London Hallyu Festival: Korean Iconic; Echoes Now, at Hanmi Gallery

Korean Iconic; Echoes Now is an exhibition that explores the contemporary history and cultural diversity of Korea through modern art. While Korea’s modern history known to the international community may be summarized by ‘war’ and ‘division,’ this exhibition focuses on discovering the rich and unique aspects of Korean contemporary history through art.

This exhibition emphasizes not only the unique social background caused by war and division within the complex flow of modern Korean history but also the ecological aspects of Korean society, its transition into a multicultural society, and the conflicts and contradictions arising from these differences. It aims to express these lesser-known facets of Korean society to the international community through art.

Participating artists

Sun Choi: Finding the Path

In 2024, the project Butterfly, which began with the idea of creating works centered around the theme and subject of individual ‘aliveness,’ has expanded its meaning over the years. The Butterfly project shows that the ‘breath’ of each individual resembles one another without significant differences.

The artist who started the project in Japan in 2017 and continued it in France and Seoul in 2022, will now take the project to the UK. In collaboration with the United Kingdom North Korean Defectors Association, the artist will continue the project of capturing the breaths of North Korean defectors who have settled in a third country, rather than in South Korea.

Sojung Kim x Kyunghwan Eom: Jeodo Fishing Grounds — The Northernmost Fishing Grounds in Korea

The artist couple Sojung Kim and Kyunghwan Eom, who are active in Goseong, the northernmost area of South Korea, explore the story of the ‘abducted fishermen’ through photographs, videos, and paintings. Focusing on the ‘invisible boundaries on the sea,’ they shed light on the situation in the ‘golden fishing grounds’ through various media. This is based on their research on the fishermen of Goseong, who cross these invisible lines under the watchful eyes of the coast guard, and the foreign laborers who come to Goseong to earn money through fishing.

Cheol Bae: The Typical Korean, a Seoulite

The Artist narrates the story of Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, with wit. The reality that various infrastructures such as economy, politics, transportation, education, and cultural facilities, among many other things, are concentrated in Seoul coincides with the fact that many people are struggling to live in the city. The artist, who resides at the outside of Seoul, explores his perceptions, prejudices, and longings about Seoul, survival in the city, and the stories derived from these sentiments through his work.

Hwang Haobin: Recipes Beyond Borders

The Artist plans to narrate the story of an elderly woman from the ethnic Korean-Chinese community who migrated to Daelim-dong in Seoul. Through her journey from Manchuria and Siberia to South Korea, he explores the traces of an individual crossing the boundaries of nationality, state, and status. Using the medium of her ‘cooking,’ he reflects on the historical heritage between Korea and China, and simultaneously address the reality of today’s Korea, which is transforming into a multicultural society.