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Joining the New World—Modernity in Korean Art
As part of the annual Gateway Korea Foundation’s Dano Festival, Yeonsoo Chee, associate curator of Korean art at the Art Institute of Chicago, will introduce two prominent developments in the first half of the 20th century: hangukhwa (Korean painting), which designates a new mode of ink painting; and seoyanghwa (Western painting), which refers to the paintings done with oil on canvas, completely new mediums and artistic styles in Korea at the time.
courtesy Mark Campbell Productions
Schedule of Events
5:30 pm, Auditorium lobby
Opening reception with light refreshments
6 pm, The Farrell Auditorium
Welcome from Jessica Kennedy, educator, adult learning and Access for All program director at SLAM; and Jina McAtee, Dano chair at Gateway Korea Foundation and board of directors member
6:05 pm, The Farrell Auditorium
Performance: Landscape and Desire by Janet Park, performance artist
6:15 pm, The Farrell Auditorium
Joining the New World: Modernity in Korean Art, a presentation by Yeonsoo Chee
7 pm, The Farrell Auditorium
A conversation, What Is Colonial Art? and Q&A with Yeonsoo Chee, moderated by Philip Hu, SLAM’s curator of Asian art.
7:30 pm, The Farrell Auditorium
Closing remarks by Jina McAtee. Korean National Treasures: 2000 Years of Art will be available for purchase at the Museum Shop. Yeonsoo Chee will be available to sign books in the auditorium lobby until 7:50 pm.
About the Program
Korea, known as Joseon, isolated itself from the outside world for most of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). This peaceful period ended in the 1860s when a series of military incursions from Europe, forced the “Hermit Kingdom” to open its doors. In this chaotic environment, Koreans encountered new modes of art from the West, and the artists reacted either by actively accepting Western art or adhering to—yet modernizing—traditional ink painting.
About Yeonsoo Chee
Yeonsoo Chee joined as the first curator of Korean art at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2020, where she leads the growth of the museum’s Korean art collection and programming. A specialist in modern Korean painting and Joseon court art, she has held curatorial leadership roles at the USC Pacific Asia Museum and the National Palace Museum of Korea. Her publications include Korean National Treasures: 2,000 Years of Art and Selections from the Korean Art Collection at USC Pacific Asia Museum.
About Gateway Korea Foundation
Gateway Korea Foundation‘s mission is to inspire cross-cultural appreciation and understanding among the American Heartland in connection with Korean Arts and Cultural experiences. Dano, one of the major traditional holidays in Korea, usually falls in early to mid June as measured on the solar calendar. It represents a significant turning point in agriculture when farmers have just finished seeding and planting, thus marking the beginning of the growing season.
Ticket information
Tickets for this program may be reserved in person at the Museum’s welcome desks or through MetroTix. All tickets reserved through MetroTix incur a service charge; the service charge is waived for tickets reserved at the Museum.
Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.
