{"id":5733,"date":"2025-05-09T03:52:22","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T03:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/05\/09\/arts-interviews-tina-kim-on-supporting-korean-contemporary-art\/"},"modified":"2025-05-09T03:52:22","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T03:52:22","slug":"arts-interviews-tina-kim-on-supporting-korean-contemporary-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/05\/09\/arts-interviews-tina-kim-on-supporting-korean-contemporary-art\/","title":{"rendered":"Arts Interviews: Tina Kim On Supporting Korean Contemporary Art"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Tina Kim has emerged as a key force in elevating Korean modern and contemporary art on the global stage. Photos by Vincent Tullo | Courtesy Tina Kim Gallery<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Few people\u2014aside from perhaps her mother\u2014have played as pivotal a role in positioning South Korea on the global art map as New York-based dealer Tina Kim<\/a>. Born in South Korea and raised in California, Kim was immersed in the art world from an early age, accompanying her mother, Hyun-Sook Lee, on artist visits and exhibition tours, and actively contributing to the organization of exhibitions and publications. Lee is the founder of Kukje Gallery in Seoul\u2014arguably South Korea\u2019s most influential gallery\u2014which is where Kim began her career, helping to mount exhibitions for some of contemporary art\u2019s most established names, including Louise Bourgeois, Roni Horn, Anish Kapoor, Alexander Calder, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Joan Mitchell. These early experiences laid the foundation for what would become a groundbreaking international career.<\/p>\n

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The 1980s marked a period of rapid economic growth in South Korea, driven by post-dictatorship modernization efforts after 1979. As the 1988 Olympics approached, the government recognized the cultural and diplomatic potential of the arts to enhance the country\u2019s global profile. That moment coincided with the rise of Kukje Gallery and marked a new chapter for the Korean art ecosystem. In the decades since, South Korea\u2019s creative industries\u2014especially pop culture\u2014have fueled a global surge in visibility, with the so-called \u201cKorean Wave\u201d<\/a> extending well beyond K-pop and K-dramas to include contemporary Korean art, which has increasingly captured international attention and acclaim.<\/p>\n

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An installation view of \u201cSuki Seokyeong Kang: Mountain\u2014Hour\u2014Face\u201d at MCA Denver. Courtesy the artist and MCA Denver. Photo: Wes Magyar<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Still, Kim chose to put down roots in New York after her studies, driven by a desire to carve out her own identity in the art world. \u201cI wanted to have something that was mine,\u201d Kim tells Observer when we catch up with her ahead of the spring art fairs<\/a>. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the opening of her brick-and-mortar space in Chelsea.<\/p>\n

Kim\u2019s gallery first opened on 57th Street in 2002, taking over a space once occupied by London\u2019s storied Anthony d\u2019Offay Gallery, known for its ambitious presentations of artists like Joseph Beuys, Cindy Sherman and Gilbert & George. \u201cAnthony was somebody I had worked very closely with on many exhibitions,\u201d Kim recalls, adding that she initially continued her collaboration with Kukje Gallery. \u201cI continued working closely with my mother, mainly in the secondary market, and geared towards the needs of the market in Korea. I was often going to auctions or helping with institutional exhibitions in the States.\u201d<\/p>\n

She admits that her mother was initially less than thrilled about her decision to open an independent gallery rather than remain fully involved in the family business. She worried that her daughter would be \u201cliterally throwing herself into the shark tank\u201d of New York\u2019s notoriously competitive art scene and feared the move might spark unnecessary tensions with American colleagues, since many of the artists Kim hoped to work with already had representation in New York.<\/p>\n

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A fundamental shift came in 2015, when Kim moved to her current space in Chelsea, debuting with \u201cHappy Together,\u201d an exhibition curated by Clara Kim, now chief curator at L.A. MOCA, featuring a broad constellation of Asian artists responding to social and political tensions in the region. \u201cThat show really set the future direction of the gallery,\u201d Kim recalls. \u201cI was interested in presenting artists who are relevant to the current political and cultural moment\u2014artists making an impact and speaking across borders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before launching her own program, Kim worked at Paula Cooper Gallery, which is now just next door. \u201cIt\u2019s nice that Paula often visits my gallery and compliments my shows,\u201d Kim adds. \u201cI think it\u2019s very meaningful for me that I am on 21st Street.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Park Seo-Bo (far left) and Lee Ufan (second from left) at the opening of the Inde\u0301pendants exhibition in 1972. Courtesy of PARKSEOBO FOUNDATION<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Notably, 2015 also marked the opening of the Dansaekhwa collateral exhibition at the 56th Venice Biennale, which Kim organized and which is now widely regarded as a defining moment in the global recognition of Korean modern art. By bringing the Dansaekhwa movement to international attention, the exhibition sparked its meteoric rise in the art market and helped dispel long-held misconceptions. \u201cMany scholars misunderstood pan se qua, which literally translates as \u2018monochromic paintings,\u2019 as a Korean interpretation of American Minimalism\u2014the exhibition showed that it was quite the contrary.\u201d<\/p>\n

The show clarified that Dansaekhwa was born from a distinct historical context in South Korea, which at the time was still under dictatorship and recovering from the Korean War (1950-53). The movement emerged as an act of resilience and resistance by artists navigating the urgent need to redefine their cultural identity. While breaking from inherited aesthetic traditions, they also grounded their \u201cnew Korean artistic language\u201d in fundamental traditional principles, actively resisting Western influences. \u201cArtists were expressing their frustration with the oppressive government censorship of the \u201870s and \u201880s,\u201d Kim explains. \u201cThe country was undergoing rapid industrialization and urban development, but the government was also making major decisions with strict media control. There were demonstrations, which led to the Gwangju Uprising in May of 1980. In this context, artists turned to art to resist both the military government and Western influence.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Kim suggests, Dansaekhwa is far closer to action painting than initially understood\u2014these artists were making personal, original marks: pushing, scratching, and cracking the surface, breaking with tradition. Their approach aligns more with postwar European movements like Gruppo Zero, Lucio Fontana\u2019s Spatialism and European Informel, which questioned and subverted the physical and conceptual limits of the canvas as a site for representation.<\/p>\n

Kim admits that the exhibition came together as a last-minute decision. In 2014, Kukje Gallery organized a Dansaekhwa show in Seoul, coinciding with the La International Biennale Foundation\u2019s gathering in the city. After seeing the exhibition, Germano Celant and Okwui Enwezor, who would go on to curate \u201cAll the World\u2019s Futures\u201d at the 56th Venice Biennale, encouraged Kim to bring the work to Venice. The timing proved ideal for bringing these artists to the global stage.<\/p>\n

Today, names included in the show\u2014pioneers of Korea\u2019s earliest abstraction and avant-garde, such as Ha Chong-Hyun, Park Seo-Bo<\/a> and Mono-ha artist Lee Ufan<\/a>\u2014have seen significant market appreciation and are now held in major museums. This exhibition undeniably contributed to that recognition.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was fortunate that Doryun Chong from the M+ Museum, at the time, was just starting to build the museum\u2019s collection,\u201d Kim says. \u201cOther curators, like Alexandra Munroe \u2014today the director of Curatorial Affairs at Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, and Senior Curator Asian art and Senior Advisor, Global Arts at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, former Samsung Asian art curator at the organized the Guggenheim\u2019s Gutai show in 2013\u2014 also recognized the importance of this group of artists right away and selected works for their museums.\u201d Kim explains that this early interest led to Dansaekhwa works entering collections at MoMA, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Hirshhorn, among others.<\/p>\n

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\u201cLee ShinJa: Threadscapes\u201d at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, in 2023. Image Courtesy of the artist and Tina Kim Gallery. Photo: Hyunjung Rhee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kim played a pivotal role in securing many of the institutional acquisitions that have elevated Asian artists and artists from the Asian diaspora. Her gallery\u2019s dedication to curatorial excellence, academic rigor and ambitious experimentation did not go unnoticed by institutional leaders. \u201cU.S. institutions have only recently started looking seriously at Asian and Asian American artists,\u201d Kim says. \u201cI\u2019m fortunate to be in this position to support this mission and help build the bridge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, the landscape for Korean contemporary art has changed dramatically. Korean artists are increasingly featured in international institutions and recognized at major global events, from biennials to top-tier art fairs. Both government and private funding have played essential roles in propelling this Korean Wave into the art world. \u201cToday, K-pop and K-drama are popular worldwide, and Korean art, of course, is benefiting from this widespread interest in Korean culture,\u201d Kim says. \u201cI have so many friends and clients visiting Korea every year, and Frieze Seoul, along with major biennials in Busan and Gwangju, are regularly attracting curators and museum directors.\u201d Kim points out that many international galleries have also opened in Seoul, helping showcase Korean artists abroad. Government-funded programs continue to support Korean artists and curators both domestically and internationally, fostering visibility and cultural exchange. In parallel, major corporations such as Samsung and Hyundai are investing heavily in this growth. \u201cKorean sponsors, you know, recognize the benefit of sponsoring major institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked about the perceived bubble\u2014and potential correction\u2014within the South Korean art market, Kim is confident that the country\u2019s place on the global stage is secure, even if the pace may be shifting to more sustainable levels. \u201cSouth Korea has such a strong collecting base and institutional system: the number of private corporate museums is growing, and even public museums are extremely active, with their funds supporting more art,\u201d she explains. \u201cThere\u2019s been a huge growth in the Korean collector base, and they remain active, even if at a different pace. Plus, new collectors are continuously entering the market.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frieze Seoul has consistently exceeded expectations for Tina Kim Gallery, achieving strong results both in sales and in institutional relationship-building since its inaugural edition. \u201cMy market is the U.S.,\u201d Kim explains. \u201cI\u2019ve long focused on building my market here, and I wasn\u2019t trying to sell Korean art back to Korea. I was so lucky\u2014people were very excited to have us there, as they noticed and acknowledged what we were doing in New York.\u201d More significantly, she adds, participating in the fair\u2014and planning trips to nearby countries before and after\u2014has been critical for cultivating her collector base and institutional network across the region.<\/p>\n

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An installation view of Mire Lee\u2019s Hyundai Commission, \u201cOpen Wound.\u201d Sebastiano Pellion di Persano<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While Kim\u2019s vision for the gallery has long centered on building a platform for Asian artists and the Asian diaspora, her sights are now set on broadening the scope of the program. \u201cI try to identify artists who are relevant in art history, contributing, you know\u2014I help contribute to their research scholarship and help them to enter museums\u2019 collections,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Kim points to several notable instances where her gallery\u2019s support has been pivotal in advancing careers and bringing overdue attention to important regional figures. For instance, after taking on young Korean artist Mire Lee<\/a> following her participation in the 2022 Venice Biennale, Kim introduced her to New York audiences with a museum-quality show of ambitious, experimental installations\u2014one that came with high production costs and substantial risk. Lee later revisited elements of this work in her acclaimed New Museum exhibition the following year and, last October, scaled it up even further with her monumental installation at Tate\u2019s Turbine Hall as part of the Hyundai Commission<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In a similar vein, Kim has played a critical role in the long-overdue recognition of Filipino artist Pacita Abad<\/a>. She began representing Abad\u2019s estate in 2022, just as a major U.S. retrospective opened at the Walker Art Center before traveling to SFMOMA<\/a> and then MoMA PS1<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019m proud to say that Pacita Abad is now one of the most widely collected Asian artists,\u201d Kim says, pointing to the significance of Abad\u2019s work in portraying Asian American immigrant stories\u2014not as narratives of victimhood, but as affirmations of resilience and strength. \u201cThat\u2019s what I like about her work. She really celebrates Asian culture while embracing a cosmopolitan perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout our conversation, Kim often returned to the dynamism of South Asia\u2014not just for its expanding collector base (she noted that most of her sales at Frieze Seoul went to South Asian collectors) but also for its emerging museums and vibrant artistic output. \u201cI\u2019m eager to expand my program to include a wider spectrum of Southeast Asian artists,\u201d Kim said, revealing that the gallery will mount a major curated group exhibition of South East Asian artists this summer.<\/p>\n

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An installation view of Pacita Abad\u2019s \u201cColors of My Dream\u201d at Tina Kim Gallery in 2023. Photo: Charles Roussel<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Confirming the academic rigor that defines its curatorial program, Tina Kim Gallery will unveil a major exhibition this May, \u201cThe Making of Modern Korean Art: The Letters of Kim Tschang-Yeul<\/a>, Kim Whanki<\/a>, Lee Ufan and Park Seo-Bo, 1961-1982.\u201d Timed to coincide with both the 10-year anniversary of the gallery\u2019s Chelsea space and the landmark Dansaekhwa exhibition, the show brings to light the personal and intellectual exchanges between four pivotal artists as they helped shape the trajectory of modern Korean art in the decades following the Korean War.<\/p>\n

Featuring major paintings by Kim Tschang-Yeul, Kim Whanki, Lee Ufan and Park Seo-Bo\u2014alongside their original correspondence, archival documents, photographs and ephemera\u2014the exhibition traces the global dialogues and artistic debates that laid the foundation for Korean modernism\u2019s first international breakthrough.<\/p>\n

\u201cKorean art\u2019s prominence today is not just a result of recent support and investment on multiple levels,\u201d Kim says. \u201cIt was really grounded in the efforts these artists made in the \u201950s, \u201960s and \u201970s. It didn\u2019t happen overnight.\u201d She explains how the letters exchanged between the artists became critical tools for sharing exhibition plans, navigating diplomatic hurdles and sustaining an emerging network of transnational collaboration. \u201cThese letters show the depth of the struggles these artists faced,\u201d Kim continues, recounting, for instance, how Park Seo-Bo and Kim Tschang-Yeul coordinated their participation in the 1961 Paris Biennale by mail. \u201cOne letter, for example, has Kim Tschang-Yeul telling Park Seo-Bo, \u2018You must go to the Korean embassy and ask them to sign this, and you have to take it to the Biennale office by this date.\u2019 They should really make a movie out of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

The exhibition\u2014five years in the making\u2014is accompanied by the release of a landmark publication featuring these never-before-published letters, offering new insight into the inner workings of a generation that helped bring Korean art onto the global stage.<\/p>\n

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An installation view of \u201cThe Making of Modern Korean Art: The Letters of Kim Tschang-Yeul, Kim Whanki, Lee Ufan and Park Seo-Bo, 1961-1982.\u201d Photo by Hyunjung Rhee. Courtesy of Tina Kim Gallery<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Despite global headwinds, Kim remains confident in the continued growth of the art market, particularly across Asia. \u201cAsian history and culture are so rich, going back thousands of years, alongside the region\u2019s economic growth,\u201d she says, underscoring the immense potential for further expansion. \u201cParticularly in Southeast Asia, it\u2019s only a matter of time\u2014in the next 20 years, many museums will open in that region.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout our conversation, Kim reiterates her ongoing commitment to leading her gallery, even as she oversees a resourceful international team. She remains closely involved in all aspects of the gallery\u2019s operations, including traveling to numerous fairs each year\u2014an approach that continues to generate vital opportunities to meet clients and cultivate both new and longstanding relationships. \u201cI think one of the other strengths I have is that I participate in many major international art fairs,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen you have a global market, you\u2019re not heavily dependent on one region, allowing you to plan better for challenging times.\u201d Kim also stresses the importance of maintaining a program that actively engages multiple regions. \u201cI\u2019m constantly researching to expand my program. You really have to think five years or ten years ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Making of Modern Korean Art<\/a>\u201d is on view at Tina Kim Gallery through June 21, 2025.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Vitrine view: \u201cThe Making of Modern Korean Art: The Letters of Kim Tschang-Yeul, Kim Whanki, Lee Ufan and Park Seo-Bo, 1961-1982.\u201d Photo by Hyunjung Rhee. Courtesy of Tina Kim Gallery<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Tina<\/p><\/div>\n