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Korea

Next Door
 Portrait Series

Nebenan Huam-dong x Goethe-Institut © Novemberstudio/Jungjae Park

For almost 60 years, the Goethe-Institut Korea has been a part of the cultural scene on the slopes of Namsan in Seoul. A new portrait series focuses on artists from the neighborhood. In the alleys at the foot of Namsan and in their individually designed studios, artists with international experience open their doors and provide access to their creative worlds. The portrait series shows a colorful, diverse, and international image of the current art scene in Korea, which is influenced by space, ideas, and sources of inspiration.

  • Interview with visual artist and DJ Vakki

    While studying in the Netherlands, Vakki experienced a pivotal moment in her artistic development during the retrospective of the ZERO Group at the Stedelijk Museum. She characterizes the group's methodology of encompassing light, space, repetition, and vibration within a sculptural framework, as a significant influence on her work. Currently situated at Namsan, Vakki investigates the convergence of time and space through installations that merge geometric forms with rhythm and dynamic energy. In this interview, she reflects how her time in Europe and the impact of the German ZERO Group have informed her modern visual expression.

    VAKKI © Leslie Klatte © Leslie Klatte

  • Interview with collage artist Ga-Ae

    Her stay in Belgium lasted merely a little over a year the artist Ga-Ae begins calmly. And yet, the sensibilities and impressions of that period continue to resonate throughout her collages. Since returning to Korea and having a child, she has been rethinking the borderlines between caregiving and work. We met the collage artist Ga-Ae in her rooftop studio overlooked by Namsan, where she spends her days, and invite you to explore her work, made not on a computer, but with paper and the scissors she holds. 

    Gaae Interview © Leslie Klatte © Leslie Klatte

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