Comments on: The Birth of the YKABs (Young Korean Artists in Britain)! http://londonkoreanlinks.net/2008/10/21/the-birth-of-the-ykabs-young-korean-artists-in-britain/ English language resources for Londoners (and others) interested in Korean culture Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:25:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Philip Gowman http://londonkoreanlinks.net/2008/10/21/the-birth-of-the-ykabs-young-korean-artists-in-britain/comment-page-1/#comment-412719 Philip Gowman Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:49:27 +0000 http://londonkoreanlinks.net/?p=6213#comment-412719 Thanks for setting the record straight Sunhee. I know a lot of effort went into the show. I hope it's even more successful next year! Thanks for setting the record straight Sunhee. I know a lot of effort went into the show. I hope it’s even more successful next year!

]]> By: Sunhee Choi http://londonkoreanlinks.net/2008/10/21/the-birth-of-the-ykabs-young-korean-artists-in-britain/comment-page-1/#comment-412134 Sunhee Choi Sat, 15 Nov 2008 08:05:05 +0000 http://londonkoreanlinks.net/?p=6213#comment-412134 Yes, it is true. But one thing clear is that it was not the condition for the participating in the show. Total funding for the show was GBP5,000 coming from Arts Council Korea. DM Tech only sponsored for the five TV screens displayed for the video works. The hiring cost and insurance alone was GBP 5,100. To make the matter worse, a Korean bank who promised the funding cancelled it due to economic crisis. As a curator, I was going to finance for the catalogues etc. but the participating artists made their own decision to contribute for the show. I could have changed the venue to New Malden for more economical venue but who would travel to New Malden for a group of young and emerging Korean artists during the Frieze week? Maybe just few people... I witnessed myself last year that those artists made wonderful show in their studio building in New Malden but there were just few audiences. That was the reason why I decided to help them to curate the show when some of artists asked me to do the project together this year and it was a big pleasuer for myself and the artists in the show to see the huge Barge house was packed by visitors at the opening night! You can imagine how myself and two coordinators (Kyujin Hwang in London and Sooyeon Ban in Seoul) and Minchan Ko who desgined the invitation, poster and catalogue had to devote ourselves without any compensation. We just wished that the show would give as much as opportunities to Korean artists in abroad. I just hope the show could continue next year with more funding, more help and more interests from Korean and British public, improving many things that we could not acheive this year. Yes, it is true. But one thing clear is that it was not the condition for the participating in the show. Total funding for the show was GBP5,000 coming from Arts Council Korea. DM Tech only sponsored for the five TV screens displayed for the video works. The hiring cost and insurance alone was GBP 5,100. To make the matter worse, a Korean bank who promised the funding cancelled it due to economic crisis. As a curator, I was going to finance for the catalogues etc. but the participating artists made their own decision to contribute for the show. I could have changed the venue to New Malden for more economical venue but who would travel to New Malden for a group of young and emerging Korean artists during the Frieze week? Maybe just few people… I witnessed myself last year that those artists made wonderful show in their studio building in New Malden but there were just few audiences. That was the reason why I decided to help them to curate the show when some of artists asked me to do the project together this year and it was a big pleasuer for myself and the artists in the show to see the huge Barge house was packed by visitors at the opening night!

You can imagine how myself and two coordinators (Kyujin Hwang in London and Sooyeon Ban in Seoul) and Minchan Ko who desgined the invitation, poster and catalogue had to devote ourselves without any compensation. We just wished that the show would give as much as opportunities to Korean artists in abroad.

I just hope the show could continue next year with more funding, more help and more interests from Korean and British public, improving many things that we could not acheive this year.

]]> By: Philip Gowman http://londonkoreanlinks.net/2008/10/21/the-birth-of-the-ykabs-young-korean-artists-in-britain/comment-page-1/#comment-402624 Philip Gowman Sat, 08 Nov 2008 15:21:05 +0000 http://londonkoreanlinks.net/?p=6213#comment-402624 A little bird told me that each artist had to contribute £80 in order to participate in this group show. You are probably better placed than me to know whether this is true or not, but I'm told that as a general rule it's not the "done thing" to get people to chip in to cover costs in this way. I'm also told that at least two artists refused to participate because of it (though whether this was a matter of principle or whether they couldn't afford it I don't know). Maybe the funding from Arts Council Korea and DM Technology wasn't enough to cover costs. Hiring that huge gallery space can't come cheap. A little bird told me that each artist had to contribute £80 in order to participate in this group show. You are probably better placed than me to know whether this is true or not, but I’m told that as a general rule it’s not the “done thing” to get people to chip in to cover costs in this way. I’m also told that at least two artists refused to participate because of it (though whether this was a matter of principle or whether they couldn’t afford it I don’t know).

Maybe the funding from Arts Council Korea and DM Technology wasn’t enough to cover costs. Hiring that huge gallery space can’t come cheap.

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