Solo Exhibition

ARCHISCULPTURE 2023 : United Kingdom

1 June 2023 – 15 July 2023

Venue: THE TRINITY GALLERY

36, Jangmun-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Korea
+82-2-6953-9879
[email protected]

서울시 용산구 장문로 36(동빙고동 309-3)
02) 6953-9879

Opening Hours : Mon – Sat, AM 10:00 – PM 18:00
일요일은 휴무 입니다. Closed on Sundays
 

Ambassador Colin Crooks LVO
The British Ambassador to Korea

I am delighted to present [건축조각 2023: UK ARCHISCULPTURE], an exhibition showcasing the work of Korean artist, Beomsik WON, hosted by The Trinity Gallery as part of British Embassy Seoul’s programme of cultural diplomacy events in celebration of 140 Years of UK-Korea Relations. Since the UK and Korea established relations in 1883, the relationship has not just endured, but flourished. As we mark the milestone of 140 years of diplomatic ties, I’m proud of the partnership that the UK and Korea now share, which is based on shared values, mutual respect and collaboration across a remarkably broad range of fields – trade, security, diplomacy, technology, and many more. However, I believe that this is not just a partnership between governments but also a friendship between peoples. That friendship is driven through cultural exchange, which allows British and Korean people to develop an understanding and appreciation for each other’s cultures. The vibrant cultural sectors of the UK and Korea provide fertile ground for these exchanges to flourish. Perhaps the ultimate expression of cultural diplomacy is when artists, writers, designers or musicians from one country spend time in another, honing their skills and taking inspiration from the new surroundings and culture in which they find themselves, and reflect this in their work. The Embassy is seeking to celebrate these cultural ties through a series of collaborations this year, including this exhibition with The Trinity Gallery and Beomsik WON. Like a growing number of Koreans working in the arts, fashion and design, WON received part of his arts education in the UK. having studied at one of the country’s most prestigious art faculties, the UCL Slade School of Fine Art. The works in this exhibition draw direct inspiration from the architectural surroundings in which the artist found himself during his time in London. WON captures the huge range of architecture that one sees when wandering the streets of the UK – from quaint to grand, mundane to extraordinary, unknown to famous, historical to contemporary, and from rural to urban – and encapsulates it in single images, reinterpreting and reconstructing the London cityscape to compose digital collages that resemble sculptures. If one looks carefully, the artworks in this collection occasionally incorporate buildings representative of the artist’s Korean heritage – the Korean Culture Centre in London, or buildings from Seoul, Cheongju or Busan – merged seamlessly into the British buildings featured. I’m particularly honoured that WON has commissioned four new pieces especially for this exhibition. A Korean artist trained in the UK putting on an exhibition to celebrate 140 Years of UK-Korea Relations in a Seoul-based gallery which showcases his reinterpretation of London’s architecture is a truly wonderful example of UK-Korea cultural diplomacy in action. I would like to thank Beomsik WON and the The Trinity Gallery for hosting this exhibition.