There is always controversy about shifts in perception of Art. What becomes acceptable and how.
Like punk rock in the seventies was dangerous, untouchable for the majority, something abhorrent yet nowadays it has comfortably shifted into the mainstream and can now be heard playing as elevator musak. The same happens with pop culture. What are the criteria for the shift from pop culture to high art. Actually what is high art?
In this case I'm talking about what it takes for pop culture to move off the stage, out of the earphones, away from the computer and be placed within a frame and hung in the 'Art Gallery' And specifically the Seoul Museum of Art!
Is that not the pinnacle of '
High' Art in South Korea? or at least one of them?
G-Dragon from the Big Bang K-Pop band fame has done exactly this with an exhibition called
Peace Minus One - Beyond the Stage.
To tell you the truth my expectations were not high. The music that Big Bang produce is considered to be good K-Pop but is that an oxymoron? They have one or two good songs and they are very lavish in the costume and make up department and over the top in the music video department but is it high art? will it translate to the gallery?
The first space is a sort of surreal interpretation of life according to G-Dragon. It's a space that has been set up by him displaying a lot of his personal items and art from his own collection. As a surreal space it is a bit amateurish, a little bit like a bad Dali rip off from the 40's. Everything off tilt, hands coming out of doors etc No dripping clocks but the room is filled with the sound of a clock. But what fills the space is quite interesting and starts to give you an insight into this individual. He actually collects some very interesting art and artifacts from all around the world. It is easy to say that with that kinda money I would too but it's just as easy to do nothing with that kinda money too. His decisions and interests seem to be very well informed.
And just like in real life where he is more than just a pawn in a boy band, he is power producer too, song writer?, artist! his artworks chosen for this display are very interesting and certainly worth the time to peruse.
There are not too many items of 'favourite jacket', hat, shoes etc but a collection of crucifixes and a fantastic electric organ are just some of the things you will see.
Once out of this first space you move into spaces where other artists have collaborated in setting up the space or it is just exhibiting their work because the G-Dragon likes them or they like the G-Dragon.
This is where the exhibition gets very interesting, a series of rooms with all types of Artworks, like the interactive video installation above, or gigantic Hip Hop picture grams, sculptures, paintings, drawings etc etc.
G-Dragon as Slayer or the slain?
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| Osang Gwon - untitled G-Dragon, a space with no name |
Certainly my view of G-Dragon as vacuous, pretty boy toy singing doll has changed somewhat. The exhibition certainly changed that misconception.
At the very least we can say that Jiyong Gwong currates a great exhibition and certainly I am comfortable with his transition to High Art or the spaces of the galleries and museums of the world.
