Kirishima Open-Air Museum will be hosting an exhibit of the works of Choi Jeong Hwa, one of Korea’s leading contemporary artists; widely known in Japan for his art of intense colors and dynamic forms.
Initially intended to mark the 20th anniversary of the facility’s opening in the Summer of 2020, the exhibit was postponed twice due to conditions induced by Covid-19. In face of these circumstances, the Artist’s new creations and installations have been inspired by the ordinary everyday objects he found and collected in Korea and Kagoshima, which he has sublimated into quite out-of-the-ordinary works of art. He expresses “beautiful *chaosmos” by enchasing his works. They will give you a sense of the Artist’s unique perspective that can only be experienced at this venue.
*This is coined word by the artist（chaos + cosmos＋osmosis）
【Sponsors】
Kagoshima Prefecture Cultural Foundation / Minami-Nippon Shimbun / Minaminihon Broadcasting Company (MBC) / Kagoshima Television for Smile (KTS)
【In cooperation with】
Yūsui Township / Kirishima-sanroku Yūsui Town Tourism Association / Daiichi Kōtsū Sangyō / City of Hioki / City of Kirishima Board of Education / City of Minami-Kyūshū Board of Education / Yusui Township Board of Education / Aira-City History Folk Museum / City of Kushikino Fishery Cooperative / Kushikino City Motoura Coastline Cooperative / City of Makurazaki Council for Promotion of International Exchange / Kariya Kōbō / Makoto Yotsumoto, Kotonari Dō / Kirishima Shinmoe Sō, Shin-yu Onsen / Tōji no Yado Tajima Honkan / Tōji no Yado Myōken Kan / Takayama Metals Ltd / Nonprofit organization PandA
【Special Sponsorship】Toyota Corolla Kagoshima
【Subsidary Body】The Kao Foundation for Arts and Sciences
【Program】
(1) You Are the Monument (Collection and outdoor installation of snapshots on the theme of “You Are the Art”) ＊Consisting of photos collected before March 2021
(2) The Fruit Tour Project (Outdoor exhibition of balloons in the shape of vegetables, fruits, and flowers)
9/23 (Fri) – 9/25 (Sun) 10:00am-4:00pm
Hōzan Hall, in front of Kagoshima Municipal Chūō Kōminkan
(3) Workshop: “Gathering Together While Gathering : October 9th (Sun) 1:00pm-3:00pm
(4) Opening Ceremony : October 14th (Fri) 2:00pm
(5) Art Performance : October 14th (Fri) 2:30pm
Performers : Contact Improvisation Group “CIco”
(6) Talk Event with Nanjō Fumio & Choi Jeong Hwa : October 15th (Sat) 2:00pm
(7) Curators’ Gallery Talk : November 6th (Sun) / 13th (Sun) / 23rd (Wed) / December 4th (Sun) 2:00pm
【Outline of Exhibit】
The exhibit consists of a unique borderless space based on the theme “beautiful chaosmos” and is composed of the Artist’s new work originating from material collected around the prefecture, in addition to other three-dimensional “pop” objects from Korea (20+ works including three-dimensional pieces and installations).
《Fruits tour》2020
《blooming matrix》2018
《Infinity （iron）》2019
《You Are the Art》2000 Photo：Hanayuki Higashi
◯ About contact-improvisation group “CIco”
Established in Tokyo, 2000. CIco is a group promoting contact improvisation activities around Japan as well as in other parts of Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. The all-womeen group came to Kagoshima Prefecture after the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. With the theme of “art, nature and human livelihood”, they seek a new social role for dance artists: they have organized the international dance festival “i-Dance Japan,” staged TEDx Kagoshima and other presentations, and held an event at Kirishima Open-Air Museum in 2021 for a project highlighting the use of unusual venues. The group has been reimagining ideas of physicality and modes of human interaction since 2020; for example, as how might humans overcome sudden changes caused by viruses. Believing that the answers lie in the art of the body, they hope to bring about ideas from their base here in Kagoshima.
◯ Talk event guest: Fumio Nanjō
– Special Advisor, Mori Art Museum
– Director, N&A Inc.
– Graduated from Keiō University’s Faculty of Economics in 1972, and in 1977 from Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Letters with major in Aesthetics and Art History.
– Established Nanjō and Associates Inc. (presently N&A) in 1990 following employment with the Japan Foundation.
– Participated in establishment of the Mori Art Museum from 2002, serving as director from 2006 to 2019, and special advisor since 2020.
– Since the late ‘90s, beginning with the Japanese Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, Nanjō has been involved as general director for international exhibitions in Taipei, Singapore, Yokohama, Kita-Ibaraki, Kitakyūshū, Honolulu, and other venues.
– Served as curator for Kirishima Open-Air Museum, 1997-1999
– Recent publication: “Āto wo ikiru (Living artistically)”, Kadokawa, 2012
＊ Click here for the exhibit flyer
Information
- Venue
- Kirishima Open-Air Museum Art Hall
- Holding period
- 2022/10/14 〜 2022/12/11
Closed Mondays. (If the museum is open Monday on public holidays, and closed the following Tuesday.)
Open studio : 24th Sept 2022 to 5th Oct 2022
- Viewing time
- 9:00am to - 5:00pm (last admission : 4:30pm)
- Admission fee
- General : ¥800 (¥600)／College・high school : ¥600 (¥400)／Middle ・primary school : ¥400 (¥300)<br /> ＊ Fees in parentheses are for advance-sale tickets and/or groups of（20 or more）<br /> ＊ Exhibit is covered by basic admission fee<br /> <br />
ARTIST
- Choi Jeong Hwa
- Born 1961.
- Graduated from Hongik University Oil Painting Department.
- Represented Republic of Korea at Venice Biennale, Korea Pavilion, 2005.
- Art director for opening and closing ceremonies at Pyeongchang Paralympics, 2018.
- Major exhibits in Japan include
“Yokohama Triennale” (2001)
“Choi Jeong Hwa OK!” (2009, Towada Art Center, Aomori)
“Roppongi Art Night” (2010, 2016, 2019, Tokyo)
“Setouchi International Art Festival” (2013, Kagawa)
“Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale” (2014)
“Choi Jeong Hwa Blooming Matrix Exhibit”(2019-2020, GYRE GALLERY, Tokyo)
- Workshop by the artist sponsored by artist-in-residence program, Kirishima Open-Air Museum, 2002
- Kirishima Open-Air Museum collection, featured artist