Min-Seung Jang’s series of photographs, “A Multi-Culture,” begun in 2008, is a series of photographs that focuses on multi-cultural spaces. The work documents the offices of foreign ambassadors stationed in Korea showing everyday scenes inside the embassies where extraterritorial rights are guaranteed. There are over one hundred foreign embassies stationed in Korea. As the areas within the walls are regarding as the territory of the represented country, the embassy is an extremely exclusive and closed space with limited access for Koreans. The twenty photographs installed in this exhibition were created with the cooperation and control of the embassies in question. In cooperative ventures with such institutions, the artist is unable to unilaterally control the process. Given that the process of taking and compiling these photographs is subject to numerous external constraints, “A Multi-Culture” can be regarded as being a type of “process art” beyond the medium or form of photography. The process for this collection commenced with requests for the administrative cooperation of the embassies. Among the 100 embassies in Korea, photographs of 20 different ambassador‘s offices were taken with approval of the ambassadors or their governments. Taking photographs in embassies is restricted and, furthermore, must undergo a strict censorship process to ensure that the image of each country is not to be damaged or that confidential state secrets are disclosed. Undoubtedly the works of Jang differ from the existing examples of “process” focused art in which the production process takes precedence over the outcome. However, the process should not be ignored in that the work process accompanying the outcome or the manner in which the project progresses determines the artistic production. If you look at the list of the twenty countries selected, you will see South American and Eastern European countries dominate and that more economically and culturally advanced countries declined to participate in the project. The external elements that shaped “A Multi-Culture” included the political and cultural decision of each country, rather than natural phenomenon or casual factors, and they had a detrimental effect on the project. From this aspect, the “multi-culture” presented by Jang does not refer to a mixture of various cultures, but the various attitudes of different cultures. This notion of multi-culturalism, at present, is a crucial issue in Korean society and has come to refer to the newly emerged minority class in Korean society involving immigrant workers, foreign brides, international students and mixed-race families. But, the artist objectively and indifferently records the individual cultures that exist in the cultural communities in Korea (rather than concrete cases of the multi-cultural), and the ideological attitudes they advocate, through the symbolic space of the embassy office. Thus, the viewer meets miniature versions of countries – while Korean culture and that of these other countries skillfully coexist in such individual spaces. Essentially, discourses of multiculturalism try to rule out determinations of value or superiority of specific cultures. However, art historian Thomas McEvilley asserted the duplicity of existing multiculturalism in contemporary art. Originally, multiculturalism, as one trend of visual art, originated during the historical trend of post-colonialism and was a way of deliberating on the identity of individual cultures in a situation where several images of different cultures were mixed. However, it is true that an objective understanding of another culture is very difficult. This is because cultural relativism or long standing visual and educational customs make it difficult to understand multi-culturalism as a juxtaposition of equal cultures. ‘A Multi-Culture’ by Jang reveals the duplicity of multi-cultural discourse. Originally, a series in art referred to a series of multiple works produced continuously or repeatedly, which showed the continuous interest of an artist for a specific idea or theme. Of course, the works included in a series should obtain independence as individual pieces as well as adhering to the overall theme of the series. However, the ultimate goal of Jang was to disclose differences through the repetition of similar themes. The ambassador’s offices that appear in the twenty works of “A Multi-Culture” series are not much different from general offices. Basic furniture, such as desks, bookcases and chairs, is arranged in common ways. Office supplies and the national flag or map of the country to which the embassy belongs can also be seen. Of course, observers can witness big and small indicators of the culture of each country in each photograph. Scenes of N Seoul Tower (Namsan Tower) from a window, potted plants or maps of Korea, and other small clues show a mixing of these cultures as well. That being said, “A Multi-Culture” focuses more on the dynamics between the photographs by juxtaposing individual works rather than the cultural mixture formed by each country and Korea as evidenced in each photograph. Gilles Deleuze claimed that the horizontal does not follow the order of sameness but reaches an instability generated by differences. He tried to disclose a similar order of fundamental differences through the principle of comparison. Furthermore, he explained that the iconic signs of art are connected to the nature of being and such nature is formed through difference. Seen from this aspect, Jang’s “A Multi-Culture” reaches the essence of what the artist wanted to show while each work discloses minute differences. For example, the well organized office of the Swedish ambassador cannot generate any meaning in and of itself but the difference is visualized when juxtaposed with the office of the Ecuadorian ambassador. These meanings are then amplified when juxtaposed with the office of the ambassador of the United Arab Emirates. To Jang, ideological class structures, as seen from an everyday perspective through the series, discloses differences through the horizontal juxtaposition of individual pieces, and the tension created by the differences is further connected to the production of signs that expose this structure. Culture can be regarded to contain hierarchies as it is the human product that specifies and reveals the identity of individuals or groups. As such, is it impossible to understand the real meaning of “multi-cultures” or to understand each culture as being equal? The question posed by Jang’s “A Multi-Culture” series will continue with more stories and records in the future. The answers to the questions will be left up to the viewer.
A Multi-Culture, ART LOUNGE DIBANG, Director_Kim, Jyeong-Yeon
Jang Min Seung was born in 1979 and currently lives and works in Seoul. He received his BFA from Chung-Ang University and is an MFA candidate from the same. Jang is well known in the design world having showcased his work at the Seomi & Tuus Gallery, the Busan Biennale and Hangaram Design Museum. He has served as Chief Curator of the Cutting Edge Bicycle Design Exhibition at the Alcar Siza Museum. Recent art exhibitions include In Between Times at Art + Lounge Dibang, Shift at Johyun Gallery, the Ljublijana Arts Biennale and Platform at Kimusa. The artist is also involved in film having served as the event and exhibition director of the Pusan International Film Festival and Cinematic Love events.
Education
2012
MFA, Chung-ang University, Seoul, Korea
2004
BFA, Chung-ang University, Seoul, Korea
Solo Exhibitions
2010
A Multi Culture, ONE AND J. GALLERY, Seoul, Korea
水聲十景 – In Between Times, Art + Lounge Dibang, Seoul, Korea
2008
Intermission, Seomi & Tuus, Seoul, Korea
2006
Can I Drink Champagne, Seomi Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Cut & Bend, Gallery Modul, Seoul, Korea
Group Exhibitions
2012
Encounter, Experience, and Environment, Gilman Barracks, Singapore
Ancient Futures, Culture Station 284 Seoul, Seoul, Korea
2011
Seoul City exploration, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
2010
Shift, Johyun Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Mega Stufft, Salon de H, Seoul, Korea
Threshold, Art + Lounge Dibang, Seoul, Korea
2009
After Gogo: New Era of Korean Art, Ljubljana Graphic Arts Biennale
Cankarjev Dom, Cultura and Congress Center, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Platform in KIMUSA program 1, KIMUSA Seoul, Korea
2008
Wonderful Life, Doosan Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2007
Seoul Design Week, Fuorisalone, Milano, Italy
2006
Chadosalingeokhye, Cais Gllery, Seoul, Korea
Living Furniture, Sea Art Festval, Busan Biennale, Busan, Korea
2005
2005 Design Made, Hangaram Design Museum, Seoul, Korea
Project
2011
Spheres part 1 in Mullae-dong, Mullae Art Space, Seoul, Korea
2006
Cutting Edge-Bicycle Design Exhibition (Chief Curator), Anyang City, Korea
2005
The Anniversary Event & Exhibition Director, The 10th Busan International Film Festival, Busan, Korea
Awards
2011
SEMA, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
2006
Korea Design Award (Young product designer of the year)