Juree Kim creates new sculpture for Korea exhibition

KOREA. Gateway to a rich past

From 16 October, the Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics will present a wide-ranging exhibition on Korea. Historic masterpieces will be accompanied by high-profile works by contemporary South Korean artists. One of these is a new work by Juree Kim (1980). Work by this South Korean artist has been exhibited at the Victoria & Albert in London, where it is now part of the V&A collection. Until 10 October, Juree Kim is attending a residency with ceramists Paulien Ploeger and Her Comis in St. Jacobiparochie, Friesland, where she will make a sculpture from clay. This ‘model’ of a typical Korean house will be placed in a basin of water. During the exhibition, the water will erode the clay, causing the work to slowly decay. This process symbolises the passing of time and traditions in Korean society. KOREA. Gateway to a rich past can be seen in the Princessehof in Leeuwarden from 16 October 2021 to 22 August 2022.

KOREA. Gateway to a rich past includes sculptures and installations by three contemporary South Korean artists, selected by Tanya Rumpff. In Translated Vase, purchased by the Princessehof, Yee Sookyung (1963) glued fragments of smashed works by contemporary ceramic masters together with epoxy resin, inspired by the Japanese kintsugi method. Swing Jam, an installation by Kyung-Jin Cho (1987) creates a meditative experience thanks to a ball that floats between earthenware pots and gently taps them. Kyung-Jin made this work in response to an earthquake that struck Korea in 2016.

A design exhibition by Yoon Seok-hyeon (South Korea, 1992) will open simultaneously on the second floor of the museum. Meekyoung Shin (South Korea, 1967) will also show work in a new EKWC@Princessehof exhibition from 27 November.

KOREA. Gateway to a rich past
Nowadays we know Korea from brands like Samsung and Kia, the unprecedented popularity of K-Pop like BTS, Korean cusine and the Oscar-winning film Parasite. The Princessehof looks beyond the cliché image and delves into the cultural history of this extraordinary country, using themes such as food culture, beauty ideals and rituals. Highlights from the National Museum of Korea in Seoul are coming to the Netherlands for the first time. The exhibition, curated by Eline van den Berg, features enchanting celadon from the Goryeo dynasty and a moon jar from the Joseon period, as well as musical instruments and costumes from the Gugak Centre in Seoul and Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden.

KOREA.

Gateway to a rich past.