인테그랄 히스토리아 Integral Historia

전시소개 OVERVIEW    |    기획의도 CURATORIAL STATEMENT    |    참여작가 PARTICIPANTS    |    프로그램 PROGRAM    |    아카이브 ARCHIVES

Space AfroAsia's inaugural exhibition Integral Historia is in solidarity with Indonesia, which shares a similar historical experience with Korea (South Korea) and has its own contemporary art scene based on diverse art communities. “Integral” has the meaning of “essential” and “complete” in addition to the meaning of “integral” and “integrated” in mathematics. “Historia” means “history” in Latin. Therefore, the title of the exhibition “Integral Historia” shows the will to overlap and integrate the histories of two countires, Korea and Indonesia, while it also raises ironic questions about what the “complete history” means. South Korea, which occupies the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, is located in the northern hemisphere, at mid-latitude (between 33° and 39°N latitude and 124° and 130°E longitude). The total area of South Korea is 100,032 square kilometers and its population is approximately 51.62 million. It belongs to a developed country and its economy is ranked 10th in the world based on Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United Nations (UN), and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD) and G20 (Group of 20). Meanwhile, Indonesia, which consists of approximately 18,200 islands spanning 5° north and 10° south latitude around the equator, is the world's largest island nation with the 5th largest territory in Asia (1,904,569 square kilometers). Its population exceeds 267 million, ranking 4th in the world. Its economy is ranked 16th in the world based on GDP. It is considered a regional power and a middle power country and a member of the WTO, UN, G20. It is also a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, East Asia Summit, and Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The two countries that had been colonized in the past went through similar historical processes in that they became independent after World War II, went through an authoritarian government, and achieved regime change through direct election system. In the history, Korea (Joseon) pursued a policy of isolation for long but was annexed by Japan in 1910, immediately after the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War. It was under Japanese colonial rule for 35 years until 1945. It became independent at the end of World War II, but shortly thereafter in 1948, it was divided along the 38th parallel according to an agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union, due to geopolitical reasons as it was at the front line of the Cold War system. In 1950, North Korea's surprise invasion into South Korea led to the Korean War. After the armistice, the country received support from the United States, the First World country. In 1960, the dictatorship of the first President Syngman Rhee, which lasted for 18 years, ended with the April 19 Revolution. During passing through 32 years of military dictatorship from Park Chung-hee to Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, a direct election system was achieved through the June Uprising in 1987. Meanwhile, Indonesia had been under colonial rule since the 17th century by the Netherlands and was briefly under British rule due to a territorial dispute between the Netherlands and Britain. With the treaty of 1824, it came under Dutch rule again. During World War II, Indonesia was under Japanese military rule from 1942 to 1945, and declared its independence at the end of the war in 1945. In 1949, Indonesia was established as an independent country under the Dutch Union, and in 1956, it severed ties with the Netherlands and became a fully independent country. Dictatorship continued from 1957 to 1998, democratization occurred in 1998, and normal elections were held in 1998. The first direct regime change was successful in 2014, although military influence remained in its politics. Contemporary art in Korea and Indonesia fully captures diverse aspects of society that achieved freedom of expression, press, and assembly and association after a complicated history intertwined with colonial rule, national integration, and military dictatorship. In the case of Korea, the commercial art scene has not developed relatively well, but with strong government support, each city is nurturing art people by establishing infrastructure and funding systems for arts. Every big city has its own art museum and biennale. In particular, based on the high enthusiasm for education, universities are becoming the main birthplaces of art people. In Indonesia, despite limited infrastructure and funding systems, many artists and artistic communities are active both at home and abroad, especially in cities such as Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Bandung. In particular, the diverse art communities scattered throughout the country serve the role of supporting ground for the potential of Indonesian contemporary art, while the Jakarta Biennale and (Yayasan) Yogyakarta Biennale are the two major entities in contemporary art. Integral Historia presents four artists who question their own history and identity through their works. The exhibition intersects the history of both countries as interpreted by Korean and Indonesian artists and provides a time to identify and empathize with the similarities and differences, repetitions and disconnections in history by looking at it from an international perspective. FX Harsono and CHE Onejoon respectively observe the history of Indonesia and Korea from a microscopic perspective. FX Harsono focuses on the plunder and massacre of the Chinese minority, which has been hidden under the grand narrative of Indonesia’s independence from the Netherlands. FX Harsono records the stories of those who survived and remembers individuals through the act of rubbing gravestone inscriptions. His work that focuses on micro-narratives also expands awareness of macro-narratives and allows us to look at them again and to interpret them beyond the linear history. The actions of the artist, who is ethnically Chinese, call attention to the past problems as present problems and make us question whether those kind of ethnical discrimination still continues in this era. Since the mid-2000s, CHE has been researching and reproducing Korea's modern and contemporary history. In particular, through the series of Undercooled and Townhouse, he dealt with the issues of remained military facilities and new town development around the hollowed out metropolitan area. He reveals how the ideology of the Cold War era shifted from geopolitical issues to real estate economic logic. In his documentary works, CHE creats the coexistence of the past and the present and archives the changing identity of places and people. In line with his previous work, the artist records the current street scenes of decaying U.S. military base towns. Especially, Bosan-dong, where the exhibition venue is located, was once a successful military camp town but is caught between the relocation of US troops to Pyeongtaek and urban development. CHE juxtaposes photographs of clubs around the former or current US military bases in the Townhouse series and stills from director Shin Sang-ok's film, The Flower in Hell (1958). He represents the identity of the US military camp town through reality and film, mixing truth and fantasy. CHE also presents Strange Visitors which tours the spaces of Dongducheon and Bosan-dong, where ideological remains from the Cold War era still exist. Meanwhile, Elia Nurvista and Sylbee Kim have been reflecting on the world through food culture or archetypes, going back and forth between macro and micro narratives. Nurvista, who has lighted on the hidden aspects of the world by researching food culture, draws chronicles the history of Cold War ideology and its relations in the global flow. Two videos are displayed together in the chronicles. COOKING IN PRESSURE records female political prisoners’ voices, who were imprisoned for believing in communism, and reminisces about how they ate and lived in the prison. WE DREAMT ABOUT REFORM declaratively captures the emotions of people living in the land before and after the era of imperialism. The relationship between South Korea and North Korea can also be found in her chronicles as a barometer of Cold War ideology, and the female political prisoners’ voices remind us of the red complex in Korea. The fundamental thoughts of those who dreamed of reforming Indonesia also resonate beyond time and space. Kim's new work Hand-to-Mouth Salon begins with the world’s oldest cave painting, created in Sulawesi, Indonesia, about 45,500 years ago. Cave paintings in Sulawesi, Lasco, and Altamira generally represent similar images wishing for Hunting Success in the “archetype.” It reminds us of the original and foundamental role of art. Kim empathizes with the cave painters in the old days through her new video work. She collects morphologically and functionally similar images and goods qustioning their origins in varaious media; digital prints and moving image of cave paintings, biological and mythological models, the sculptures of hands and feet of prayers, the sculpture of the fruit Buddah’s hand, the images of the rambutan, the mouth of truth, and human intestines are juxtaposed to each other in her work. Moreover, the incense that blooms in the hand-shaped sculpture stimulates the archetype of pray. Kim places those images and sculptures indifferently on two ready-made tea tables, which are given a new role as a part of the work in addition to their existing use. Kim connects the relationship between Korea and Indonesia, and beyond, and asks about the role of art again while evoking archetypes. In each artist's work, visitors can intersect the history of Korea and Indonesia for themselves. Thus, the exhibition provides an opportunity to juxtapose the social, political, and cultural similarities and differences of the two countries and discuss future solidarity. Written by Sun A Moon