Kim Kulim's First Solo Show in Korea at MMCA Seoul

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul is hosting the first solo exhibition in South Korea of pioneering artist Kim Kulim (born 1936, Sangju). The show reassesses his rebellious practice from the 1950s to the mid-1980s, which challenged traditional customs and opened Korean art to Western influences. His 1970 happening "Setting the riverbank on fire – This is art" involved burning gasoline-soaked grass outlines of seven isosceles triangles (100m base, 118m sides) for five hours, leaving charred geometric patterns. Works like "Electric Art A" (1969) are considered Korea's first electric art. "From Phenomenon to Traces" (1970) used melting ice in red plastic containers covered with tracing paper to explore existence and time. Kulim co-founded the Korean Avant Art Association (AG) in 1969, publishing the magazine AG (1969-1971) to promote experimentation and critique traditional art establishment. His works are held by the Guggenheim and Tate Modern. The exhibition runs until February 12, 2024, and features a robot guide. Curatorial focus is on his dematerialization of art through drawing, performance, film, sculpture, photography, video, installation, mail art, and electric works, anticipating European avant-garde movements.