Mazzoleni London Exhibition Connects Italian Postwar Art with Korean Geometric Abstraction
In October 2023, the Mazzoleni gallery in London debuted "The Paradox of Proximity," featuring Italian artist Agostino Bonalumi alongside Korean innovator Lee Seung Jio. Curated by Marco Scotini in collaboration with Kukje Gallery, this exhibition delves into the similarities between Italian postwar experimentation and South Korean geometric abstraction from the 1960s and 70s. Scotini highlights the significance of Bonalumi's death anniversary, emphasizing the conversation between the two artists, who never interacted. Both played vital roles in postwar modernism through their spatial explorations: Bonalumi's "tubes" and Lee's "extroflexions." The exhibition aims to bridge the East-West divide, referencing the atomic era and space race, and envisions a modernity shaped by digital interactions beyond Nam June Paik.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'The Paradox of Proximity' opened in October 2023 at Mazzoleni gallery in London.
- The show pairs Italian artist Agostino Bonalumi with Korean artist Lee Seung Jio.
- Curated by Marco Scotini in collaboration with Kukje Gallery of Seoul.
- Bonalumi died in 2013, marking the tenth anniversary of his death.
- Lee Seung Jio is a pioneer of Korean abstract art.
- Both artists worked in the 1960s-70s, exploring spatial experimentation.
- Bonalumi was associated with the Milanese Nuclear movement and Spatialism.
- Lee adopted the term 'Nucleus' for his works from 1967.
- The exhibition seeks to overcome the East-West dichotomy in art history.
- It references Okwui Enwezor's 2016 'Postwar' project.
- The show includes works from the archives of both artists.
- Valentina Buzzi wrote the article for Artribune.
- The exhibition is small in scale but aims to be an indicator of contemporary thought.
Entities
Artists
- Agostino Bonalumi
- Lee Seung Jio
- Enrico Baj
- Sergio Dangelo
- Joe Colombo
- Piero Manzoni
- Lucio Fontana
- Enrico Castellani
- Nam June Paik
- Okwui Enwezor
Institutions
- Mazzoleni
- Kukje Gallery
- Artribune
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Seoul
- South Korea
- Milan
- Italy