The special exhibition, “Diverse Spectrum: 600 Years of Korean Ceramics,” opened at the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) on August 16, kicked off the Korea Festival commemorating the 50th anniversary of Korean immigration to Brazil. Co-organized by the National Museum of Korea (NMK), the Korea Foundation, and the São Paulo Museum of Art, the exhibition features outstanding pottery s from the Joseon period (1392-1910) as well as contemporary ceramics and artworks inspired by Korea’s long pottery traditions.
First Korean Culture Festival in South America
Fifty years after the arrival of the first Korean immigrants in Brazil, the Korean population in the South American country today, including immigrants and resident employees of Korean companies, amounts to some 50,000. However, a great majority of Brazilians remain unfamiliar with Korean culture. Although Korean businesses and products have a noteworthy presence in the Brazilian market, there has been little effort to introduce Korean art and culture to the general public in Brazil. The first of its kind ever at the São Paulo Museum of Art, which has already hosted major exhibitions of Chinese and Japanese art, the current exhibition highlights the ceramics of the Joseon period (1392-1910), recognized as one of the most representative genres of Korean art, as well as contemporary Korean artworks.
Joseon Porcelain and Buncheong Ware
The exhibition consists of two parts: Part I presents white porcelain wares from the Joseon Dynasty from the NMK’s collection, Part II introduces a variety of contemporary artworks, including pottery, sculpture, and installation works. The first part features 70 works, including 11 buncheong and 56 white porcelain pieces, such as “Buncheong Horizontal Bottle with Fish Design,” which conveys the vibrant aesthetics typical of the early years of the Joseon Dynasty. This buncheong with bold brushstrokes exudes a sense of humor through the fish’s comical appearance. It is the first work to greet visitors, along with a white porcelain “moon jar.”
The white porcelain wares are divided into three themes: “The Wares of New Era ― White Porcelain,” “Patterns on White Porcelain” and “Joseon Scholars and White Porcelain.” The first segment include placenta jars, small vessels buried in tombs for the afterlife of the dead, and plain white ritual vessels. These vessels embody Neo-Confucian principles of rationalism and morality and simple aestheticism, in contrast to the luxurious and decorative celadon of the Buddhist-oriented Goryeo Dynasty.
In the “Patterns on White Porcelain” segment, visitors can witness the universal desires of Joseon-era Koreans for longevity, wealth and happiness from such porcelain vessels as the “Jar with Ten Longevity Symbols” and “Bowl with Chinese Characters for Longevity and Good Fortune.” The final segment, “Joseon Scholars and White Porcelain,” highlights everyday wares favored by the literati class, including scholars’ utensils such as brush holders and water droppers, as well as wine bottles and plain white jars for aesthetic appreciation.
Contemporary Installations and Paintings
Part II presents an array of ceramic s and other artworks by 11 contemporary pottery artists. They include modern buncheong works by Yun Gwang-jo and Roh Gyeong-jo, and white porcelain works by Kim Ik-yeong and Hwang Gap-sun. Sin Sang-ho conveys the image of a patchwork quilt with a mosaic of 75 ceramic tiles, while Park Seong-tae decorated the surface of round ceramic works with children’s faces before firing. Lee Su-gyeong has d new forms by assembling porcelain shards, and Jeong Gwang-ho crafted pottery-shaped s with copper wire.
Sin Mi-gyeong presents replicas of traditional Korean and Chinese ceramic works made from soap of various colors. Go Yeong-hun and Gu Bon-chang offer their interpretations of Joseon ceramics through painting and photography, respectively. These modern works of art reveal fresh and innovative aesthetic sensibilities while harmonizing beautifully with traditional pottery s.
Epilogue
The São Paulo Museum of Art, located on Paulista Avenue which cuts through the city of São Paulo, is a famous landmark beloved by local citizens. The museum is a symbol of modern Brazilian architecture, with two red lateral beams supporting the main structure over a freestanding space. No less impressive is its collection of many valuable artworks, including those by famous masters from the Renaissance to modern periods like Albrecht DÜrer, Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Vincent van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso, which makes the MASP not only Brazil’s representative museum but one of the most prestigious museums in the Southern Hemisphere and also one of the world’s top five art museums. While the museum building, completed in 1968, is not equipped with all the high-tech facilities that are often found in today’s newer museums, its color schemes and lighting design of exhibition space demonstrate world-class expertise.
Whereas the pottery exhibition is the MASP’s first project to introduce Korean artworks, its permanent exhibition of Renaissance art is supported by a Korean business enterprise (for additional information see: http://masp.art.br). Moreover, from the Korean-brand LED video screens found throughout the museum and the mobile phones of staff members, Korea’s presence can be felt in all corners of the MASP, indicating that this exhibition is rather belated. Also, visitors have shown keen interest in the exhibits and enthusiasm to learn more about Korean culture.
The National Museum of Korea is most pleased to have this opportunity to participate in the Korea Foundation’s 2012 Korea Festival in Brazil. We also hope that the exhibition, which will continue through November 25 this year, will help energize cultural exchange between Korea and Brazil and to further enhance friendly relations between the two countries.
Lee Hea-gyeong
Associate Curator
Special Exhibition Division
National Museum of Korea
한국국제교류재단
