Lehmann Maupin Gallery opened a viewing office in Anguk-dong, Seoul, on December 14, 2017. The location was previously an exhibition space for PKM Gallery and office space for Art Sonje Center. Lehmann Maupin Gallery, which first opened in New York in 1996 by Rachel Lehmann and David Maupin, chose Seoul as its second Asian space after Hong Kong in 2013. It has had a long-standing affinity with Korea as several artists represented by the gallery are from Korea, including Lee Bul, Suh Doho, and Kim Guiline. I had a talk with Rachel Lehmann who visited Korea for the celebration of the Seoul office opening.

Art) I would like to ask why you opened your new viewing office in Seoul.
RL) Having been collaborating with Korean artists for a long time now, we have naturally come to develop interest in Korea. The Samcheong-dong area is lined with art infrastructure that represents Korea, such as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) and Art Sonje Center. By opening the office in this neighborhood, we thought that we could create more opportunities to meet with Korean artists spontaneously and form an intricate network with them.

Art) I have a feeling that people might wonder why you opened a viewing office and not a gallery. There were quite a few distinguished overseas galleries like Galerie Perrotin and Pace Gallery that opened their gallery spaces in Seoul.
RL) There are quite a few people who ask me why not London or Paris, but Seoul (laughs). There were not many resources from those cities, where we could take anything away. Also, I did not want to put much emphasis on opening a gallery or a viewing office. If we continue to manage a space flexibly and freely in Seoul, one day we may be able to open a gallery. We wanted to use the Seoul office as the foothold from which we could expand the influence of Lehmann Maupin Gallery in Asian art markets.

Art) Could you introduce to us the artworks that you exhibited in the viewing office in Seoul?
We wanted to show the vision of Lehmann Maupin Gallery. The driving force behind our growth lies with “diversity.” We founded the gallery with people from diverse national backgrounds. I am Swiss and David is an American. Artists that we introduce are also like that. Kader Attia is from Algeria, and is mainly based in Paris, France, and Teresita Fernández is a Cuban-American artist.

Art) What do you think is the charm of Korean art?
RL) Contemporary Korean art has a unique beauty. Personally, I was deeply impressed by Silla: Korea’s Golden Kingdom, the exhibition held in the Met in 2013. Many people mistake traditional Korean art as some form of imitation of Chinese or Japanese art, but they are mistaken. Koreans from the ancient times have developed their own aesthetic, and I believe that contemporary Korean art has shared the same paradigm from that time on. It seems that unique Korean beauty is being revealed internationally through Korean artists who share their art or actively work globally.

Art) Are there any artists or trends in Korean art that you’ve been following?
RL) First off, I am paying attention to the trends that came after the time of monochromatic painting. It is difficult for me to pinpoint any particular artist, but I like the artists who work with diverse media no matter what their age is. Particularly, I am interested in the artists whose works contemporized the tradition. It is because the art came from the past. I am searching for artists who cast the question of “Where did we come from?” and whose works reflect the political and social issues of contemporary Korea.

Art) Could you share with us the plans that Lehmann Maupin Gallery has for 2018?
RL) Lehmann Maupin Gallery will open its relocated New York space in Chelsea in 2018. Architect Peter Marino has designed the space, which will not only have more space, but also height. You can expect more incredible exhibitions. We are planning to hold exhibitions for two new artists, whose specific names are still a secret (laughs). Mary Corse, whose works are exhibited at the viewing office in Seoul will also hold a retrospective at the Whitney Museum in June, during which time Lee Bul will also hold her solo exhibit at the Hayward Gallery in London. I would like to call attention to the first solo exhibit by Korean artist Suh Seok, which is planned to be held at the Lehmann Maupin Gallery in New York.

※ This article was originally published in Art in Culture magazine (October 2017) and reprinted under authority of a MOU between KAMS and Art in Culture.