule (Gwanghwamun_VR, 2020)."

Kyobo Bookstore will hold SNS posting events and other participation events for visitors within the exhibition space. Detailed information will be announced later on the Kyobo Bookstore website. The exhibition is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and admission is free.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.