Kim Youngjae

Born 1948 | Lives and works Seoul
Lives and works Seoul

‘Art philosopher’, writer, and producer Kim Youngjae has amassed a rich collection of video recordings of artists and collectives from the late 1980s. A selection of rarely seen documentaries from the early 1990s, including those of the Daeseong-ri Winter Exhibition and of Communication Art Group (1990–6), is shown at Horanggasy Artpolygon in dialogue with other contemporary works. Outdoor Art Association, a self-organised artist collective that is still active, began to organise their seasonal activities around the nature reserves of Daeseong-ri located in Gyeonggi province as early as 1981. Recognising the importance of paying tribute to what lies ‘outside’ of conventional art and art spaces, they turned to natural surroundings and created transient installations and performances in forms that could be easily assimilated back into nature. Collectives like Communication Art Group, on the other hand, placed their activities at the heart of the bustling city of Suwon. Using the city’s historic Jangan park as its public stage, the group initiated cross-cultural, cross-disciplinary initiatives to reflect on the regenerative power of nature. Artists including Seung-taek Lee and Lee Kun-Yong, who are also participating artists of the 14th Gwangju Biennale, took part in some of these historic events.

Kim Youngjae, Installation view, 14th Gwangju Biennale (2023). Image courtesy Gwangju Biennale Foundation. Photo: glimworkers