2020 JB LIFE! Magazine Spring Edition

Amuseum often stands as a receptacle of art. Its main role is
to look neutral, quiet, minimal, and to reflect light, so that the
creations it houses will stand out more and become the center
of everyone’s attention. But upon ascending the ramp leading
up to the Namwon City Kim Byung-jong Museum, one would immediately
realize that this art space is a star on its own. The multilevel structure has a
unique contemporary design, with big, open glass windows that make guests
able to view not only on the works displayed inside, but also the beautiful
mountain scenery outside. The main entrance is surrounded by water, making
it seem like the museum is floating with treasures hidden within.
Namwon
GROUNDBREAKING
LOCAL ARTISTS
The museum is named after Kim
Byung-jong, an award-winning
artist born in Namwon, North Jeolla
province in 1953, who has held 20
exhibitions in Seoul, Paris, Chicago,
Brussels, Basel, Tokyo, and Berlin.
He is a graduate professor at Seoul
National University College of Art and
Philosophy. Several contemporary art
museums in Korea and abroad are
holding a large number of his works,
some of which have won prestigious
awards such as Korean Culture and
Arts award, Korean Order of Cultural
Merit, and Korean Art Writer’s award,
among many others.
The museum holds the FOCUS
series, an exhibition that regularly
displays the works of carefully
selected local artists and expertly
curated art. Every year, it presents
exhibitions of photography, modern
pottery, installation, and sound
or digital media by artists who
influenced Korean art history in
the 20th century. The main goal of
the museum is to bring art closer
to the people: “Even if citizens don’t
go far, we want to provide them
with an opportunity to appreciate
the works of masters who have
shown the potential of Korean art,”
as posted on the official website.
MESMERIZING
ART WORKS
Walking around the galleries will
give you a sense of tranquility and
a mix of emotions, with some art
evoking calm while others opening
thought-provoking conversations.
The first of the featured artists for
the FOCUS series is Lee Seong-ja, a
Korean artist who created 14,000
paintings, prints, and ceramics for
60 years until she died after she left
for France. On the second floor, you
will find the colorful, otherworldly
works of Jang So-jang, which are
dreamily entitled,“The Milky Way
embroidered in French Sky.”
BOOK CAFE
Sitting beside the museum’s
entrance is Mian Cafe, a book cafe
that features various prints and
small paintings on display. The
dainty cafe is the perfect place to
sip a cup of aromatic coffee after
a day of exploring art. The design
of the museum is created in such a
way that it guides the visitors to all
of the galleries, until it leads them
to the cafe. This Spring, visiting
Namwon’s most popular museum
and getting to know local artists
are the perfect ways to greet the
change of the season.
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