Ik-Joong Kang, a representative Korean installation artist, has been invited as the first Korean artist to participate in “FIN: Forever Is Now”, the annual international art exhibition. In response, Kang will present his new large-scale installation work, Four Temples (2024), in front of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Pyramids of Giza, from October 24 to November 16.
 
“FIN: Forever Is Now” brings together 12 distinguished international artists, each contributing their unique voice to a collective dialogue that transcends time and cultural boundaries. The exhibition explores the theme of art as a bridge between the past and the present, uncovering hidden meanings embedded in the ordinary, much like archaeology.

Four Temples is a large-scale installation inspired by ancient Egyptian temples, embodying the theme of “harmony,” a central concept in Kang’s artistic vision. The outer walls of the work feature the Korean folk song “Arirang” written in Hangeul, English, Arabic, and Hieroglyphs, while the interior is composed of 5,016 drawings by people from around the world.

Meanwhile, on September 26, Ik-Joong Kang's 22-meter-high Hangeul Wall project was unveiled at the new building of the Korean Cultural Center New York (KCC NY), attracting significant attention. Installed at the KCC NY, the Hangeul Wallis a large-scale, audience-participatory project involving over 7,000 people from 50 countries, making it the world's first and largest public art piece dedicated to Hangeul.

References

• 갤러리현대, Ik-Joong Kang 강익중 : Forever Is Now, 2024.09.21
• 아르데집트, “포에버 이즈 나우” (Art D’Égypte, “FIN: Forever Is Now”)