“ZIP” at ARKO Art Center Showcases Korean Women Sculptors Across Generations

The 2024 ARKO Selection exhibition, titled “ZIP,” is set to run from July 19 to September 8, 2024, spotlighting the works of 16 Korean women sculptors. The exhibition, featuring artists such as Kim Yun Shin, Park Yoonja, Hahn Ai-Kyu, Rho Si-Eun, Joohyun Kim, Meekyoung Shin, Jinah Roh, Soyoung Chung, Munkyung Chung, Omyo Cho, Hyejin Jo, Taeyeon Kim, Leap Lee, Hyeyeon Seo, Khia Hong, and Park So Yeon, offers a diverse exploration of sculptural art.

“ZIP” began as an initiative to delve into the core elements of sculpture: material, form, and physicality. The curatorial team, comprising a sculptor, an art historian, and an independent curator, aimed to highlight the significant contributions of Korean women sculptors. These artists range in age from their 20s to their 80s, presenting a wide array of sculptural practices.

The exhibition’s title, “ZIP,” serves as a metaphor for the convergence of sixteen sculptural endeavors, akin to a ZIP file, and the intergenerational connections, much like a zipper. The materials chosen by the sculptors carry meanings that transcend mere mediums, forming intimate relationships within the artistic process. As sculptors shape their works, they may reveal or obscure the inherent qualities of their materials, adding layers to the narrative of creation.

The artists engaged in extensive dialogues with the curatorial team to share their techniques, intentions, and experiences with form and materiality. Accompanying texts elucidate the materials and technical processes, helping viewers to appreciate the fundamental aspects of sculpture.

While exploring sculpture through its materiality has been a pursuit in Korea since the 1970s, focusing on Korean women sculptors opens new possibilities. This exhibition aims to present the works of these sixteen artists in a contemporary light, shedding anachronistic perspectives and highlighting their unique contributions to the art world.