Kukje Gallery is pleased to present The Other Side of Things, a solo exhibition of the Korean contemporary artist Ahn Kyuchul on view at Kukje Gallery Busan from May 13 through July 4, 2021. Acclaimed for his complex yet delicate artistic vocabulary incorporating reflections on daily life, as well as close observations of everyday objects and language, Ahn has constructed a body of work that remains distinct from today’s prevailing trends in contemporary art, which is largely devoted to presenting visual spectacles or multisensory experiences. His visual language, deeply rooted in a conceptual approach and oblique representations of reality, allows viewers to reassess the essence of human nature and objects while confronting the irrationalities and paradoxes of modern life.

Ahn’s first ever solo show in Busan provides a survey of the artist’s diverse practice and introduces a new chapter in his career following his retirement from the School of Visual Arts, Korea National University of Arts where he taught generations of students. The exhibition, marking the artist’s first encounter with local audiences in Busan, will provide a comprehensive overview of Ahn’s practice, introducing a range of his signature works.

The title of the exhibition, The Other Side of Things, condenses a central belief that lies at the core of Ahn’s artistic practice, “The truth is not revealed on the surface of an object, but remains hidden on the other side of things.” The exhibition introduces approximately 40 works encompassing objects, paintings, and drawings, including everyday objects that often go unnoticed; this reframing of familiar subjects highlights the artist’s steadfast exploration of “the other side of things” throughout his three-decade-long career.

About the Artist
Born in Seoul, Korea in 1955, Ahn Kyuchul received his BFA in Sculpture from Seoul National University and worked as a journalist for Art Quarterly from 1980 through 1987. He then moved to Paris in 1987, and to Germany in 1988, graduating from the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart in 1995 after completing both undergraduate and graduate programs. From 1997 to 2020, he taught at the School of Visual Arts, Korea National University of Arts. Major solo exhibitions include Words Just for You at Kukje Gallery, Seoul (2017); Invisible Land of Love at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul (2015); All and but Nothing at HITE Collection, Seoul (2014); and Forty-Nine Rooms at Rodin Gallery, Seoul (2004). Ahn has also participated in numerous group exhibitions at institutions and biennales including Variations of the Moon at the Nam June Paik Art Center, Yongin (2014); ROUNDTABLE: The 9th Gwangju Biennale (2012); Void in Korean Art at Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul (2007); and Parallel Life at Frankfurter Kunstverein (2005).

Further Information :
Kukje Gallery