The annual Whitewall Spring 2024 Artist Issue is one that we’ve come to look forward to each year. The heart of Whitewall, which has always existed at the intersection of art, design, lifestyle, and fashion, is and always will be art. And over the past several years, this issue has been a chance to focus on a specific country or region. It is a joy for us to zoom in on one geographical area and its diaspora. It is a chance for research, individual discovery, in-depth conversations, and a greater understanding of culture, history, and humanity.
We look at South Korea, and specifically Seoul, at a time when the art world globally has their eyes set on the market and creative output as well. The success of Frieze Seoul has caught all our attention, and we’ve seen international galleries like Pace, Perrotin, Gladstone, König, Peres Projects, White Cube, and more open up Seoul locations. Galleries like PKM, Gallery Hyundai, and Kukje Gallery have been well-established for decades, bridging Western and Korean artists and collectors. And Seoul is also home to many alternative art spaces, like WHITE NOISE, Factory2, Primary Practice, Alternative Space LOOP, alongside independent curators and major institutions like the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art. The community is filled with vibrancy and a strong culture of engagement, patronage, and support.
Minjung Kim, “Mountain,” 2021, ink on mulberry Hanji paper, 136 x 173.5 cm, Gallery HYUNDAI, courtesy of the artist, © Minjung Kim.
Artists like Gwangsoo Park, Sungsil Ryu, and Yeonsu Ju join fashion designers like Hyun Park, Seokwoon Yun, and Sohee Park, as well as designers like Kwangho Lee and Yong Ju Lee in a cross-section of the impact of Korea’s next generation of creative leaders.
In the issue you’ll find the meditative work of artist Lee Ufan, captured for one of our covers at his studio in Japan. Minjung Kim, also on our cover, spoke candidly with us about her lifelong practice and career. Architect Minsuk Cho discusses the inspiration and design behind this summer’s forthcoming Serpentine Pavilion. Haegue Yang, speaking to us from Seoul, shared the process behind three diverse approaches to her projects—performance, sculpture, and site-specific installations. And Kim Yun Shin expressed how she connects with nature first before engaging with materials of wood and stone for her sculptural process.
The coming together of these pages also always falls at the start of the year, creating a great source of inspiration for our editorial team, and we hope, for our readers. What a joy it has been to put together this issue’s focus on the outstanding art, design, and culture of South Korea. And it has been a pleasure to work with Susan Shin, our esteemed guest editor for the issue.
