Participating Artists Kira Kim, Hee-seon Kim, Se-jin Kim, So-yeon Kim, Tae-eun Kim, Mioon, Kiwoun Shin, Kang-hyun Ahn, Doo-jin Ahn, Jung-ju An, Biho Ryu Opening Reception 2009, Aug 13, Thurs, 6-8 pm Sylvia Wald and Po Kim Art Gallery 417 Lafayette St. 4th Fl New York, NY 10003 The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea is pleased to present Doors Open, an exhibition of 11 cutting edge Korean artists, from August 13 through September 23, 2009 at the Korean Cultural Service NY located on 460 Park Ave. 6th Fl, NYC and Sylvia Wald & Po Kim Art Gallery located on 417 Lafayette St. 4th Fl. NYC. Doors Open is the first exhibition in New York City featuring the artists, who are alumni resident artists of the National Art Studio since 2002. The participating artists are Kira Kim, Hee-seon Kim, Se-jin Kim, So-yeon Kim, Tae-eun Kim, Mioon, Kiwoun Shin, Kang-hyun Ahn, Doo-jin Ahn, Jung-ju An, and Biho Ryu. The opening reception is held on Thursday, August 13, 2009, 6-8 pm at Sylvia Wald and Po Kim Art Gallery with the presence of the artist Kira Kim, Mioon, Kiwoun Shin, Kang-hyun Ahn, Doo-jin Ahn, and Biho Ryu. Koreans have not only suffered from anxiety such as wars, illnesses and poverty in the rapid modernization but also witnessed mammonism of consumer society or anonymity of mass culture that seems peaceful and affluent but impossible to be controlled by hands of individual. This exhibition looks for the root of relation between Korean contemporary art and society in the sense of panic or uneasiness that many Koreans may feel in common or private. As members of the society, Korean artists participating in this show make their own expression in visual arts being responsive to those kinds of senses hidden behind daily life. The National Art Studio, Korea is an international artist-in-residence program in Korea. The Art Studio, Changdong and Goyang, run by the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea, encourage and support artistic creativity and make contemporary Korean art known in the world as well as works for the exchange with local and foreign artists-in-residence programs. It has supported resident artists with not only convenient working conditions but various programs i.e. Asian Pacific Artists Fellowship Residency Program, International Studio Exchange Program, workshop, artist talk, exhibition, open studio, outreach programs and public art project. The Changdong Art Studio, established in 2002, is composed of 14 studios, one exhibition hall and an outdoor work area along with other necessities that are required by artists. Likewise, the Art Studio that opened in Goyang city in 2004, has 22 studios, one exhibition hall, and an outdoor work area. National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea is the only national museum that houses and exhibits great works of Korean and foreign modern and contemporary art. The museum first opened in 1969 at Kyungbok Palace and in 1973 relocated to Deoksu Palace. It made one last move to its present location at Gwacheon in 1986 where new modern facilities, but according to international standards, along with an outdoor sculpture garden, were opened to the public, beginning a new chapter in the history of this museum. In 1998, the National Museum of Art, Deoksugung was reopened as an institution which specializes in modern art and since then, it has developed into a cultural institution which has continually received the love and support of its citizens. Also we are planning to open our new museum, the National Museum of Art, Seoul, located middle of Seoul, Korea. National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea San 58-4 Makgye-dong, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 427-701, Korea Tel. 82-2-2188-6000 / Fax. 82-2-2188-6122 http://www.moca.go.kr National Art Studio, Changdong 601-107 Chang-dong, Dobong-gu, Seoul, 132-919, Korea Tel. 82-2-995-0995 / Fax. 82-2-995-2638 National Art Studio, Goyang 655 Gwansan-dong, Deokyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, 412-804, Korea Tel. 82-31-962-0070 / Fax. 82-31-962-4470 http://www.artstudio.or.kr This exhibition is organized by the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea. Also it is sponsored by Korean Cultural Service NY & ‘Sylvia Wald and Po Kim Art Gallery’ and Samsung Electronics. Media Contact: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Yu Jin 212-759-9550 / eugine_h@koreanculture.org Yunjung Kim 82-2-995-0488 / yunjungkim33@gmail.com