Make Time for These Top Seoul Exhibitions This Week during Frieze
While visiting presentations at Kiaf and Frieze Seoul this week, be sure to take in unforgettable top Seoul exhibitions by Esther Schipper, Seojung Art, König, Peres Projects, and Pace Gallery.
Installation view of Angela Bulloch’s “Slapping Pythagoras,” photo by Andrea Rossetti, courtesy of the artist and Esther Schipper.
Top Seoul Exhibitions at Esther Schipper
Angela Bulloch: “Slapping Pythagoras”
September 5 — October 28, 2023
Berlin-based Canadian artist Angela Bulloch celebrates her inaugural solo exhibition in Korea with “Slapping Pythagoras,” currently on view through October 28 at Esther Schipper. Uniting ravishing new work with renowned past investigations, Bulloch carries her inspiring dedication to the history of mathematics and our complex relationship with art to new heights. Titled after the ancient Greek mathematician Pythagoras, the show deftly layers text, installation, technology, and sculpture to submerse visitors in exceptional sights, sounds, and sentiments. The Daily Cloud is the artist’s latest performative sculpture, allowing guests to ease into a heavy atmosphere of fog, while wall-mounted glass sculptures, titled Abacus Tablet, re-introduce the ancient hand-operated calculating tool to a contemporary audience.
Rusudan Khizanishvili, “The Black Horse River,” 2023, 145 x 115 cm., oil on canvas; courtesy of the artist and Seojung Art.
Rusudan Khizanishvili: “Velvet Armor”
Seojung Art
September 6 — October 30, 2023
Seojung Art unveils a solo presentation of new paintings by Georgian artist Rusudan Khizanishvili, currently on view through October 30. Ever-inspired by womanhood, its power, fluidity, and energy, the artist ‘s latest series collages potent femininity with her signature use of dreamlike mythology. Aptly titled “Velvet Armor,” a sumptuous interpretation of strength, unity, and vitality unfolds. In lavish shapes, hues, and patterns, tender monsters and mythological creatures embrace the universe and expressive female figures. A singular work by the late artist Saeng Kwang Park joins the exhibition for a compelling dialogue on cross-cultural harmony by way of art and folklore.
Installation view of Leiko Ikemura’s “Soul Scape Seoul,” 2023, photo by Cheonho Ahn, courtesy of the artist and KÖNIG SEOUL.
Leiko Ikemura: “SOUL SCAPE SEOUL”
König Galerie
September 2 — November 11, 2023
Berlin-based Japanese artist Leiko Ikemura debuts her first solo show in South Korea at König Galerie, currently on view through November 11. In a profound echoing of her renowned poetry, and in homage to the vivacious capital city, Ikemura shares a decade’s worth of elegant paintings for a lyrical exhibition which captures the vast universe within each of our souls. Fragile materials such as jute and nettle provide a graceful backdrop for beguiling faces, figures, and landscapes. Five new sculptural works, in diverse materials such as cast glass and patinated bronze, blend seamlessly with the artist’s abstract paintings, creating a smoky spectacle of color, light, and feeling.
Installation view of Seungho Jo’s “Stay Mute,” courtesy of Peres Projects.
Top Seoul Exhibitions at Peres Projects
Seungho Jo: “Stay Mute”
September 2 — September 26
Peres Projects unveils a captivating solo exhibition by South Korean visionary Seungho Jo, currently on view through September 26. Visitors will encounter ten imaginative three-dimensional works which appear silent, but speak volumes. A towering pattern of hardwood boards, gilded silverware, loudspeakers under the guise of stones, and hushed advertisements encourage guests to come into close proximity with the evocative objects, listening as never before to a concert of stillness.
Studio view of Yoshitomo Nara’s “Ceramic Works,” © Yoshitomo Nara, courtesy of Pace Gallery.
Yoshitomo Nara: “Ceramic Works”
Pace Gallery
September 5 — October 21, 2023
Famed Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara unveils a dynamic exhibition of works at Pace Gallery, currently on view through October 21. Displaying over 140 ceramics, and 30 drawings on both cardboard and paper, Nara’s signature child-like characters radiate with vibrant new meaning. Mainly created by the artist during an evolving residency in Shigaraki, Japan, the charismatic artworks are uniquely perched on custom shelving and wooden tables, and situated within cabinets, welcoming visitors into the fantastical home of Nara’s imagination. Hand-painted faces and thoughtful messages communicate secret and spirited inner lives, while fresh experimentation with shapes and textures reveal the artist’s neverending curiosity for the ties that bind art and the human experience.
