Installation view of 《Road movie: Art between Korea and Japan since 1945》. ⓒ MMCA
The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA;
Director Kim Sunghee), in collaboration with the Yokohama Museum of Art (YMA;
Director Kuraya Mika), presents 《Road Movie: Art Between Korea and Japan Since
1945》 through September 27 at MMCA Gwacheon.
《Road Movie: Art Between Korea and Japan Since 1945》 commemorates the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic
relations between Korea and Japan by retracing the 80-year journey of artistic
exchange between the two countries from 1945 to the present.
The term “road movie” in the title of the exhibition refers to a
film genre in which the protagonist encounters unexpected people and events
while traveling, ultimately undergoing transformation in the process.
In a similar way, artists from Korea and Japan have sustained
multilayered exchanges across national borders, much like a road movie, amidst
diverse political, social, and historical circumstances.
Installation view of 《Road movie: Art between Korea and Japan since 1945》. ⓒ MMCA
The exhibition is organized into five sections and presents
approximately 200 works by 43 artists (both individuals and teams) from both
countries.
It examines the ways in which artists from Korea and Japan have
exchanged ideas, influenced one another, and moved forward through a turbulent
era—from Korea’s liberation and Japan’s defeat in 1945, through the ensuing
Cold War world order and the division of the Korean Peninsula into North and
South, to the normalization of diplomatic relations between South Korea and
Japan, and finally into the present day.
Beyond highlighting formal exchanges through official
exhibitions, this exhibition also captures diverse forms of interaction,
including personal networks, informal contacts, and movements of solidarity. In
doing so, it seeks both to offer a new perspective on Korea–Japan artistic
exchange as well as to provide an opportunity to envision a shared path
forward.
Installation view of 《Road movie: Art between Korea and Japan since 1945》. ⓒ MMCA
The exhibition extends beyond interior gallery spaces to the
outdoor Sculpture Park, incorporating six works by Korean and Japanese artists
installed there in connection with the opening of MMCA Gwacheon in 1986.
To commemorate the opening of the museum, outdoor sculptures by
Korean artists based in Japan—including Kwak Duckjun, Quac Insik, and Lee
Ufan—were installed. Additionally, in 1987, sculptures by Japanese artists
Tanabe Mitsuaki and Nizuma Minoru were installed as part of the outdoor
sculpture on-site production program for the 1st International Outdoor
Sculpture Symposium.
Through this, the exhibition highlights how the opening of MMCA
Gwacheon served as an opportunity to expand artistic exchange between Korea and
Japan.
