As the energy and excitement of the 2012 Paralympics continues in London, a different yet likeminded kind of celebration has opened in Gyeonggi-do (Gyeonggi Province).
From August 1 to October 7, the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art in the city of Ansan is hosting an exhibit entitled “Different and Special” featuring works by 43 artists.
"Different
and Special," featuring works by 43 artists with disabilities from
Korea, America, and Japan, will be held at the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern
Art until October 7. The pictured work is by Merritt Wallace of
Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland, California (photo courtesy of the
Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art).
Despite hailing
from different cultural settings, namely, Korea, Japan, and the United
States, the artists share in common not only a unique capacity for
creative expression but also a background of developmental disability.
The
over 400 works selected for “Different and Special,” the largest
exhibit of works by artists with disabilities in Korea, spans a wide
range of media, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, and video
art.
Pictured
are works by Korean artists Lee Seung-yun (top), Park Beom (bottom
left), and Kim Do-hyeon (bottom right) (photos courtesy of the Gyeonggi
Museum of Modern Art).
According to exhibit curator
and Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art Director Choi Hyo-joon, “Different
and Special” was designed on the premise that support for disabled
artists can and should transition from a charity-based approach to one
that seeks to foster the conditions in which artists can actively
exercise their freedom of cultural expression.
With this, said
Choi, it is hoped that the exhibit will play a part in helping to
dismantle social prejudices about disabilities and create a space for
artists with developmental disabilities to communicate with the world
through their art.
Pictured is a work by Japanese artist Masashi Yamano (photo courtesy of the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art).
“Different and Special” was organized in partnership with the Able Art Center in Suwon, Rawside in Seoul, Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland, California, and Tanpopo-no-ye Foundation in Japan, all of which aim to empower artists with disabilities.
On
September 20, a special forum will be held at the museum to discuss
various approaches to reforming current perceptions and policies
regarding the disabled and artists with disabilities.
By Kwon Jungyun
Korea.net Staff Writer