Space 21 invites people to watch environmental art pieces
South Korea’s top-tier gallery Space 21 said on Sept. 21 that it was holding an exhibition of environment art pieces of renowned U.S. artist Alan Sonfist.The exhibition, titled ALAN SONFIST: Working with Nature – Environmental Landscapes, will continue through Oct. 21 at the gallery situated in southern Seoul.Space 21 noted that the American artist’s first solo exhibition in South Korea featured his new environmental sculpture made from burnt tree branches in Korea, along with 16 drawings.Also being displayed is a 1974 photographic collage of a forest, dubbed Gene Bank of New York, which highlighted decades of his practices.Prof. Chung Yeon-shim and Space 21 Director Lee Yu-jin are curating the high-profile exhibition.Born in 1946, Sonfist is regarded as a trailblazer of the so-called Land Art movement, which emerged in the 1960s and 1970s in the United States and the United Kingdom.The movement, otherwise known as Earth Art, expanded the boundaries of art by introducing such unconventional materials as the soil, rocks, vegetation, and water on-site.Its artists have shown great interest in the ecological values of arts instead of their commercialization.In particular, Sonfist has mostly focused on coexistence with the environment, highlighting the fragility of nature, according to Space 21.He has personal philosophy, which concentrates on an ecological lifestyle that prioritizes the preservation of natural harmony and minimizes artificial modifications.His art is inspired by nature while maximizing existing natural features. His practice is concerned with the generative characteristics of nature.From the 1960s onward, Sonfist has helped in the greening of urban areas and created sculptures, installations, photographs, and paintings out of charred trees found in areas devastated by wildfires.His works have been collected in major art museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.이 기사를 공유합니다
Tim Kim
(voc200@gmail.com)