Installation view of “CONCRETE
ABSTRACTION” ©Mimesis Art MuseumMimesis
Art Museum presents its special exhibition “CONCRETE
ABSTRACTION” on view through December 29.
This exhibition highlights the unique language
of concrete abstraction that painters such as Jiyoon Koo, Ji Seon Kim, and
Gwangsoo Park—who are currently active in the Korean art scene—apply in their
work.
Each artist, through independent research,
employs an abstract visual language aimed at capturing the essence of their
subject matter, yet also incorporates elements of tangible objects in their
paintings. The exhibition examines what distinguishes their approach from that
of other contemporary abstract painters.
Installation view of “CONCRETE ABSTRACTION” ©Mimesis Art Museum Jiyoon Kim, primarily depicting urban
scenes, focuses on the noise, rapid changes, and the people who live and sense
the cityscape. Ji Seon Kim’s paintings explore memories that vary in
clarity—some sharper, others more blurred. The sensations that form these
memories gain clarity only upon completion, emerging in vibrant abstractions
that take shape on the canvas.
Gwangsoo Park’s figures are situated in
primordial nature or cosmic spaces, existing in a place between cosmos and
chaos. This space blurs the line between the inner and outer worlds of the
figure, revealing their essence through expressive abstraction.
Installation view of “CONCRETE ABSTRACTION” ©Mimesis Art Museum Upon entering the exhibition space, viewers will encounter each artist’s works, which display a different expression in every moment and space. These paintings feel both concrete and abstract, with varying intensities of sensation. They may feel richly expressive in some areas and subdued in others, creating a natural ebb and flow that enhances the experience.
Ji Yeon Lee has been working as an editor for the media art and culture channel AliceOn since 2021 and worked as an exhibition coordinator at samuso (now Space for Contemporary Art) from 2021 to 2023.
