[비즈한국] The ‘2024 Busan International Art Fair (BIAF),’ an art market where artists and consumers trade directly, is being held at BEXCO Exhibition Center II in Busan until the 8th. This year, the works of 50 emerging artists are on display, a 40% increase from last year (34 artists). Bizhankook met with artists Kang Myung-sook, Jung Yeon-hee, and Kim Yi-rin, who participated in the special exhibition 'K-ART Emerging Artist Exhibition.' We begin with an interview with artist Kang Myung-sook.
―You submitted a series titled ‘Memories.’ Could you briefly introduce it?
“As the title suggests, it expresses ‘memory.’ We remember the past (yesterday) and build new records of the present on top of it. And we repeatedly record those memories in our minds. It is a work that expresses the continuity of such memories. The material looks like ‘paper,’ but it is actually ‘wood.’ By repeatedly applying heat, bending it, painting it with acrylic, and then peeling it off, a natural sheen emerges from the once-rough wood. It means that the more we remember and record, the more it ‘shines.’ I wanted to show that even trivial or painful memories become shining souvenirs when experiences are repeated, and that we grow through this process.”
―The work ‘Hello’ stands out.
“When we meet someone or part ways, we say ‘Annyeong’ (Hello/Goodbye) warmly. Although we often say it without much thought, if you look closely at its dictionary meaning, it contains the warm consideration of ‘being comfortable without any trouble.’ In this work, I included the word ‘Hello’ not only in Korean but in 140 languages from around the world. If you look closely, the shapes of the windows are also all expressed differently. I wanted to reveal our lip shapes when we say ‘Hello,’ or the heart behind it. I planned this just before the COVID-19 pandemic, and I think it is a work whose underlying meaning became even more prominent after the pandemic.”
―You took a three-year hiatus from your artistic career and have returned to the art world through this art fair. How do you feel?
“I had no choice but to stop my work for three years due to health issues. I threw away almost all the ‘wood’ I had piled up in my studio, which was my main material. My health improved and I started working again, but honestly, I was very afraid. I was engulfed in a vague fear of ‘Can I do this?’ The three-year gap felt much larger than I expected. However, because it is the path I have dreamed of my whole life, I couldn’t stop. Fortunately, as I came to the ‘Busan International Art Fair’ and met the audience in person, my heart felt much more at ease. I was very nervous, but I will continue to be an artist who communicates with the audience.”