Art Sonje Center hosts Dongkyu Kim’s “Informel Logbook” publishing exhibition for its 2015 Art Sonje Project #3. The artist starts with a video clip titled A Nailhead for Escape introducing a story behind a piece of abstract painting that he came to buy at an open-air second-hand market in South Korea, and weaving stories that might be hidden in the abstract painting, he unveils a publication titled Informel logbook, which is in turn followed by an installation titled Navigating Chart and a drawing project titled project “Pairing” that are derived from the publication.

Informel logbook is a process not to make a scratch on the authority of specific abstract form out of fashion nor to stress the cultural colonial status of South Korea, but to ask a question of what is the meaning of a piece of painting. Dongkyu Kim attempts to structuralize the complex historical /economic /aesthetic /psychological problems conjured up by ‘an abstract painting purchased at a Korean thrift market’, through Informel logbook.

“Emotions and passions cannot be resolved. A passion can only be replaced by another passion with similar color, or the opposite nature, or stronger intensity.” The publication Informel logbook is composed based on this perspective. One story invites another story without a closure. In theory, such proliferation can continue indefinitely.

Thus, when it is assumed that an abstract symbol of one point has expressed ‘passions’, such symbol can harbor infinite ‘content’ of passions. Within this structure, the “substantial inevitability” notion becomes meaningless or, at least, it becomes endlessly vulnerable. What we can merely secure is the psychological, linguistic structure working in the process of inviting one passion by another passion.”

– Artist Statement

About the Artist
Dongkyu Kim majored in Korean Language Education and fine Art, and has participated in various exhibitions held at the Art Space Pool, National Theatre, Hite Collection, and Art Sonje Center, etc. He explores the existence of image by shifting his roles, which include an icon collector, a pseudo-scholar, and an art detective. In this exhibition of publication, he unveils a book Informel Logbook he has written since 2012, along with artworks connected to the book.

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.