Cultural and National Elements in the Works of Contemporary South Korean Artists

Abstract

The subject of this study is current projects (installations, paintings, sculptures, performances) by contemporary South Korean artists that contain symbols, elements or cultural artifacts related to the local identity of the country. The article attempts to identify the main themes, motifs and techniques that are used in Korean contemporary art to emphasize the issues of the nation's self-identification within the global themes and problems of the modern world. To achieve this goal, the main South Korean artists recognized by the world art community (Kimsuja, So Do Ho, Lee Soo Kyung, Kwang Yong Chan, Pak Chang Kyung, Ham Kyuna, Yoon Seongnam) are singled out, whose work is directly related to the traditional cultural elements of their country. Their projects, themes and techniques are explored from the point of view of the interaction of global and local processes in modern society. The relevance of the work lies in an attempt to identify the unique processes taking place in contemporary South Korean art. Point studies of Asian artistic culture often include either the study of the creative path of individual artists, or the consideration of the main trends and trends. In this paper, an attempt is made to look at South Korean art from the point of view of topics and technologies that are inherent only in local Korean culture, and to identify points of contact with global issues and problems. This is the scientific novelty of the study. A number of contemporary South Korean artists create works of art based on their life experiences, directly related to the traditions of their country. Themes related to the search and reflection of cultural identity and self-identification arise in their works. The work uses both general scientific research methods: analytical and comparative, and a special method of art history: structural-functional.