Road to Utopia: Threshold
Chief Curator and Art Director
Project Duration: Janurary 18 - May 4, 2023
Location: Korean Cultural Center of Chicago (KCCoC)
Chief Curator and Art Director
Project Duration: Janurary 18 - May 4, 2023
Location: Korean Cultural Center of Chicago (KCCoC)
Image from the Opening Reception Talk
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The curatorial project “Road to Utopia: Threshold,” hosted by the Korean Cultural Center of Chicago, delves into the concept of utopia from the perspective of Korean artists living in the United States. Inspired by Sir Thomas More’s notion of an idealized and nearly perfect realm, the exhibition invites viewers to contemplate the individual and collective aspirations of the participating artists. Through diverse mediums and approaches, these 12 rising Korean artists navigate their personal journeys toward utopia, intertwining their artistic objectives with their identities as Koreans in America. By redefining utopia as a point of success and growth, the exhibition serves as a platform for introspection and exploration, challenging the limits and perceptions of both the artists and the audience. Each artwork presented in the exhibition embodies the artists’ struggles, aspirations, and unique narratives, contributing to the broader conversation about Korean artists’ experiences and perspectives. “Road to Utopia: Threshold” thus represents a significant step forward in increasing awareness and understanding of Korean artistic expression within the cultural landscape.
Exhibition Floor Plan
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Exhibition Images
Exhibition Statement
The objective of the exhibition is to question what utopia looks like for individuals and ourselves as Korean artists living in the United States. Like utopia from Sir Thomas More, utopia has always been defined as an imaginary place that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities. Long ago, people used to say the journey to the ocean was like a trip to an unknown, mystical place. This connects to the term utopia, as the illusionistic place where people question themselves to reach their ideal.
Throughout this exhibition, we question artists about who they are and where they want to be as rising artists. This includes not only their objective as artists but also their identity as Koreans living in the United States. Most of the artists in the exhibition started their practice in the United States after crossing from their homeland, where they accepted more perception, and they are now searching for their own different directions toward their utopia. We redefined utopia as the point of success, walking through different media and directions to reach our different goals. It is still nonexistent but desirable in the future. It seems like a vain and meaningless place, but in fact, it served as an opportunity to achieve the development of mankind because mankind made efforts to find a utopia.
The exhibition is one step closer to our utopia-crossing the threshold by challenging ourselves to face the limits. Throughout the space, artists from different backgrounds talk about their challenges, limits, and their own stories about utopia through their own medium. This is one step forward in increasing awareness of Korean artists.
So, what does your utopia look like?
Throughout this exhibition, we question artists about who they are and where they want to be as rising artists. This includes not only their objective as artists but also their identity as Koreans living in the United States. Most of the artists in the exhibition started their practice in the United States after crossing from their homeland, where they accepted more perception, and they are now searching for their own different directions toward their utopia. We redefined utopia as the point of success, walking through different media and directions to reach our different goals. It is still nonexistent but desirable in the future. It seems like a vain and meaningless place, but in fact, it served as an opportunity to achieve the development of mankind because mankind made efforts to find a utopia.
The exhibition is one step closer to our utopia-crossing the threshold by challenging ourselves to face the limits. Throughout the space, artists from different backgrounds talk about their challenges, limits, and their own stories about utopia through their own medium. This is one step forward in increasing awareness of Korean artists.
So, what does your utopia look like?
Selected Works in the Exhibition
Exhibition Reviews