Art Space displays paintings of artist Pureum for Silent Auction.Photo by Ko Yu-seon.
Art Space displays paintings of artist Pureum for Silent Auction.Photo by Ko Yu-seon.

 

Shinchon Arts Space and See the Sun, a visual arts project organization, collaborated to create Art Space from Aug. 16 to Sept. 29. The numerous art-related events and workshops were at Art Space aimed to encourage young female artists.

Woo Da-min, the chief of See the Sun, and her all-women team were determined to create a platform solely for women to fight against the unjust reality where their potentials are limited because of their gender. Woo as an art student felt the Korean art community revolved around males and their drinking culture. Such environment encouraged her to create a female art community where they were no longer secluded. This led her to organize Art Space so that female novice artists could exhibit their works. 

Art Space events were separated into three sections: Let’s Learn, Let’s Do, and Let’s Fun.
Let’s Learn was comprised of four sessions which had guest speakers from the fields of photography, painting, and media. These workshops gave advice to young artists who were not yet aware of the hardships they may face as artists in reality.

One of the guest speakers, Jun Hye-rim shared her experiences earning a living as an artist. Jun noted how she utilized residency programs as steppingstones to carry on with her works. She also admitted how difficult it is for painters to find definite solutions in their careers and how she tried to solve it in various ways, which diversified her expertise in art.  

Woo herself felt great appreciation while preparing for Let’s Learn workshops.

“The workshops turned out to be a success, as the audience avidly asked questions,” Woo said. “Curators and artists focused on sharing actual field experiences, which was more helpful for the female artists. This workshop confirmed my thoughts on how important networking is between artists.”

Let’s Do was the name of a moving art market. A customized automobile was used to display the works of female artists. Let’s Do was held every Saturday in September as the automobile moved around Myeongmul-gil and Changchun Culture Park to reach out to customers who were interested in purchasing works.

Art Space used Instagram as a platform to scout female artists who wished to participate in Art Space. Some were scouted through recommendations by other female curators. Artist Na-yeong from “Rotate,” which is the name of her workroom, participated in Art Space by selling her recycled art pieces.

“I use leftover fabric and wood to make new crafts,” said Na-yeong. “Coexistence is what makes every organism valuable, and I wanted to emphasize that through my work. Art Space provided an environment where I could communicate with a wider audience.

The last event, Let’s Fun, took place at Shinchon Arts Center. Along with areas to view female artists’ works, it also opened a silent auction. Unlike typical auctions, Woo wanted a peaceful atmosphere where buyers could carefully think about the works and the bidding prices. Participants wrote their bids down on notes, with the highest written price becoming the winning bid. All of the bidding money was donated to the artists whose work was sold. In exchange, the buyer was given a gift from the artists, whether it be the artist’s diary or a thank-you letter.

Moreover, a workshop on human body movement was performed by “Naked Frames.” Comprised of psychologists, actors, and designers, the group put on an interactive performance showing various ways to care our mental health. Information on mental health that was garnered through this interactive program will be reproduced through other art forms such as books and art exhibitions.

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