LOOKING GLASS EXPERIENCE - CURATOR'S THOUGHTS

Looking at a mirror is an interesting experience. It provides an opportunity to see one's own reflection, and sometimes this can be a surprising thing. There, your own self-image clashes with the objective image in the mirror, which can result in surprise, disappointment and sometimes enlightenment. It also provides a promise of an alternative world, which can be seen but is just out of touch, a world where everything looks familiar but different. For instance, if 'I' on this side is right-handed, 'I' in the mirror is left-handed. As Alice contemplates whilst looking at the Looking Glass House, dish of milk there might not be tasty for her kitten, and as her experience within that world showed that everything had to be seen and experienced with different perspective and context. This experience brought about new experiences that engendered new meanings, creativity, playfulness and humour. Anybody who tried to understand the Jabberwocky poem would understand what I mean. The Looking Glass experience also provide a possibility of occupants of that world to enter our world. This gives us not only the opportunity to see their reactions, as well as allowing us to see our world through their eyes and experiences.

With the rapid exchange of culture and current domination of Western culture in the world, Looking Glass worlds, in respect to the West, can be seen all over the non - Western world. And these worlds can be observed, as well as entered and experienced. And it must be said that the some of the most interesting Looking Glass worlds can be observed in the Far East, and here we look at Korea .

Cultural influences on Modern Korea since the end of WW II have been complex and varied. The two main strand of such influences can be said to be China , and the Modern West. The Chinese influence brought about what can be said to be Korean classicism, deeply embedded in Confucianism, and have shaped the Korean society and culture for more than five hundred years, during and up to the end of the Lee dynasty at the beginning of the twentieth century.

The twentieth century saw the rise of Western influence in Korea , beginning with the strong modernizing influence brought in by Japan during its occupation of Korea . The true Korean modernization, however, can be said to have occurred from 1960's. The cultural, social and economic modernism of Korea has to be understood and accepted in a different context and time frame than the so-called canonical version of the West. It was in the '60s and '70s that the whole social and cultural structure of Korea went through fundamental changes through modernizing movements spearheaded by the government. A fundamental break occurred with Sinophilic past (made easier by the pro-West and anti-'Communist Chinese' stance of the public), and Western influence and symbols made headway into everyday life of normal household, from food, music, furniture, literature and architecture. On top of this, a movement to strengthen the national identity also occurred during the same period.

The other cultural influence which was almost always been ignored by academics as well the general populace, but is important none the less, is that of South-East Asia and Indian influence. Prior to the rise of Confucianism in Korea, the national religion was Buddhism, and hence the country had a strong cultural and economic ties with other major Buddhist countries, including Siam, India, and other countries in South East Asia.

Thus, we have in Korea a highly Westernised country which on a surface looks very similar to any country in the West, but where every object, every visual symbols are imbued with extra meaning and context. Through the Looking Glass looks at what happens when two cultures which seems to use same cultural and visual symbols meet and clash, when there is a communication and collaboration between the two worlds separated by the Looking Glass. It is a celebration of the burst of creativity and understanding that can result in such a venture.

Ten contemporary artists were invited to participate in this exhibition, the objective being to challenge the traditional Western value implicit within the interior space of venue and transform/fill with it works that reflect new creativity, different perspectives and fresh points of views. Asia House building, situated in Cavendish Street , London , is the venue. The building itself is a traditional Victorian building, reflecting the architectures of surrounding area. However, once going through the door and passing through the entrance area, suddenly you will be entering the world that seems familiar yet imbued with different meanings and context ? vase that is not a vase, library that is a work of art, photographs with twisted time frames. The world which you enter will bring about new perspectives and understanding, the world brought about the various layer of contemporary art work overlaid and embedded in different parts of the building, some functional and some not.

Jiyoon Lee

Curator's Thoughts