| Cover picture: The Sun, Moon, and Five Peaks, 19th or early 20th century, six-fold screen; colour on silk |

The cover picture of this post is my favourite exhibit, located right at the opening of the exhibition. The motif of the sun, moon, and five peaks was specific to the Joseon court, and a screen with this design was always installed behind the king wherever he went. The various elements of the motif have different symbolism: the moon and sun being yin and yang, the five peaks representing the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, the water waves as a smooth circulation of the five elements, and finally the pine trees to represent the longevity of the king and the long reign of the Joseon dynasty.

Reproduction of jeogui, queen’s ceremonial robe, early 20th century, silk

Accessory case and hairpins

This elaborate and gorgeous robe was reserved for the queen to wear on the most formal occasions including her wedding, the wedding of the crown princess, and other state events. The hairpins accompany the look and were used to hold elaborate hairpieces. Confucianism formed the dominant ideology in Joseon Korea, and the designs of some of the hairpins are imbued with Confucian virtues. In fact, Confucianism discouraged material excessiveness and women didn’t accessorize much, apart from hairpins and rings.

Celebrating the Birth of Crown Prince Yi Cheok, 1874, ten-fold screen; ink and colour on silk

Reception of Japanese Envoys, 18th century, ten-fold screen; ink and colour on paper

I really liked looking at these screens! They are much bigger in real life than they appear in these pictures. It’s really nice tracking the narrative from one end to the other and seeing all that detail that spans the screen.

Rank badges: Crane and Tiger-Leopard, 19th century, silk on damask

Rank badges were worn on the front of court officials’ robes. Civil officials wore rank badges with birds that were associated with literary elegance, while military officials had rank badges with tigers or leopards that represented courage. I just really like how people back in the day incorporated these somewhat-subtle and intricate designs in their culture to communicate their taste and refinement.

Gathering of Literati with Deep Friendship, 1857, album; ink and colour on paper

Jeongnija type blocks, 1796 and 1858, bronze

The Hangul Edition of Minor Learning, printed in 1875, woodblock-printed book

Writing is of course a crucial component of a country’s history, and the invention of hangeul by the beloved King Sejong remains as Korea’s pride and joy. Back then, only the highly educated could learn to read and write in classical Chinese. The invention of hangeul allowed the vernacular language to be produced in a written script that people of all social classes could easily pick up.

That is a point that still remains today – the Korean language is considered an “easy” language to learn because learning the alphabet means that you can read and pronounce any Korean character (compared to say, Chinese characters). Although in my experience, learning any language also requires you to tackle grammar and vocabulary which didn’t make my Korean learning all that easy after all, LOL.

Mountain-shaped brush holder, 19th century, porcelain

I’d never expected brush holders to be so fancy! These kinds of brush holders were found on the desks of Joseon scholar-officials, essentially a highly educated man of the highest societal class, the yangban. The house on the mountain would have been seen as an existence away from worldly concerns which many literati desired and strived for.

Bookshelves, 19th or early 20th century, ten-fold screen; colour on silk

I need this in my future home next to a reading area or home library! (Yes, I like to dream big.) This great idea of having screens depicting bookshelves, called chaekgado, is believed to have been initiated by King Jeongjo known for his love of books and scholarship.

Im Huiji, Orchids, late 18th or 19th century, album leaf; ink on paper

I always love an ink painting simply created with a few strokes. Looks so carefree and easy, but probably very hard to execute in reality.

Bridal robe, late Joseon dynasty, embroidery on silk; Two wedding geese, early 20th century, wood

This hwarot (flower robe) is one that was worn by commoners on their wedding day, following the style of the embroidered overcoat usually worn by princesses. It’s definitely not as grand as the jeogui seen earlier, but still very pretty!

Norigae, early 20th century, embroidered silk

The norigae is an essential part of Joseon women’s dress. The hanbok originated in the Joseon dynasty and is now considered the traditional Korean costume. The women’s hanbok is made up of the top (jeogori) and skirt (chima) and the norigae is worn at the top of the chima along the side.

Norigae originally referred to “pretty and playful objects” but the term came to be used for these tasselled accessories. The norigae on the far left is probably the most standard form, while the one in the middle has an attached tiger claw design that is meant to drive away evil and protect the wearer from dangerous animals. The one on the far right has a pendant that is used as a perfume case!

Three-part norigae, early 20th century, silk with metal, jade, coral, amber, and malachite

This three-part norigae is the most elaborate form of norigae, with the three components representing harmony between heaven, earth, and man. While the ones above could be worn for everyday use, this three-part norigae was likely used for special occasions.

Child’s jacket, early 20th century; Headdress for first birthday, late 19th century, both embroidered silk

I love the cute jacket! The jacket was worn by children for traditional holidays and on their first birthday. The first birthday is an important occasion in Korean culture, with the highlight of the doljabi during which the kid chooses an item out of a range of objects (e.g. money, pencil, stethoscope) and this choice of item is meant to predict their future careers. I find this idea really fun and cute actually!

The rainbow-coloured (saekdong) sleeves also symbolize harmony and protection for the child to have a long, healthy, and prosperous life.

Ran Hwang, Becoming Again; Coming Together, 2017

After you’re done at the main exhibition hall on the second floor, you can head over to see Ran Hwang’s special installation held in conjunction with Joseon Korea located on the first floor. A video projection shows a couple in the middle of a marriage ceremony, and motifs of flowers, phoenixes, and more are auspicious symbols that indicate a happy marriage. Watch the video to see more!

This special installation by Ran Hwang is free for all museum visitors, while the main exhibition has paid entry. They are both showing till 23rd July 2017. Head over to their website to find out more details. In any case, most of the exhibits are on loan from the National Palace Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Korea, both located in Seoul. So you know where to go if you want to see more! :D

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It was a 3-day affair from 14-16 March and I went on the second day. I didn’t know this earlier but Sundays are crazily packed days for art fairs (Art Basel sold out their online tickets for Sunday!). It was held in a giant tent on the Central Harbourfront Event Space, a newly built space with a gorgeous park around it, with gray carpeted floors and wooden planks beneath. I’m not sure if anyone else noticed, but if you stepped a little too hard and a little too near to an art piece on one of those display blocks, the art piece would wobble just slightly!!

Art Central was split into two sections: Central and Rise. Central features established galleries from Asia and beyond, while Rise features up-and-coming galleries representing emerging artists. Overall, there was a strong focus on Asian galleries with works mostly being made within these few years. Many pictures ahead and my full review of Art Central below!

Lynne Roberts-Goodwin, MORE THAN EVER Think the Mountain series, 2014, archival photographic print, .M Contemporary

Simone Rosenbauer, Like Ice In Sunshine #13; Like Ice In The Sunshine #2; Like Ice In The Sunshine #10; Like Ice In Sunshine #1 (clockwise from top left), 2014, fine art pigment print, .M Contemporary

Li Hongbo, Wood – Pier, 2014, paper, Contemporary by Angela Li

Li Hongbo, Bust of a Boy, 2013, paper, Contemporary by Angela Li

Li Hongbo’s movable paper works were a huge hit with the crowd, especially when a staff member pulled the Bust of a Boy upwards for a fun show. Even when I saw it up close, it was almost impossible to tell it was made of many layers of stacked paper.

Shunsuke François Nanjo, Monolithe 147, 2015, 1/2 Alpha Romeo, Lights, Sound System, Art Statements

Liang Quan, Tea and A Bit of Coffee, 2001, coffee, tea, color and ink on paper collage, Hive Center for Contemporary Art

Lü Nan, The Four Seasons – Everyday Life of Tibet Peasants, 1996-2004, gelatin silver print, series of 109 photos, Hive Center for Contemporary Art

Lü Nan, On the Road – The Catholic Church in China, 1992-1996, gelatin silver print, series of 60 photos, Hive Center for Contemporary Art

This semester, I’ve been taking a class on 19th century modern European art that I’m having the best time with. I learnt about Gustave Courbet and Jean-François Millet who were two influential French artists of the Realist movement. This might be a long stretch but Lü Nan’s The Four Seasons – Everyday Life of Tibet Peasants instantly made me think of Millet’s The Gleaners (1857) and the photograph beside it, On the Road – The Catholic Church in China gave me Courbet’s A Burial at Ornans (1849-50) vibes. Could Lü Nan have taken inspiration from these artists?

Song Ling, Meaningless Choice? No. 60, 1993, ink on paper, Hive Center for Contemporary Art

Lee Kyoung-mi, SAN FRANCISCO ON THE TABLE-HOTEL HERBERT, 2014, oil on constructed birch panel, CAIS Gallery

Choi So-young, House Overlooking the Sea, 2015, denim, CAIS Gallery

Nam Kyung-min, Wandering about Landscape of the Inner, 2011, oil on linen, CAIS gallery

Hong Kyoung-tack, Library Elvis pointing a gun at a dove, 2013, oil on linen, CAIS gallery

Chung Doo-hwa, Sound, 2014, book on wood, CAIS gallery

Hisao Domoto, Untitled, 1959, oil on canvas, SAKURADO FINE ARTS

This was probably the oldest work I saw at Art Central, haha! I really like the explosion of colors and the materiality of the paint – the way you can see how the oil paint has been applied and twisted around the canvas.

Zhou Jirong, Red Gate Gallery

Zhou Jirong, Landscape – Arrow Tower, 2013, mixed media print, Red Gate Gallery

Li Xiaofeng, Ocean Travels, 2008, Ming period shards, Red Gate Gallery

A suit jacket, dress shirt and tie entirely made up of Ming period shards! I found it ridiculously amusing. I’d worried that valuable Ming period vases/pots/other forms of Chinese material culture were intentionally broken to form these shards, but my Chinese friend told me that there are many of these shards left in China. Great way for recycling artistic materials!

Lee Yanor, Zemack Contemporary Art

Giovanni Ozzola, Untitled with Light, 2014, ink jet print on cotton paper, Gazelli Art House

This is my favorite artwork in the entire fair. I can’t pinpoint what exactly makes it work so well for me, but I definitely love the feeling of tranquility and serenity in this photograph.

Miya Ando, Shiki 2, 2015, pigment, urethane, resin and dye on aluminium, Sundaram Tagore Gallery

Mo Yi, “5.16 Notice” – It’s Been 49 Years, 1 set of 49 photos, Contemporary by Angela Li

This is an interesting one. Each photo has a year printed in red across it starting from 1966 on the top left photo to 2014 on the bottom right photo. Every photo also has ‘5.16’ “written” repeatedly on the photo, a small detail easy to miss. And most interesting of all, every photo features Mao Zedong or something associated with him.

I’ll say the artwork is referencing to the Cultural Revolution, which was launched on May 16th 1966 and ended in 1976 with Mao’s death. The way the photos continue up till 2014 is left up to your interpretation.

Hiroshi Senju, Waterfall, 2011, acrylic pigment on Japanese mulberry paper, Sundaram Tagore Gallery

Hiroshi Senju, Waterfall, 2014, acrylic and fluorescent pigments on Japanese mulberry paper, Sundaram Tagore Gallery

I’m a new fan of Hiroshi Senju! He paints in the Japanese nihonga style (I explained this earlier as often making use of a creamy wash to create an atmospheric effect) but his contemporary take on it is very unique to his work. I love how he retains that atmospheric feeling in his works.

Sebastião Salgado, Church Gate Station, Bombay, India, 1995, gelatin silver print, Sundaram Tagore Gallery

Sebastião Salgado, Southern right whale, Valdes Peninsula, Argentina, 2004, gelatin silver print, Sundaram Tagore Gallery

William Klein, Smoke + Veil, Paris (for Vogue), 1958; Nina & Simone, Piazza di Spagna, Roma (for Vogue), 1961; Hat with Five Roses, Barbara Mullen, Paris (top to bottom), 1956, gelatin silver prints, Hackelbury Fine Art

William Klein, Dorothy blowing light smoke rings, Paris, 1962, gelatin silver print, mounted to aluminium, Hackelbury Fine Art

I’d previously seen WIlliam Klein’s three works pictured above on Artsy and it was so nice to see them for myself in real life! I would have preferred if the photographs didn’t have those neon color borders though. Dorothy blowing light smoke rings, Paris was a great discovery and I just love it. Polished and whimsical at the same time.

Mónica Dixon, Fairfield; Germantown; Hook Road (left to right), 2015, acrylic on canvas, Barnadas Huang

Vanessa Wong, Entity 016, 2015, watercolor on paper; Entity 003, 2012, acrylic print on paper; Entity 005, 2012, acrylic print on paper; Entity 016, 2014, watercolor on paper (anticlockwise from right), The Cat Street Gallery

Chi Chien, Fine Particles, 2015, gold leaf, bronze, concrete, Affinity for Art

The note writes, “I am a real rose. Please don’t touch me! Thank you.” That was the only way I could have known this rose was real! And it’s still so pretty after being painted over with gold.

Chi Chien, A Form, 2015, mixed media, Affinity for Art

Chi Chien, Indigo River; Début; Dunes (left to right), 2015, mixed media, Affinity for Art

I was very taken with Chi Chien’s works, especially with A Form. There is a nice serenity to Chi Chien’s series of works, yet those planes look like war planes, so I feel there is an underlying edge to the narrative of his works.

Ran Hwang, Healing Blossoms, 2012, paper, buttons, pins, beads on wooden panels (7 panels), Opera Gallery

Bahk Seong-hi, An Aggregation, 2013, charcoal with nylon threads, Opera Gallery

Opera Gallery’s booth was like this space of Zen in the middle of Art Central’s tent! Ran Hwang’s Healing Blossoms was a popular piece among fair-goers, and rightfully so, it’s so beautiful. Bahk Seong-hi’s An Aggregation is also a stunner. I love the atmospheric feel of this piece, and the shadows cast by the charcoal bits feel like they’re part of the artwork itself.

Xu Qu, Lineament (Laocoon), 2015, brass, cutting forging, Yallay Gallery

This one caught my eye immediately because it outlines Laocoön, a sculpture from the ancient Greco-Roman Classical period. For those interested, Laocoön is the guy who warned the Troyans not to accept the wooden horse left by the Greeks; it’s that story behind the ‘Trojan horse.’ The Greek goddess Athena and god Poseidon favored the Greeks and sent sea-serpents to kill innocent Laocoön and his two sons, and this scene is depicted in Laocoön and Lineament (Laocoon).

Chris Levine, Kate’s Light, 2013, lenticular lightbox, The FIne Art Society Contemporary

island6, Precisely the Amount of Feathers, 2013, RGB LED display, acrylic painting, paper collage, teakwood frame, Bath Street Gallery

Another Mao-related piece, albeit with more humor! This is actually a moving image, showing a housekeeper dusting a statue of Mao. You can almost hear her tsk-tsking away.

Phil Shaw, Equo Ne Credite, 2014, eight color pigment based archival print on hahnemuhle paper, Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery

Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery

Stephan Reusse, kissing, laser scanning, 10 min loop, edition of 5, Lukas Feichtner Galerie

This moving image was pretty cool! The sexes of the two figures seem to have been deliberately left ambiguous though.

Chiho Akama, Connected Lives, 2013, Japanese paper, special resin, and acrylic resin (3 separate works); Black Currant and Wild Strawberry Cake – Santa’s Nibble, 2009, cotton, yarn, viscose, polyvinyl chloride; Garden Lovers – Orchestrated World of Nature, 2014, Japanese paper, bark, polyester resin, and acrylic resin, Dillon Gallery (left to right)

Desire Obtain Cherish, Testament of Faith – 25mg, 2014, UV cast resin and acrylic, Bluerider Art

The title says it all. On a superficial note, I love the pop of colors!

Desire Obtain Cherish, One’s Pacifier is Another’s Panacea – CHANEL, 2013, cast resin and acrylic, Bluerider Art

Desire Obtain Cherish, Meltdown – Sugarcane Bubblegum; Medium Meltdown – Grape, 2013, UV cast resin, Bluerider Art

Li Hui, The Captured Rhinoceros, 2012, stainless steel, PARKVIEW ART Hong Kong

Simon Roberts, Blackpool Promenade, Lancashire, 24th July, 2008, fujicolor crystal archive print, Flowers Gallery

Nadav Kander, Nanjing II, Jiangsu II (Metal Palm), 2007, chromogenic color print, Flowers Gallery

I’m not sure if Simon Roberts and Nadav Kander work together or anything like that, but I found their photographs both intriguing and strange in similar ways. It was as if I could recognize where the photographs were taken, yet at the same time, the scenes look constructed and a little fake. Both artists put a place to their photographs, but again, could they just be an illusionistic idea of the places they were depicting?

Patrick Hughes, Fondation Beyeler, 2007, oil on board construction, Flowers Gallery

Patrick Hughes, Popper, 2015, oil on board construction, Flowers Gallery

Flowers Gallery had a great selection of works, and I can safely say that Patrick Hughes’s works were the most photographed at Art Central! He creates these pieces that look flat when you look at them straight on, but they seem to move along with you as you move to see it from a different angle. That’s when you realize that there are panels sticking out from the frame with different images on different sides, as you can see with Fondation Beyeler. 

Michael Wolf, Architecture of Density #108, 2008, chromogenic color print, Flowers Gallery

Miguel Chevalier, Fractal Flowers B&W 4; Fractal Flowers B&W 2 (top to bottom), 2008, lambda print and diasec with frame in wood, Puerta Roja

Miguel Chevalier, Silene Luminaris sive Muflier de Borges, 2014, sculpture 3D printing (resin), Puerta Roja

Lucia Tallová, Black Pearls; Fährschiffhafen in Saßnitz (left to right), 2015, acrylic on canvas, gallery VERNON

Detail of Fährschiffhafen in Saßnitz

Lucia Tallová’s cityscapes are hauntingly beautiful. I really liked the detail in Fährschiffhafen in Saßnitz, with the soft lines of the headlights and a curious polka dot pattern.

Nobuyoshi Araki, Love on the Left Eye #01, 2014, platinum and palladium print, amanasalto

I really like this one! Two very separate images placed together that somehow works. amanasalto dedicated its entire booth to Nobuyoshi Araki’s works, all of which plays with the juxtaposition of black and white images. Unfortunately, only Love on the Left Eye #01 worked for me. The right image is actually a ghostly photograph of people crossing the road, but a bit of Art Central was reflected in the photo frame!

Damien Hirst, Methylamine- 13c; 3- Methylthymidine (left to right), silkscreen print with diamond dust, Other Criteria

Damien Hirst, ‘For the Love of God, Devotion,’ silkscreen print, Other Criteria

It was nice to see some works of Damien Hirst’s, a well-known contemporary artist, at Art Central. I’m not a fan of Hirst because I find his works too provocative or sometimes scary for me, but he fits right in with Art Central’s aesthetic.

Baden Pailthorpe, MQ-9 Reaper, 2014, HD 3D animation, color, sound, 4 min 39 sec

I’m not sure how to phrase this but Baden Pailthorpe’s MQ-9 Reaper felt kind of sci-fi-ish and otherworldly. There’s a long part when the camera pans around an airplane hovering in front of a container home with a man standing there practicing boxing moves. Again, it was both intriguing and strange at the same time.

Lee Jeong-lok, Tree of Life in Island 5-3-1, 2013, c-type print, Albemarle Gallery and Shine Artists

There were five large-scale installations Art Central categorized as Projects, and here are three that I particularly took notice of.

Stella Zhang, 0-Viewpoint-6-2, 2010, mixed media, Galerie du Monde

Lan Zhenghui, re-thINK, 2014, Ethan Cohen New York

Li Hui, Bridge, 2006, stainless steel, PARKVIEW ART Hong Kong

I hope this has given you a sense of how Art Central was! While looking at the pictures again, I realized that half of the artworks were in black and white, and the other half generally rendered in bright neon colors. I would have liked more variety overall, in medium and especially in style.

Before going to the fair, I’d read a Huffington Post review that called it “irreverent.” I have to agree – I felt that Art Central showcased the edgier side of art, with many artworks that were eye-catching but at times, provocative and even controversial. While I appreciated the range of works shown at Art Central, this style of art is not really my kind of thing so I would not be the best person to comment on that.

Of course, this has only been Art Central’s first year, and we have to see in the next year if they’ll be establishing this aesthetic farther. Art Central has definitely been successful in differentiating itself apart from Art Basel, Hong Kong’s biggest art fair, and offers a range of artworks that some would feel right at home with.

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