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《Manifold: Manual》

02 Nov 2021 - 17 Nov 2021

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As part of the Grant for Artist Management by the Korea Arts Management Service,
the "Manifold" project was created to unite promising young artists with renowned galleries, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the long-term growth of the Korean art field and market. The first installment of Manifold—a collective of solo exhibitions by twenty-five artists at eleven acclaimed Korean galleries—was held in October 2020. Due to COVID-19, however, the exhibition was held exclusively online (manifold.art). Featuring brief reviews of the artists and works in both Korean and English, for better international access and promotion, the website served as an effective portfolio and catalog that can be consulted anytime, anywhere. At the same time, traditional Korean and English catalogs were also published and provided to artists and galleries for use as practical resources at exhibitions and art fairs.

The word “manifold” has manifold meanings. It is often used as an adjective, meaning “many” or “various,” but it can also be a noun referring to a pipe or chamber with several branches for adding extensions. In mathematics, meanwhile, a “manifold” is an abstract topological space in which all of the local points resemble Euclidean space, but which lead to a unique non-Euclidean connective structure. In the realm of contemporary art, “manifold” signifies a situation in which artists representing different worlds of art collaborate and exhibit within a single interconnected space. Significantly, “Manifold” is a long-term project that will develop into an efficient archive as more and more artists participate in future online and offline exhibitions.

With the improved conditions related to COVID-19, 《Manifold: Manual》 is being held live at Hangaram Design Museum in Seoul Arts Center. The exhibition features nineteen artists from seven galleries (Gallery Chosun, Space Willing N Dealing, ThisWeekendRoom, Artertain, Gallery SoSo, Artspace Hue, and Gallery LEE & BAE).

As suggested by the title—Manifold: Manual—this exhibition aims to serve as an instructional manual for purchasing, appreciating, and displaying cutting-edge artworks by promising young artists. To this end, the exhibition provides a wealth of information intended to help people refine their knowledge and taste for art, including examples of critical assessments, personal interpretations, and details of actual purchases, that can be continually referred to in the future. As such, Manifold: Manual is thought to be the first exhibition ever held in Korea that takes the perspective of the collector.

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The exhibition is accompanied by a tabloid catalog that provides descriptions of each section and work. In the catalog, each of the nine sections of the exhibition is analyzed from the point of view of a hypothetical collector, who discusses why they enjoyed and purchased the respective works. Through this innovative guide, viewers will come to understand the meaning and context of even the most abstruse or perplexing works in the exhibition. To recreate the appearance of a private collection, the displayed works are not accompanied by the usual labels found in a museum or gallery. Instead, the works are numbered on the floor, corresponding to diagrams and indexes in the catalog.

The exhibition consists of nine sections:

  1. “Things We Remember” by Jiwon Choi, Kyung-ryul Yang, and Woolim Lee
  2. “An Invitation to Gaze and Contemplate” by Mingyu Song and Rohwajeong
  3. “I’m You, You’re Me” by Yongsun Yoo, Jibin Im
  4. “What the Landscape Tells Me and What It Doesn’t Tell Me” by Sangsun Bae, Haiminsun Lee
  5. “A Reader” by Sangyoon Yoon, Gwangsun Park
  6. “Into a Painting” by Sanghoon Ahn, Heekyoung Jeon
  7. “Perfect Moments” by Unui Jang, Jeong-ju Jeong
  8. “Path of a Bachelor” by Yunsoo Kim, Sangwon Kwak
  9. “Simplicity and Infinity” by Changyoung Kim, Sungeun Chang

Staged in the same indoor space, the nine sections are completely open to one another, allowing visitors to follow their own whims and natural movements, as if they were appreciating the works in the privacy of their home or office.

The importance of collectors within the ecosystem of Korean art cannot be overstated. Given that the acumen and capacity of collectors will be one of the driving forces in the future development of Korean art, greater efforts must be made to help more people collect and contemplate art according to their own taste and comfort. We hope that many people will visit and support Manifold: Manual, which was created for just this very purpose.