Vessels from the Joseon Dynasty are considered among Korea’s iconic artistic achievements. In this section, Bohnchang Koo’s photograph of a delicate white porcelain vessel pays homage to these true masterpieces of ceramics. Photographers have begun to take an almost anthropological approach to rediscover and depict Korean culture as expressed in folklore, religious practice, and the natural world. Pine trees are symbols of justice, beauty, and transcendence, while Bae seeks to emphasize these qualities in his long, narrow prints, which are almost six feet high. For 20 years, Bae has photographed the groves around Gyeongju, which are considered a national treasure.

The first section of the exhibit, “Nature,” features some of the oldest works, including a stunning photo by Bae Bien-U from a series entitled “Sonamu” – it is among the earliest Korean photographs by his generation to be exhibited in a fine-arts context abroad.

The photographs in Chaotic Harmony are divided into six thematic sections: Nature Urbanization and Globalization Family Anxiety Cultural and Personal Identity and Memory.

Two distinct generations of Korean photographers are represented in Chaotic Harmony: those born in the mid-1950s and 1960s, during a succession of military dictatorships when the country was still largely agrarian, and those born in the 1970s, who came into maturity in Korean cities during the new democratic era beginning in 1987. Contemporary artists straddle the divide between the chaos of modern life and the harmony of tradition between the complex history of their country and the equally complicated future. The paradoxical name of this exhibition, Chaotic Harmony, suggests the parallels and tensions that define Korea’s modern cultural atmosphere. One visitor commented: “The most impressive and thought-provoking exhibition I have seen in a long time.”Ĭhaotic Harmony is not an exhibition about “Koreanness.” Rather, through the works of 40 artists, all of whom are residents of Korea, the exhibition examines Korea as a dynamic source of complex and stimulating visual ideas, which are expressed through the medium of photography. While SBMA’s fine collection of traditional Asian art is well known, museum goers are excited about this view of contemporary Korean culture. Since July 3, when the “Chaotic Harmony: Contemporary Korean Photography” exhibition opened at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA), visitors have been delighting in the experience.

Instal Top 100 Songs Global 2023