Adding and Subtracting: Korean and Taiwanese Abstraction Reflect Each Other
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
A two-artist exhibition, “The Bards of Time and Space,” opened at the Alien Art Center in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, pairing Korean artist Kwon Sun-ik (권순익) and Taiwanese-born Huo Gang (霍剛·호칸). The curators arranged their works like “tête-bêche” (a philatelic term for two stamps placed upside-down relative to each other) so each artist’s pieces can respond to — and diverge from — the other. Although viewers may first notice similarities in scale and color, close observation reveals contrasting methods: Kwon builds layers of paint and materials to move inward (a “plus” approach), often using graphite from his childhood region Mungyeong (문경), while Huo pares down forms and paints impulsively to reach essential rhythms (a “minus” approach). The show spans about 70 years of work with 72 pieces, including large paintings and installations inspired by roof tiles and other motifs. Alien Art Center director Yaman Xiao emphasizes that Asian abstraction should be seen as an independent philosophical language rather than mere imitation of Western styles; the center itself — housed in a remodeled former military hostel called “Kinma” — aims to welcome the unfamiliar and promote international exchanges. The exhibition runs through Nov. 1 next year.
