The slow development of a Korean aesthetic identity
From the period of the Three Kingdoms (from 56 BC to 668), Korean art shows the naturalist tendency that will be fully asserted during the period of unification under the kingdom of Silla (668 - 935). This was a period of cultural and religious flourishing in which Buddhist art, supported by the State, became increasingly important. Sculptures, pottery, bas-relief and decorative murals are featured in the temples. During the period of the Goryeo kingdom (918 - 1392) the Korean peninsula experienced great economic prosperity, which encouraged the development of the arts. This was characterized by the flourishing of painting, celadon ceramics and bronze sculpture. It was also during this period that movable metal typefaces were invented: the Jikji, the first printed book, was produced in 1377 - long before Gutenberg's bible. The second volume of this work, which Korea is claiming back, is now kept at the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
During the Joeson period (1392-1910), the decline of Buddhism allowed new trends to develop outside religious norms and, as the influence of China diminished, a local style flourished. This trend was reinforced with the Silhak current, a Confucianist reform movement particularly active in the 18th century. A distinctly Korean modernity then developed, characterized by an attention to the small people, with genre scenes, an enhancement of local landscapes and daily activities. The works of Kim Hong-do (1745-v. 1806/18), one of the most representative painters of this period, teach us much about popular life in Korea at that time. Today, calligraphy has become one of the pillars of Korean culture, and it is being strongly developed and practised by all the literate people. One of the major Korean calligraphers of this period was Chusa (1786-1856) whose Winter Landscape was recognized as a national treasure. From the 17th century onwards, Minhwa folk painting also developed, using Taoist themes, depicting nature, animals (tigers, magpies, fish) and other popular themes using bright colours and simple motifs.From a modern art under domination to an exalted contemporary scene
The Japanese colonial period (1910-1945) had disastrous consequences on Korean arts. In an attempt to assimilate, local cultural expressions were destroyed, in favour of Japanese norms or even Chinese and Western styles adopted by the Japanese. After liberation in 1945, Korean painting and handicrafts were given a new lease of life and emancipated from foreign models while trying to reconnect with their heritage. From the 1960s onwards, the themes of the great avant-garde movements such as Fluxus, Support-Surface, Conceptual Art or Arte Povera resonated particularly strongly with artists such as Nam June-Paik (1932-2006), Lee Ufan (1936), Shim Moon Seup (1943-) or Kimsooja (1957-), who took up the themes in an innovative way. Today, the new generations, benefiting from the country's political and social development, are critically addressing the issues and ruptures facing Korean society. Among the rising figures on the current scene are Jung Lee (1972-), Ham Jin (1978-) and JeeYoung Lee (1983-).
Discovering Korean public art: murals and urban sculptures
In Korea, street art flourishes freely, relatively well accepted by the inhabitants. Often cheerful and clever, street art works invite the visitor to venture into areas often wrongly omitted from tourist guides. The hotspot of street art in Seoul is the "Ihwa Mural Village". This small piece of town near Naksan Park is perched on top of a hill and requires a little effort, but it is worth the detour. There is also a graffiti area around the famous Hongik Art University called Street Art Exhibition where a festival is held every year.
Busan, the famous and colourful Gamcheon district, attracts more visitors every year. This formerly marginalized area has benefited since the end of the 2000s from a cultural revitalization policy and has become the artists' headquarters. Finally, in the province of Gyeonggi, south of Seoul, one can admire the Haenggung-dong Mural Village, a graffiti artist's landmark where small galleries such as Alternative Space Noon have opened to support local creation.
Seoul is also home to an impressive number of urban sculptures by local and international artists. Thegrandiose buildings in the city centre are very often accompanied by a sculpture or installation, such as the DPP rose garden, the incredible LED rose field that lights up at nightfall at the foot of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza designed by Zaha Hadid. Parks and green spaces are also often endowed with works of art, such as Claes Oldenburg's impressive shell (1929-) that sits above the Cheonggyecheon River.Korean photography, an art in full expansion
Photography did not arrive in Korea directly after its invention because of the country's closure in the 19th century. A few foreign photographers, such as the Italian-American Felice Beato (1832-1909), nevertheless captured a few shots of it in the 1860s and 1870s, although the technology did not spread. It was only at the end of the century that the first photography studios emerged. With Japanese colonization from 1910, Japanese photographers were sent to Korea and more Koreans were sent to set up their studios to meet the demand of the Japanese population, so that the Gyeongseong Photographers' Association was created in 1926
Until the 1980s, photography was mainly used for documentary and journalistic purposes, and it was not until a more culturally appropriate period for true experimental photography to develop. Among the talented artists of this generation are, for example, Bae Bien-U (1950-), Hein-Kuhn Oh (1963-) and Jungjin Lee (1961-). Today, the country has many young emerging artists whose works challenge the norms of Korean society, such as Koo Sung Soo (1970-) or Miru Kim (1981-). To discover them, go to the MoPS, the Seoul Museum of Photography.
