The Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in Hong Kong is currently hosting an exhibition titled “Concrete+Jungle”, which runs from March 17 to May 20. As a Korean and art enthusiast, I went to KCC Hong Kong last March 29 to have a glimpse of the different artworks on display.
The “Concrete+Jungle” exhibition features artworks from 4 artists from Korea and Hong Kong who were selected in the 2023 Open Call. The artists, KyungJin Jeong, Ken Chung, Yiseul Jung, and Mindy Lui, showcased their artworks revolving around the theme “City Life”.
Since I went on a weekday afternoon, there weren’t many people viewing the exhibition, so I was happy to take my time to view and appreciate each artwork. There were a total of 22 artworks in various styles such as paintings, mixed media, videos, and installations, spread across the 2 floors of the KCC Hong Kong building, and here are some of my favorite artworks from the exhibition:
Hanging Garden Drawing (Yiseul Jung, 2012-2014, 2023)
Hanging Garden Drawing (Yiseul Jung)
Hanging Garden Drawing is a collection of 20 mixed-media artworks of different buildings. At first glance, I thought these were illustrations, but upon closer look, I realized that each artwork was made by cutting out pieces and strips of paper to form each building. The use of varying printed paper used to form the details of the buildings, such as the windows and the plants, are indeed impressive.
An Alley at Somewhere (Ken Chung, 2021) and Wet Room (Ken Chung, 2021)
Wet Room (Ken Chung)
Wet Room piqued my curiosity because of it uses everyday objects such as oil, cement, enamel paint, plaster, tiles, and more to portray an old, wet Hong Kong bathroom. This installation looks very realistic that it gives the impression of being wet, even if it’s not.
Adaptors (Mindy Lui, 2021)
Adaptors (Mindy Lui)
Initially, I didn’t notice this as part of the exhibition until I saw the artwork label. Adaptor is one of the things I bring during my trips, but I didn’t think of it as anything else beyond that. The long snake-like adaptor chain inspired me to be imaginative and turn ordinary objects into art.
A Water Drop Installation Simulating a Leak (KyungJin Jeong, 2022)
A Water Drop Installation Simulating a Leak (KyungJin Jeong)
This installation uses ordinary objects such as buckets and bowls, which is located inside a room that also plays a film by the same artist. Another interesting piece of KyungJin Jeong is an interactive web application that transforms ordinary room pictures into something more marketable, using artificial intelligence (AI). This made me rethink the advertisements that I usually see, particularly in the real estate market.
Overall, this exhibit gave me a unique perspective on art and daily life. Through the creative works of these four talented artists, the exhibition presented how daily life in Hong Kong and Korea can be woven together into one cohesive exhibition. Moreover, this exhibition not only sparked my imagination and creativity, but also gave me a greater appreciation of the wonders of daily life - it may be just a usual routine, but by observing and looking at it from a different perspective, art can be found.
“Concrete+Jungle” runs until May 20, 2023, Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
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