On the rise in the West By Jean Oh
Publisher:The Korea Herald - Publication Date: 11-03-2008
A new star is rising in the art world. His name is Rhee Won-il.

After putting on a very successful exhibition of Asian art at ZKM, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Karlsruhe, Germany, this hot Korean curator is slated to serve as the guest curator for an exhibition at the prestigious Museum of Modern Art and P.S.1/MoMA, as well as being the co-curator for the Seville Biennale 2008.

"I will be submitting the ideas and selecting the works," said Rhee, 47, during a press conference at the Korea Press Center on Feb 26.

Rhee was referring to his role as co-curator for the upcoming MoMA and P.S.1/MoMA exhibition, Spectacle, set to run from May to September next year.

He explains that Spectacle will be showcasing technology-based contemporary art created by about 50 Asian artists from 20 countries. The main works will be set up in Manhattan's MoMA. The remaining pieces will be on display at the fellow P.S.1/MoMA, which began collaborating with MoMA in January 2000.

Rhee, suave and confident, is just the man for the job. Impressed by his work, MoMA officials invited him to their Manhattan headquarters in July 2007. He presented his ideas to them during a four-hour session. And it paid off. On Nov 20, 2007, they asked him to prepare a plan for the Spectacle exhibition.

Just a few weeks before this recent press conference, MoMA sent him their final decision. When asked how he felt about becoming the guest curator, Rhee said, "I feel a lot of pressure," and stressed that he is determined to succeed.

He sees the upcoming exhibition as a groundbreaking chance for Korean artists: "There have been great Korean artists, but this is the first time that a large group of Korean artists will be introduced to the New York art scene."

Rhee plans to submit works from seven or eight Korean artists for Spectacle. But he has not yet confirmed which artists will be getting this much-coveted opportunity.

Why Korean art? Is it just a nationalistic endeavour?

"Korean art definitely has its strong points," said Rhee. "In Chinese art, ambiguity and scale are key words ... On the flipside, Japanese art is delicate and sharp. Korean art is very elastic ... And it is very diverse ... Lack of diversity is what is weak in Chinese art."

"I might get assassinated in China for saying that," joked Rhee, elaborating that "Korean art is strong. It doesn't shake easily."

So is Rhee. Not only does he have the huge challenge ahead of preparing for the MoMA/P.S.1 exhibition; there is the Seville biennale coming on the heels of his New York City undertaking.

"I will include Korean artists," Rhee said of the European show. Although the theme of the biennale is not Asian art, Rhee hopes to include the works of seven or eight Korean artists. The biennial will run from Oct 2 to Jan 11 of 2009.

What will he do after completing these big projects?

"I want to try my hand at Documenta Kassel and the Venice Biennale," he said, smiling.

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