DIALOGUE: Mind Map

“2023 Special Exhibition of Outstanding Galleries”, titled Dialogue: Mind Map, is a special project presented as a part of a report on the achievements of the Grant for Artist Management program sponsored by the Korea Arts Management Service (Moon Young-ho, President) together with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (Park Bo Gyoon, Minister). The program launched in 2019 to continuously support visual artists’ creative activities and establish an environment of virtuous circulation for galleries through which they can discover and promote promising artists. Every year, the Grant for Artist Management program presents works of select artists through the ‘Special Exhibition of Outstanding Galleries’ as part of an extension of the program, marking its fourth exhibition this year. In this exhibition, 80 works spanning from paintings, media, and sculptures to installation works by thirteen emerging artists selected for the program will be exhibited at Plantlance Seongsu from August 25 to September 9. 

Amid the international trend of the Korean contemporary art market, the exhibition centers on discovering the art philosophy and the individual stories of each of the thirteen artists through organic dialogue between artists and curators. It will focus on the rediscovery of philosophical nuances and conceptual complexity inherent in the origin of artistic creation, returning the spotlight on the artist away from the art market and the era of big data. 

As part of the exhibition program, a paired interview between nine globally renowned curators and thirteen emerging Korean artists will be a basis for producing insightful critical texts for the exhibition publication. Curators from leading contemporary art institutions abroad, including Vennes Cheng (M+ Museum), Annette Doms (ICAA), Adrian George (ArtScience Museum), Tony Guillan (ArtAngel), Bartomeu Mari (Independent Curator), Vytautas Michelkevicius (Nina Art Colony), Filipa Ramos (Art Basel Film), Nadim Samman (KW Institute for Contemporary Art) and Kay Watson (Serpentine). These interviews will be published as English catalogs and widely used for overseas promotions for contemporary Korean artists. 

The “Special Exhibition of Outstanding Galleries” DIALOGUE: Mind Map features works by Kim Gemini (Gallery O’NewWall), Min SungHong (Gallerychosun), Park Ju Ae (GALLERY2), Byun Sang Hwan (SPACE SO), Shin Junmin (Art Space Purl), Rhee Donghoon (Gallery SP), Lee Jungmin (G.Gallery), Lee Fi Jae (Art Space 3), Jeong Zik Seong (LEE & BAE), Jo Jong Sung (Johyun Gallery), Yang Jung Hwa (drawingRoom), Choi Euncheol (Gallery Gwangmyeong/OneFifth), and Choi Hyesook (Gallery Sklo). These thirteen emerging artists of the next generation in Korea and their agent galleries will participate in mapping out the semantic, philosophical, psychological, and semiotic traits of the minds of contemporary Korean artists (Mind Map). 

Further details on the exhibition are available through Korea Arts Management Service and their official Instagram @koartsharing.

*Grant for Artist Management Program, funded by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the Korea Arts Management Service, is designed to promote sustainable collaboration and growth among galleries and artists. This program provides galleries with the opportunity to support talented artists, while allowing the artists themselves to focus on their creative activities.

Artistic Director
Lee Daehyung, founder of Hzone, is globally renowned for curating the CONNECT, BTS project and the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Previously, he served as Hyundai Motor Company’s Artistic Director, collaborating with institutions like Tate, MMCA, LACMA, and Bloomberg to present innovative art projects. From 2018 to 2021, Lee led the Korea Research Fellow 10X10 program, connecting local and global curators in a pioneering research network. Currently, he is the artistic director of Incheon Artport Project, fusing art and technology to transform Incheon Airport T2 into a cultural hub. He is involved in sustainability-focused public art and museum projects for Shinan County and serves on the boards of Nam June Paik Cultural Foundation and Art Center Nabi. Lee serves on the international advisory board for ArtScience Museum in Singapore. He contributed as an executive co-producer for Nam June Paik’s film, Moon Is the Oldest TV, which screened at the Guggenheim, MoMA, and V&A in 2023.

Exhibition title DIALOGUE: Mind Map
Location Plantlance Seongsu (13, Yeonmujang 11-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul)
Exhibition period August 25–September 9, 2023 (Monday–Thursday: 11am–8pm, Friday–Sunday: 11am–9pm)

Hosted by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism / Organized by Korea Arts Management Service / Sponsored by Plantlance / Artistic Director Lee Daehyung / Planning/operation by Hzone / Graphic design by Grayoval Studio.