Exhibition “Artainer” speaks out against online violence and climate change

Artist and singer Kwon Ji-an, Lee Min-woo of first-generation K-pop band Shinhwa, singer Jang Hye-jin, singer Junggigo and more — 12 veteran stars — gathered in central Seoul’s Itaewon district on Wednesday not for a concert or TV show, but to unveil a special art exhibition featuring 30 artists who both entertain and create art.

The group called themselves “Artainers” – a portmanteau of the words “artist” and “entertainer” – and launched an art exhibition called “bbuck on & off” in a space called “Process,” which was transformed from a restaurant and bar into an exhibition hall for the occasion.

The exhibition features 30 artists, including the 12 who attended Wednesday’s press conference, as well as 18 other names, from boy band 2PM member Chansung and singer Kim Wan-sun to entertainer Jun Hyun-moo and Russian model Angelina Danilova, who each created new works for the exhibition.

Works by Nam June Paik, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Bob Dylan and Johnny Depp can also be seen.

The artists’ exhibition revolves around the mishaps that plague today’s world both online and offline, hence the “on & off” part of the exhibition’s title. The “bbuck“” is a Korean slang expression for when a computer crashes, and is often used to describe when a situation goes wrong.

Singer and artist Kwon Ji-an, also known as Solbi, poses in front of her work during a press conference at the opening of the exhibition “bbuck on & off” in Itaewon, central Seoul, on July 3. (ARTVERSE)

Singer Lee Min-woo of K-pop band Shinhwa poses in front of his work during a press conference at the opening of the exhibition “bbuck on & off” in Itaewon, central Seoul, on July 3. (ARTVERSE)

“This exhibition is about the Earth being thrown off balance in the face of plastic overload in the real world and violence in the online world,” said Lee Jung-kwon, the exhibition’s general director. “But most of all, I wanted to redefine the group of ‘Artainers’ and answer the question: ‘Who are these Artainers and what do they do?’ We wanted to expand the boundaries of what people think of Artainers and explain to them that they encompass a diverse pool of talents.”

The works have been intentionally stripped of their captions so that viewers can delve into the meaning of each work without being caught up in the inevitable prejudices that arise when they realize which singer or actor is behind the canvas. Such prejudices are real and intense, the artists said.

“I started painting to recover from just being famous and being a victim of online violence,” says Kwon Ji-an, who debuted as Solbi with the R&B trio Typhoon in 2006.

She has been holding solo exhibitions of her paintings since 2012 and has since established herself as a valued artist. For “bbuck on & off,” Kwon created an installation using apples as a motif, something she has been doing for years, after reading an online comment that said, “Do you even know how to draw an apple?”

Singer Jang Hye-jin in front of her work at the art exhibition “bbuck on & off” in Itaewon in central Seoul (ARTVERSE)

Jang Hye-jin’s “Flow Sonata” (ARTVERSE)

“Cyberbullying is real, not just for us celebrities, but for everyone at school, at work, or anywhere in society,” she said. “I’m so proud and happy to be able to express myself in this way and help others speak out and experience healing like I have. I hope this really becomes an opportunity to raise awareness about the issue of cyber violence.”

Given the online attacks she still faces, Kwon is more than prepared.

“Let me know your comments and I’ll just make another work of art out of it,” she said.

Kwon’s experience of healing through art was echoed by many of the artists present at the exhibition, such as Lee of Shinhwa. Lee debuted in 1998 as part of the boy band and began his solo career as singer M in 2003.

“I think I got ‘bbuck’ from working in the entertainment industry for so long,” he said. “I actually always dreamed of being an artist and being able to participate in that way made me so happy. Being in the spotlight makes people think your life is glamorous, but it’s not. I felt like a clown and I just put all of that into my work.”

Kwon Ji-an’s “A(k)pple land” (ARTVERSE)

Singer Lee Min-woo of K-pop band Shinhwa speaks during a press conference at the opening of the “bbuck on & off” exhibition in Itaewon, central Seoul, on July 3. (ARTVERSE)

The global non-profit organization Greenpeace is also collaborating with the exhibition. Visitors can use a QR code to access a website that contains seven methods to reduce plastic consumption in everyday life.

“This exhibition will not be a one-time thing,” said director Lee. “We plan to expand it to another city and other themes. We will always talk about the zeitgeist and social issues, including war and racism.”

Tickets for the exhibition cost 20,000 won ($15) for adults, 13,000 won for youths and 11,000 won for children. The exhibition is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. An art night with various artists and musicians is held every Saturday from 8 p.m. to midnight. The art night costs 25,000 won.

BY YOON SO-YEON ([email protected])