2022–23 Artist Research-Study-Critique Support Program

2022–23 Artist Research-Study-Critique Support Program
The Arts Council Korea(ARKO) is announcing the publication of collections of criticism focused respectively on 29 major Korean contemporary artists.

The Artist Research-Study-Critique Support Program provides financial backing for the 87 publications on the 29 artists who have played important roles in Korean contemporary art or who demonstrate exceptional potential.

A competition in 2022 resulted in the selection of 29 artists, including the recent winners of the Korea Artist Prize (held at the MMCA) and participants in Korean Pavilion exhibitions at the Venice Biennale. The selected artists consist of some who are already actively engaged in the international art scene and others who are just now beginning to forge reputations.

Over the past two years, more than 350 art historians, critics, and archivists from home and abroad have participated in the 29 projects making up this program. Leading critics professionals from major art museums around the world have contributed for the publications, including Hans Ulrich Obrist (Artistic Director at Serpentine Galleries in London) and Jakob Fabrisius (Director at Art Hub Copenhagen, Curator of the Korean Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale).

Each project includes a set of online publications consisting of a leaflet presenting an introduction to the artist, a brochure, and a catalog that features the collected research results. The catalog is a profile book functioning much like a catalogue raisonné that contains results of in-depth studies from art historical and critical perspectives, a chronology of the artist, and images of their works. To increase the accessibility for non-Korean-speaking curators and researchers, each catalog is published in both Korean and English.

The leaflets and brochures will be made available for online viewing and downloading on the websites of the Arko Art Center and the Korea Digital Archives for the Arts (DA-Arts), two affiliates of the ARKO as well as on the Hong Kong-based Asia Art Archive (AAA). The Catalogs will be available for viewing in person at the Arko Art Center and the Arko Art Archive in Seoul.

The 29 artists examined through the program include: Kang Hong-Goo, Ko Seunghyun, Ko Young Hoon, Koo Hunjoo, Kim Beom, Kim Byungjong, Kim Soonim, Kim Jipyeong, Dabal Kim, Listen to the City, Park Kyoung Hyo, Park Hyesoo, An Byounggug, Kibaik YUON, Lee Dong Keun, Mire Lee, Lee Yeonsook, Jewyo Rhii, Lim Minouk, IM Heung-soon, Sojung Jun, Jung Jaeho, Jung Jungyeob, Cho Youngjoo, Jeamin Cha, Choi Sungim, Choi Chan Sook, Ha Cha Youn, and Hong Ji-yoon.

Research progress review meeting (November 24–25, 2023), Dongdaemun Design Plaza, video conference studio “Seoul ON” / Asia Art Archive / Arko Art Center.