- KOCIS to hold non-face-to-face “2020 International Symposium on Contemporary Art” with 20 curators from October 1 to 14 -

From October 1 (Thursday) to 14 (Wednesday), the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST; Minister Park Yang-woo) and the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS; Director Kim Tae-hoon) will hold the “2020 International Symposium on Contemporary Art” with the theme, “Art after Pandemic.” The debate will be a non-face-to-face event.

Since 2018, KOCIS has been inviting renowned artists and experts in contemporary art to Korea to help them connect with Korean artists and experts and promote Korean art to the world. As part of the program, KOCIS invites 10 overseas curators and 10 Korean curators annually to exchange and communicate their experiences.

Because of the prolonged effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, KOCIS plans to release a series of interviews and dialogue videos, where 20 curators inside and outside Korea discuss “Art after Pandemic,” on their official website (www.krf10x10.com) and social media pages* starting October 1 (Friday).

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krf10x10/ (@krf10x10)

The 10 overseas organizers include Ben Vickers, chief technology officer of the Serpentine Galleries in London; Melanie Bühler, curator of contemporary art at Frans Hals Museum; Iris Xinru Long, an independent curator based in China; Li-Chen Loh, director of MOCA Taipei; Daniel Muzyczuk, head of Modern Art Department at Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź; and Natalie Bell, curator at the MIT List Visual Arts Center.

In addition, 10 Korean curators are also participating in the event: Yoo Jin-sang, Suh Jin-suk, Sim So-mi, Jeong Sera, Chae Eun-young, Nathalie Boseul Shin, Choi Yoon-jung, Park Nam-hee, Sungah Serena Choo, and Park Jae-yong.

All 20 curators were recommended among those actively engaged in the Korean and international art scenes by Lee Dae-hyung, the event’s art director (art director of the Korean national pavilion at the 2017 Venice Biennale).

A KOCIS member commented, “Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, we had to hold this year’s event as a non-face-to-face event. However, the 20 curators are engaged in diverse conversations about art and artistic activities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.” He added, “We hope that the videos of their conversations will encourage all of us to think about the future of art.”