LACMA's 'The Space Between' brings into limelight underrepresented chapters of 20th-century Korean art

Kim Whanki's "Mountain and Moon" (1958) / Courtesy of the Whanki Foundation, Whanki Museum

Exhibition shows how cultural shifts in tumultuous era affected Korean artists

By Park Han-sol

As Korea continues its ascent as a cultural powerhouse with the likes of K-pop group BTS and Netflix series "Squid Game," there has been increasing academic interest in examining how the country's works of modern art led to the present moment ― because contemporary arts and culture don't suddenly materialize out of a void.

"The Space Between: The Modern in Korean Art," opening at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) on Sept. 11, is a rare survey of oil and ink paintings, sculptures and photography that all attest to woefully underrepresented chapters of 20th-century Korean art history.

In fact, this is the first show of its kind held in the United States, let alone in the West, covering from the year 1897, when King Gojong of the Joseon Dynasty proclaimed the establishment of the short-lived Korean Empire, through Japanese colonial rule (1910-45), up to the 1960s post-Korean War (1950-53) period.

It features more than 130 works ― many of which have never before been displayed outside of their home country ― by 88 artists, including Kim Whanki, Park Soo-keun, Lee Jung-seop, Rha Hye-seok, Lee Qoe-de and Shin Nak-kyun.

Through such an extensive inventory, "The Space Between" brings into the limelight the dynamic development of modern Korean art driven by the incorporation and reinterpretation of Western influences that coincided with the historically traumatic events of colonization and war.

"Created during a time of great upheaval, these works reflect the embrace of new ideas as well as a dedicated resolve to persevere," the LACMA said in a statement.

Curated by Virginia Moon, the museum's associate curator of Korean art, the exhibition has been co-organized with the Seoul-based National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA).

Park Soo-keun's "Playing Children" (1963) / Courtesy of MMCA

Korea took an initial step toward modernization in 1897 with King Gojong's establishment of the Korean Empire, which ended up spanning a mere 13 years before the country was formally annexed by Japan in 1910.

The exhibition's first section, "Modern Encounter," portrays the twilight years of the Joseon Kingdom through drawings and early photographs that point to important moments of encounter with the world outside of Korea.

But of course, a more forceful wave of transformation ― geographical, economic and cultural ― came with Japan's decades-long colonial rule.

In the art world, creators could only learn new styles, ideas and mediums ― many of which derived from Europe ― in Japanese schools. Those who could afford the education overseas gained access to such knowledge and spread it within Korea upon their return.

The section, "Modern Response," illuminates the Korean artists' reaction to new, foreign materials like oil paint and academic styles in regards to the genre of painting and sculpture.

The following section, "Modern Momentum," offers a glimpse into the vibrant explosion of artistic creativity, where painters, sculptors and photographers were reaching their own conclusions about what Korean art should strive for after the country gained independence from Japan in 1945.

During this period, a debate emerged among artists about how to sever ties with the Japanese styles and ideas of art that had once dominated the country's creative scene. Together with attempting to end the vestiges of colonialism's influence on art entirely, some put forth developing a new form of "national" art ― whether by reverting to Korean traditional practices or by embracing the wave of Western Modernism and abstract art.

Lee Qoe-de's "Self-Portrait in Long Blue Coat" (1948-49) / Courtesy of MMCA

Here, the striking self-portrait of Lee Qoe-de stands out. His "Self-Portrait in Long Blue Coat" visualizes how the artist tried to make sense of this tumultuous, post-colonial-era shift.

In the work, Lee sports a Western-style fedora, an item donned by modern elite men of Korea, while holding a palette for oil painting in his left hand. But at the same time, he is holding onto elements of tradition, as witnessed in his "durumagi" overcoat and a set of calligraphic ink brushes.

Similarly, Kim Whanki brings the natural mountainous landscape to his canvas, reminiscent of traditional Korean ink-and-wash paintings, while injecting it with Western modern abstraction techniques using bold lines and colors.

Before ending with how the modern artistic trends developed and were refined amid the historical turmoil that continued into the contemporary era, the show makes an important stop at a new type of feminist movement that arose during the 1920s and '30s and revolved around the concept of the "Sinyeoseong," or "New Woman."

While it initially began with the ruling class men's aim to promote the education of women so that they would in turn guide their offspring and strengthen future generations, the museum states that it led to a spirit of liberation that was most identifiable via such new women's unique outward appearance.

Shin Nak-kyun's "Photograph of Choi Seung-hui (1911-1969)" (1930) / Courtesy of Jipyung Collection

The Sinyeoseong or Modern Girl look can be witnessed in photographer Shin Nak-kyun's 1930 portrait of Choi Seung-hui, an acclaimed female Korean entertainer and dancer at the time.

Rha was also a leading figure of the Sinyeoseong movement as Korea's first female Western-style painter, feminist writer and pioneering advocate of women's rights. Together with her like-minded colleagues, she published the short-lived magazine series, "New Woman," in 1920.

"My four children, do not resent your mother but the social system, morals, law and old customs. Your mother is a pioneer in the period of transition and a victim of such a rope of fate," she wrote in 1935 in the then-popular magazine "Samcheon-ri," along with her plea to be viewed as a human before she is seen as a woman.

According to the MMCA, RM, the leader of the K-pop juggernaut BTS whose role as an art patron has been recently publicized, took part in recording the audio guide in English and Korean for 10 of the pieces on view at the museum.

"'The Space Between' brings to light an era of profound change in Korean art history, illustrating how encounters and exchanges with other cultures led artists to set out on new creative paths," said Michael Govan, LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg director. "It's exciting to be able to share this story in Los Angeles, which is home to the largest Korean population outside of Korea."

"The Space Between: The Modern in Korean Art" will run from Sept. 11 to Feb. 19, 2023, at the LACMA's Resnick Pavilion.

Pen Varlen's "Panmunjeom Hall of the Armistice Talks in 1953" (1954) / Courtesy of MMCA