The 9th Daum Prize Artist Exhibition – Park Hyunggeun / Forbidden Forest

Period : 2011. 6. 8 – 6. 13
Place : Artsonje Center

The Daum Prize, Geonhi Art Foundation’s programme to support young artists, chose Park, Hyung-geun as its 9th winner in June 2010 and is now presenting his work over the past year in an exhibition and a collection of works. In the previous competition, where 50 young artists participated, Professor LEE Kyoung-Ryul at CHUNG-ANG UNIVERSITY; Professor Kang Yong Suk at PAEKCHE INSTITUTE OF THE ARTS; Koo Bohnchang, President of Geonhi Art Foundation; and Park Youngmi, curator of Geonhi Art Foundation served as judges and carried out in-depth review and evaluation. In consideration of the portfolios submitted by the applicants, the judges assessed originality and creativity of their work plans and the potential for development.

The gaze of the 9th winner, Park, Hyung-geun stays in the ancient space of forest. His stories in the forest have been told in his works since 2003 in the titles of “Untitled”, “Tenseless”, and “A Voyage” and they evoke novel sensitivity to the nature that is now far away from advanced urban societies. His scenes illustrate the mystique that is not grandiose or dramatic nor simple or dry. Especially, in “Forbidden Forest” that premieres in this Daum Prize exhibition, he brings back the image of legend and myth.

Whether in the East or West, the forest has long been the object of awe. The forest is covered with the energy of life, yet embracing anxiety and fear at the same time. Indeed, the forest has posed the everlasting question to the mankind, i.e. birth and death. No wonder, in the legend of many cultures, the forest appears as a divine space of belief and charm with the existence of gods and heroes or as territory of unknown enemies. Now, it has become something that the humankind has to protect and sustain like other natural environments. Nevertheless, deep-rooted nostalgia that has come down to us throughout the long history of humankind still remains deep inside our hearts.

His works reveal awe, fear, and mystique that might have been encountered by the people of ancient times in Jeju Island, the very place where he was born and grew. Profound and ambivalent confusion are displayed by photographic elements of elaborate layout and colour. Stable, if not excessively, frames demonstrate the weight of time while the touch of turquoise blue in multiple layers describes life and death as well as mystique and anxiety at the same time. The tension in the crack manifested by his delicate insight completes the forest of Park, Hyung-geun. The return to the ancient times, which is shaped by wandering out of confusion and obsession that have no beginning or end and have lasted for long in the space of forest, gets us to think again the nature and human, which is the everlasting and grand question of art.

The judging process of the 9th Daum Prize Competition was particularly difficult because each and every work of the applicants shows their life and philosophy. We would like to appreciate all of the artists who have joined the competition with their precious works. We also thank Park, Hyung-geun, winner of Daum Prize, for his all-out effort to further improve his works during the year. Once again, we thank all and promise that the Geonhi Art Foundation will continue to serve as a stepping stone for young artists of Korea.
The Geonhi Art Foundation, June 2011

Forbidden Forest [Works]