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| Installation view of the exhibition, “Metallurgy: Great Wisdom,” held at the Ho-Am Art Museum in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province / Courtesy of Ho-Am Art Museum |
By Park Han-sol
The Ho-Am Art Museum in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, has gradually turned into a “forgotten establishment” in the Korean art scene in recent years, in contrast to its counterpart ― Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in Seoul ― which has risen to become one of the top private art institutions in the country.
Established in 1982 to house vast collection of traditional Korean artifacts owned by Samsung Group founder Lee Byung-chul, also known by the moniker Ho-Am, it has mostly specialized in showcasing ancient relics in its permanent exhibits, rather than focusing on year-round special thematic exhibitions that would draw in new visitors.
But since its temporary closure in February 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the art museum has been undergoing major renovations for the first time in 40 years to revamp its image.
The main two-story building, as well as the surrounding scenic garden of Heewon ― marked by its colorful seasonal foliage, lotus pond and traditional stone sculptures ― are the focus of its renovation, scheduled to be completed by next April.
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| Louise Bourgeois’ iconic installation “Maman” at the Leeum has been recently re-located to the garden of Ho-Am Art Museum. Courtesy of Ho-Am Art Museum |
As a “preview show” suggesting the new direction for the Ho-Am Art Museum, a special exhibition, titled “Metallurgy: Great Wisdom,” is being held in its gallery space that is ready for transformation.
Upon entering the space surrounded by exposed concrete walls and floor, viewers are met with artist Kimsooja’s 2009 video installation “Air of the Earth,” depicting the cyclical process of the land’s creation, transformation and disappearance beginning with the violent eruption of a volcano in Guatemala.
With this contemporary piece serving as its introduction, the exhibition then moves on to how ancient humans gave birth to metallurgy from this cycle of nature, as they extracted metals from minerals and modified them for artistic, religious and social uses.
“Although the term metallurgy is most commonly associated with the field of manufacturing and material engineering in society today, in Korea, its roots lie in the metal art tradition that began with the Bronze Age around 10th century BCE,” said Lee Kwang-bae, the show’s curator.
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| A dagger and spearheads from the 1st century BCE / Courtesy of Ho-Am Art Museum |
Across the three sections ― “God and Nature,” “Kings” and “The Buddha” ― the exhibition illustrates the development of Korea’s metalcraft tradition, from the Bronze Age to the early period of the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom.
The ritual objects of mirrors and daggers used by ancient religious leaders to communicate with gods during the Bronze Age featured elaborate engravings of geometric designs that signaled the beginning of metal culture on the Korean Peninsula.
Later, this divine power vested in prehistoric shamans transferred to kings. The expanded use of metals and precious gemstones to symbolize royal authority ― including gold, silver, iron, crystal, jade and glass ― gave birth to new, remarkable decorative techniques and items.
These objects include a gold crown that is the most intact relic dating back to the Gaya Confederacy (42-532) found to this day, as well as pairs of gold earrings from the Silla Kingdom (57 BCE―935), marked by sophisticated granulation techniques.
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| A gold crown from the Gaya Confederacy (42-532) that has been designated as National Treasure / Courtesy of Ho-Am Art Museum |
While there were relics celebrating the power of kings, an equal number of artworks and statues inspired by the artisans’ Buddhist beliefs were actively produced until the 918-1392 Goryeo Dynasty.
Some of the highlights of this section are an incense burner and lidded bowl used in Goryeo-era Buddhist rituals. Both pieces are designated as National Treasures, notably for their silver inlay techniques, whereby the bronze’s surface is inlaid with fine silver lines.
“It’s not well known that this technique used by metal artisans was adopted by potters to create the iconic inlaid celadon,” Lee said. “And it later inspired the production of mother-of-pearl inlay items as well. In other words, this shared aesthetics of the Goryeo-era artisans began with the silver inlay techniques on hard metal surfaces.”
But the most notable aspect of this exhibition, in fact, isn’t the list of priceless relics ― which include five National Treasures and two Treasures. Rather, it is the show’s attempt to diverge from its old ways by blending the traditional masterpieces of Korea with contemporary art in the same space.
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| Lee U-fan’s “Relatum” (1982), left, and Yang Hae-gue’s “Sonic Rotating Geometry Type H-Brass Plated #21” (2014)?on display / Courtesy of Ho-Am Art Museum |
In addition to the introductory video installation “Air of the Earth,” the show presents other pieces by contemporary artists that incorporate the characteristic of metal into their core themes, such as Lee U-fan’s “Relatum” and Suh Do-ho’s “My/Our Country.”
The exhibition itself is also organized more like a contemporary art show, with no fixed route and a diminished focus on explanatory texts. The artifacts within the glass showcase look as if they are suspended mid-air, instead of lying flat on the shelves as per the usual display, making a 360-degree view possible.
“This method of display hasn’t been attempted a lot in exhibitions of ancient and traditional art. We tried to display each item at different heights, according to their presumed location of usage in relation to human bodies ― crown at the head-level, ritual mirror at the neck-level and sword at the hand-level, for example,” Lee said. “This gives viewers a better idea of how the artifacts were actually used and worn.”
The exhibition, “Metallurgy: Great Wisdom,” runs through Dec. 12 at the Ho-Am Art Museum.
‘Metallurgy: Great Wisdom:’ Ho-Am Art Museum presents last exhibit before renovation
Source: Buhay Kapa PH
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