Exhibition “Open here” shows artist books come from Europe.
August 18-29, Opening party 18, 6:00 p.m, Gallery Bob
Organizer Jimin SONG
0082) 10-2969-5721, 0033) 06 23 05 32 76
jiminbook@gmail.com
ssamzigil Gwanhun-dong 38 Jongro-gu Seoul Korea
Tel. 02-736-0900 fax.736-6720
http://www.ssamzigil.co.kr/
*Title: Open here (Sub title: the thirtys books come from Europe)
Normally “Open here” is a copy we can find on the parcel post. It is closely link to “mail art” that is used this time for this project. And also this title expresses “open of the thinking” and “open of cultural interchange between Koreans and Europeans” through this exhibition.
* Mail art
Mail art is art which uses the postal system as a medium. The term mail art can refer to an individual message, the medium through which it is sent, or an artistic genre. Mail art is also known as postal art and is sometimes referred to as Correspondence/Mail Art (CMA). Mail artists typically exchange ephemera in the form of illustrated letters, zines, rubberstamped, decorated or illustrated envelopes, artist trading cards, postcards, artistamps, faux postage, mail-interviews, naked mail, friendship books, decos, and three-dimensional objects.
*Project: exposéoul
It was a project to exchange of views among nine artists who was selected by Organizer Jimin SONG last year, finally to do an exhibition in Seoul 2010.
*Opening reception: August 18, 2010 at 6 p.m and the exhibition will continue through August 29.
*Place: Gallery Bob B1F ssamzigil Gwanhun-dong 38 Jongro-gu seoul tel.02-736-0900 fax.736-6720 www.ssamzigil.co.kr
*Artists: 1 Belgian, 1 Spanish, 5 French, 1 Korean, 2 Iranians: all nine artists
Fleur Guerin (France), Baktash Sarang (Iran), Shabnam ZERAATI SANDLANI (Iran), Sylviane MICHEL (France), Solène BOUFFARD (France), Claire LEBOURG (France), Antonio Fernández LATORRE (Spain), Philémon VANORLĒ (Belgium), Ju-Young KIM (South Korea)
*Public meeting: Philémon Vanorlé : August 21 at 5 p.m about his project in India
This summer, a special exhibition “<Open here> – artist books come from Europe” will catch our eyes. Over 30 artist books that arrived by post will be shown to Korean viewers at the gallery Bob, SSamzigil, Insadong on August 18-29. During the exhibition, visitors can also find their boxes and stamps on the side of the books. Five different nationalities participated in this project (1 Belgian, 1 Spanish, 5 French, 1 Korean, 2 Iranians) and three artists of the nine will be with the public at the opening party.
“I had always one thing that I wanted to do, it was an exhibition to present European works in Korea” “Each time I saw attractive works during my stays in France, I really wanted to share my impressions, because it is hard to see European current works that were made by young artists here But why especially a book? Because it is an object that I understand well and feel very comfortable with. So I naturally selected it as the theme of my first international exhibition.” Jimin SONG (28), the organizer “Open here – books come from Europe” is an artist rather than a curator. She also studies the conservation of old books in Paris.
“Last year I started to gather together artists who were interested in my project and then I presented my plan of the exhibition everywhere to find a gallery which could provide a space.” “What’s the meaning of mail art in this exhibition? It can interpret a personal gesture like a European friend who sends a friendly box to a Korean. Not Only <Open Here> is a copy of post but also it expresses my wish to expand relations between our two continents.
The collection consists of some 30 artist books that are hard to see in Korea. The books are all limited editions signed and numbered by the artist. All works take form in the shape of a book, but each book exists differently for each artist, as a space, a time, a sculpture and a material. A tip for enjoying the exhibition: “the letters, texts and the language are not always used as usual. Sometimes it’s just an image that tells us a story by sequential pages. So just feel it, even though most of the books are written in a variety of languages at this exhibition, as you turn the pages, you will be able to understand the artist’s idea” says Jimin.
One of the artists, Philemon Vanorlé will meet the public face to face on Saturday, 21th
For more information please call 02-736-0900 or visit www.ssamzigil.co.kr.
