The second Art sonje project of this year is “Great Daddy” by artists Sang Bin Kang and Sang Woo Kang. The Great Daddy is a homage to Hee Sung Kang along with his vast book collection, the former representative of ‘Dong-A Seowon’ publishing company and father of the two artist brothers. This exhibition provides the observers with an opportunity to have deep encounters with a family’s history in a more public aspect through ‘Retention and Disappearance’ of the books that have been accompanied with them forever long.

Certain experiences and processes are an important factor for one’s perception. To some a book is only a readable material, however to Sang Bin and Sang Woo Kang it was first recognized as an object with a ‘decorative’ character that could be piled up, laid down, and rested on. In this Great Daddy, a large number of books are newly placed and piled up in the exhibition place according to their characteristics and roles, shaping an unique environment. During the exhibition period, viewers can choose and take a limited number of books for free, which results in a natural change in the installation environment surrounding the artwork. The Great Daddy’s Bookshelf is a collection of photographs taken when a visitor takes a book, which acts as a ghost of the taken book and will be located on the wall.
This exhibition is a story about books as a father’s material heritage, his personal narration of ‘production and conservation’, and also the notions of the personal and social role of a book’s ‘distribution and reproduction’ through two brothers who perform visual arts. The spectators and contemporary art, artists and their father all relate and reconnect to each other through this project and produce various visual expressions from it.

About the Artists
Sang Bin Kang (b.1974) graduated from Hong Ik University majoring in painting and continued his Master study at VCA in Australia and Glasgow School of Art in Scotland. He has held solo exhibitions at the Alternative Space Loop, Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA), Intermedia Gallery, Glasgow and participated in Edinburgh University in the UK, Enschede in the Netherlands, Art OMI in New York, 777 Residence, and Nanjing Creative Studio’s residency. He showcases his work through various media questioning how personal faith interplays between religion and visual art.

Sang Woo Kang (b.1977) graduated from Hong Ik University majoring in painting and received his master at Sandberg Institute in the Netherlands and currently lives in Seoul, Korea. His main works are about reflecting the illusions of his childhood to reality and experiment with the relationships between the two. He has held solo and group exhibitions at Diana Stigter in Amsterdam, Villa de Bank in Enschede Netherlands,Organ house in China. He has recently held a solo exhibition D(M)ental(2017) at Geumcheon PS333 art space as a residency artist of ‘Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture’

About Art Sonje Project Space
Newly inaugurated in the latter half of year 2014 on the ground floor space of the museum after its renovation, “Art Sonje Project Space” is a platform for temporary and free artistic endeavors. To replace the museum’s commercial facilities such as cafe and restaurant with an expansion of education and project space, Art Sonje Center invited an architectural project to transform its ground floor public space. While succeeding the spirit of the “Art Sonje Lounge Project (2009-2014)”, more emphasis has been put on the openness of the space and introduction of various programs, such as talks and workshops.