Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s–1970s

The Guggenheim Museum in New York examines a period of profound artistic experimentation and cultural transformation in South Korea. Focusing on a generation of artists who came of age in the decades immediately after the Korean War, the exhibition considers how a tumultuous political landscape and changing socioeconomic conditions brought about a radical approach to material and process (1 September–7 January 2024). The new wave of art, known as silheom misul, broke from traditional painting and sculptural practices to explore innovative and often provocative forms of art including performance, installation, photography and video, which allowed artists to capture their experiences of rapid modernisation and globalisation. Highlights include the mixed-media installation Kiss Me (1967) by Jung Kangja, which sought to unapologetically represent female desire in a conservative, male-centric society, and Sung Neung Kyung’s An Upside-Down Map of World (1974): a map cut into 300 rectangular pieces that are configurated differently for each of the artwork’s outings. Find out more on the Guggenheim’s website.

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