This seminar explores Korean contemporary art as a rich and evolving tapestry, where artistic movements reflect and respond to historical transformations and social dynamics. The course begins with explorations of artistic resistance and identity formation in early Korean contemporary works, and progresses through themes such as modernism, globalisation, shamanism, feminism, popular culture (including K-pop), and new media art.

At the heart of this seminar is the belief that self-exploration is a journey of questions, shaped and reshaped through interaction with others. Through creative workshops, art projects, and reflective practice, students are encouraged to ask questions, listen to their inner voices, and express evolving perspectives through art. As part of the course, students will develop both individual and collaborative art projects, exploring how personal experiences connect with broader cultural and social dialogues.

Rather than seeking definitive meanings, students are invited to approach each artwork and theme as a fluid journey of experience, self-reflection, and shared exploration—travelling from self to other, through fragmentation towards coexistence, and through moments of pain into healing. The workshops provide a space where seeing, listening, and inner awareness intertwine, allowing each student to weave their own evolving threads of questions.

By integrating critical understanding with creative exploration, the seminar supports students in articulating their unique voice within both Korean contemporary art and the wider cultural landscape

This seminar explores Korean contemporary art as a rich and evolving tapestry, where artistic movements reflect and respond to historical transformations and social dynamics. The course begins with explorations of artistic resistance and identity formation in early Korean contemporary works, and progresses through themes such as modernism, globalisation, shamanism, feminism, popular culture (including K-pop), and new media art.

At the heart of this seminar is the belief that self-exploration is a journey of questions, shaped and reshaped through interaction with others. Through creative workshops, art projects, and reflective practice, students are encouraged to ask questions, listen to their inner voices, and express evolving perspectives through art. As part of the course, students will develop both individual and collaborative art projects, exploring how personal experiences connect with broader cultural and social dialogues.

Rather than seeking definitive meanings, students are invited to approach each artwork and theme as a fluid journey of experience, self-reflection, and shared exploration—travelling from self to other, through fragmentation towards coexistence, and through moments of pain into healing. The workshops provide a space where seeing, listening, and inner awareness intertwine, allowing each student to weave their own evolution threads of questions.

By integrating critical understanding with creative exploration, the seminar support students in articulating their unique voice within both Korean contemporary art and the wider cultural landscape

Han, K. (2024, December 10). Nobel Lecture. Nobel Prize in Literature. Nobel Media. [https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2024/12/han-lecture-english.pdf]
Park, Sunyoung. “The Colonial Origin of Korean Realism and Its Contemporary Manifestation.” Positions: East Asia Cultures Critique 14, no. 1 (2006): 165-192.
Park, Chan-kyong. “‘Criticality’ in Korean Art and the ‘Interests’ of Artists: Minjung Art and the Present.” Journal Bol 10 (2008): 20-45.

Han, K. (2024, December 10). Nobel Lecture. Nobel Prize in Literature. Nobel Media. [https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2024/12/han-lecture-english.pdf]
Park, Sunyoung. “The Colonial Origin of Korean Realism and Its Contemporary Manifestation.” Positions: East Asia Cultures Critique 14, no. 1 (2006): 165-192.
Park, Chan-kyong. “‘Criticality’ in Korean Art and the ‘Interests’ of Artists: Minjung Art and the Present.” Journal Bol 10 (2008): 20-45.