Coco Capitán: Is It Tomorrow Yet?

Daelim Museum presents Is It Tomorrow Yet?, the first solo exhibition in Asia by the “Young Art Star,” Coco Capitán, whose work has drawn international recognition. Running from August 2, 2018 to January 27, 2019, the exhibition features over 150 artworks spanning across various media including photography, painting, handwriting, video, and installation. Capturing seemingly casual scenes from the world she inhabits, the works presented in the show reveal Capitán’s acute sensitivity to the politics of contemporary society, and weave them together into a narrative that examines the relationship between reality and perception as well as beauty and subversion.

The exhibition presents Capitán’s concerns and endeavors in search of her own identity, both as an artist and as an individual. Her work conveys encouraging words to us all living in the present. Consisting of works that are not bound to certain forms or notions, the exhibition begins on the second floor by introducing fashion photography and the humanistic nature of portrait photography. Capitán breaks from the conventional categories of photography, as in fashion and portraiture, commercial and fine art, resonating freshly within both fields while establishing her position as an artist of the generation born after the Big Pop. The works created in collaboration with Gucci, which gained international acclaim, present a new form of ideal collaboration between a fashion brand and an artist, redefining a contemporary consensus on art patronage. The third floor of the museum embraces her effort to alleviate conflicts arising from the contemplation of life and death, cultural alienation, personal belief and social convention. Capturing the childhood memories and connecting fantasy with reality, Capitán’s intimate, satirical, and self-explorative works with a pessimistic tone help to establish her identity and solidify her position as an artist. She conveys a message suggesting that the key process to discover one’s true self is to look deeply into twofold emotions, whilst constantly questioning oneself and those around. Lastly, on the fourth floor, Capitán encourages those who strive to achieve their goals and dreams, through her series Ten hours a day, six days a week: the Spanish Olympic Synchronized Swimming Team accompanied by the installation of a swimming pool. This section also includes an 8-meter-long handwriting work, which enlightens us to a positive outlook on life by appreciation of our infinite potential, despite all tension, fear, and anxiety we may undergo.

The exhibition sheds a light on the various aspects of Capitán’s works, reflecting on her thoughts about the present and anxiety about the future as well as the conflict of her emotions with the present which she perceives as becoming increasingly crowded and noisy. Capitán consciously guides us to slow down, to live for a now—not for a tomorrow or a then—and really look at what lies in front of us.

Daelim Museum
Located in the center of Seoul in Korea, near historic Gyeongbokgung Palace, Daelim Museum began its life as Korea’s first specialist photography museum in 1996. Since then, Daelim Museum has introduced a variety of creative concepts and forms in contemporary photography and design, now established as art forms within our everyday lives. Its innovative exhibitions, accompanied by a range of cultural and educational programs, have touched the lives of countless viewers.