Hanbok, Reborn as Art
Foreword
Savina Museum of Contemporary Art has been a pioneering institution in delivering convergence art exhibitions. With their experience and knowledge, the Museum now presents Hanbok, Reborn as Art, an exhibition that reinterprets the Hanbok – a representation of the ethnic identity of the Korean people – with contemporary art.
This exhibition brings together 11artists to explore the traditional elements of Hanbok – its materials, patterns, colors, designs, and shapes – to deliver a story that the public can empathize with, and to create converging contents that have interactive elements.
By inheriting and developing the elements of traditional culture, we are taking the values within human history that are gained from the knowledge, science, technology, culture, etc., and continuing them into the present and future. It is about making a better world through new ideas and innovative thinking, whilst respecting what has been handed down from our ancestors.
I hope this exhibition will spread the beauty and value of the Hanbok, and contribute to continuing the diversity and abundance of Korean culture. I hope to see traditional values being appreciated and communicated through art. Furthermore, I hope this exhibition will allow Savina Museum to reach out to the world as a K-Museum, as the world has its eyes on Korean culture(K-Culture).
May 2023
Director of Savina Museum of Contemporary Art
Lee Myung-Ok
Curatorial Essay
Savina Museum presents Hanbok, Reborn as Art, an exhibition that explores Korean traditional clothing, Hanbok, in the light of contemporary art. T raditional clothes are the cultural heritage of each region, thus wearing the clothes enable a chance to experience the unique ways of thinking and history of the cultural area. Likewise, Hanbok – a cherished part of Korean heritage – plays an important role in understanding Korea’s history, culture, and ethnic identity. In this exhibition, 11 artists have explored the traditional elements of Hanbok, such as its materials, patterns, colors, designs, and shapes to create converging art content that can deliver novel values. The symbolism and beauty of traditional culture embedded in Hanbok has been reincarnated into contemporary art through the artists’ unique visual languages. Three main approaches are seen in this exhibition; ‘reinterpretation’ a revisiting of Hanbok in a contemporary sense; ‘combination’ as in breaking down and recomposing the traditions; and symbolizing the important concept and meanings in traditional clothing, thus ‘representation.’
Kwon Ki-Soo attempted to combine modern icon and traditional clothing in his works by embroidering his character Donguri(동구리) onto the emblems of the government uniforms or the silk ribbons of the Chosun Dynasty. Nam Kyung-Min recreated the rooms of Hwang Jin-yi(황진이; 1506-1567) and Shin Saimdang(신사임당; 1504-1551) into a multiplex spatial structure, where he laid out their clothes, accessories, and objects that imply social hierarchy and artistic talent. The objects set in the space represent the introspection of two women writers. Dabal Kim proposes a hermaphroditic and united identity through her works that combined the fabrics and forms of the ceremonial robe Jeogui(적의; 翟衣), worn by the queens of the Joseon Dynasty, and men’s clothes such as poong-cha pants(풍차바지) and durumagi(두루마기), along with animal skin and plants. Yang Dae-Won explores the features of Hanbok in relation to the features and essence of human beings. He associates the beauty of Hanbok, derived from the harmonious blend of straight and curved lines, as well as its unique features that are simultaneously flat and three-dimensional, with the distinctive qualities found in humans. Yeo Dong-Hun revives a traditional wedding scene where he presents the wedding dress of Princess Bok-On(복온공주) as a symbol of luck, and features twelve zodiac animal deities that watch over the bride. The work reflects the longing for luck and prosperity that was widespread historically. Lee Seol aims to break down boundaries with her kinetic installation. Using the fabric ‘nobang(노방),’ a type of silk that is commonly used in making Hanbok, and the stitching technique that is used for making the pleats in Hanbok skirts, she created an object in the form of a Hanbok skirt, and installed it with silk cloths that brush against each other to make rustling sounds. Lee Soo-In recreated the traditional symbols of text and the traditional colors of Hanbok into a geometrical shape. It is a visualization of the wish for luck, and reflects the beliefs and ideas prevalent within a culture. Lee Lee-Nam focused on how the attire of women and men were divided in the private space, but not in public. While women wore skirts and men wore pants, in public, the differences in their attire were covered with the overcoat ‘po(포; 袍).’ From that, Lee merges the two ideas into one through the lens of Asian aesthetics. Lee Joon-Keun converts traditional dance costumes and traditional mask dance moves into digital patterns. Using artificial intelligence to superimpose his face onto traditional clothes, Lee investigates the ever changing energy of Hanbok and its possib le variations. By creating the shape of the butterfly norigae(노리개) with glass and neon light, Lee Hoo-Chang emphasizes its functionality and its decorative beauty, and touches upon how wishes for luck were embedded within traditional symbols. Taking a contemporary twist on the representative images of traditional symbols and elements, such as the Ten Symbols of Longevity, Sibjangsaeng(십장생) which include the sun, pine tree, cloud, mountain, etc., Yi Hee-Choung creates an ideal landscape that presents the ideas of immortality, wishes for prosperity, and the principles of Yin-yang and the Five-phases.
We hope this exhibition serves as a stepping stone for developing the cultural value and significance of Hanbok using contemporary art. With the eyes of the world on Korean culture(K-Culture), we hope to reach out to the world as a K-Museum.
Curatorial Team of Savina Museum of Contemporary Art
