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Lee Kang-So 이강소 : Where the Wind Meets the Water

Nov 16, 2024

The retrospective exhibition Lee Kang So: Where the Wind Meets the Water of Lee Kang-So, a pioneer of experimental art in Korea, is on view at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), Seoul, until April 13, 2025.

The exhibition title, Where the Wind Meets the Water, is derived from Song of the Clear Night, a poem by Song dynasty Neo-Confucian scholar Shao Yong. The phrase symbolizes a state of enlightenment achieved through encountering a new world. The exhibition centers on two thematic questions that Lee has consistently explored since the 1970s: the artist’s skepticism regarding his own perception as both a creator and a subject engaging with the world, and the questions surrounding the perception of objects by both the artist and the audience. The exhibition offers a comprehensive overview of Lee’s oeuvre, showcasing works from the 1970s to the present across various media, including paintings, sculptures, installations, prints, videos, and photography. 

Notably, the exhibition features the first-ever reproduction of Lee’s major early installation A Sacrifice for Modern Art (1971, remade in 2024). In addition, the exhibition presents key works from experimental art movements led by Lee, such as the Daegu Contemporary Art Festival.

Installation view of "Lee Kang So: Where the Wind Meets the Water" at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), Seoul. Courtesy of the artist and MMCA.
Installation view of "Lee Kang So: Where the Wind Meets the Water" at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), Seoul. Courtesy of the artist and MMCA.
Installation view of "Lee Kang So: Where the Wind Meets the Water" at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), Seoul. Courtesy of the artist and MMCA.
Installation view of "Lee Kang So: Where the Wind Meets the Water" at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), Seoul. Courtesy of the artist and MMCA.
Installation view of "Lee Kang So: Where the Wind Meets the Water" at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), Seoul. Courtesy of the artist and MMCA.
Installation view of "Lee Kang So: Where the Wind Meets the Water" at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), Seoul. Courtesy of the artist and MMCA.
Installation view of "Lee Kang So: Where the Wind Meets the Water" at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), Seoul. Courtesy of the artist and MMCA.

한국 실험미술의 선구자 이강소의 회고전 《이강소: 風來水面時 풍래수면시》가 국립현대미술관 서울관에서 2025년 4월 13일까지 열리고 있다. 

전시 제목의 ‘풍래수면시’는 송나라 성리학자 소옹의 시 ‘청야음(淸夜吟)’에서 가져와 ‘바람이 물을 스칠 때’라는 의미로, 새로운 세계와 마주침으로써 깨달음을 얻은 의식의 상태를 함축한다. 전시는 1970년대 이후부터 현재까지 작가가 꾸준히 탐구해 온 두 질문 ‘창작자이자 세상을 만나는 주체로서 작가 자신의 인식에 대한 회의’와 ‘작가와 관람객이 바라보는 대상에 대한 의문’을 주제로 1970년대 초기작부터 최신작까지 회화, 조각, 설치, 판화, 영상, 사진 등 작가의 작품 세계 전반을 조망한다. 

특히 이번 전시에는 초기 주요 설치작 〈근대 미술에 대하여 결별을 고함〉(1971)이 재제작되어 처음 공개되고, 나아가 이강소가 이끈 《대구현대미술제》와 같은 실험적 예술 운동의 주요 작품들도 함께 선보인다.

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