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<\/p>\nCurator Interview: Yuli Yoon (Y), Iwata Tomoya (T)<\/p>\n
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Co-Curators of Kiaf SEOUL 2025 Special Exhibition \u300aReverse Cabinet\u300b- Yuli Yoon (Left), Tomoya Iwata (Right)<\/em><\/p>\n Leonardo da Vinci\u2019s \u2018The Last Supper\u2019 and Rembrandt\u2019s \u2018Night Watch\u2019 were both commissioned by collectors. These iconic works serve as compelling evidence that collecting\u2014recognizing outstanding art, supporting the development of artists, and providing a foundation for creative practice\u2014is one of the most vital pillars sustaining the art world. For the special exhibition at Kiaf SEOUL 2025, Yuli Yoon, Senior Curator at Ilmin Museum of Art, has chosen \u2018collecting\u2019 as the central theme, highlighting its significance within the artistic ecosystem. We spoke with Yuli Yoon and co-curator Iwata Tomoya to learn more about the curatorial vision behind the exhibition and key elements to pay attention to. In the following interview, \u2018Y\u2019 refers to Yoon Yool-ri and \u2018T\u2019 to Tomoya Iwata.<\/p>\n \u25b7Why is collecting significant? Could you elaborate on the curatorial intent behind the exhibition? \u25b7What does the exhibition title \u300aReverse Cabinet\u300b mean? \u25b7What criteria guided your selection of the six Korean and Japanese artists? \u25b7 It\u2019s also intriguing that this exhibition is being held in a commercial space like an art fair.
\n(Y) \u201cArt history, in many ways, can be seen as a history of collecting. Exhibition is the form through which that collection is made visible. Collecting and displaying, therefore, are not simply acts of indulgence or a showcase of wealth and ideology. They serve as vital indicators of contemporary art. In doing so, they contribute to the shaping of the rules and systems by which we live and offer a means to reframe history itself.\u201d
\n(T) \u201cHistory is continuously reconstructed through the process of interpreting fragments of collected memories. In this exhibition, we aimed to propose a conceptual framework through the lens of \u2018collecting.\u2019 This framework encourages a reconsideration of the historical relationship and the tension that still exists between Korea and Japan.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n(Y) \u201cThe term \u2018cabinet\u2019 originates from the \u2018Cabinet of Curiosities\u2019, which laid the foundation for the modern museum. Historically, collectors filled these rooms with rare and eccentric objects as a means of showcasing their wealth and power. The artists featured in this exhibition aim to \u2018reverse\u2019 it. They challenge the desire to preserve objects in perpetuity, instead drawing out the wounds and memories embedded in the collected items. Some even engage with the act of collecting the intangible, such as digital data.\u201d
\n(T) \u201cAlmost everyone has childhood memories of collecting their own \u2018treasures.\u2019 In that sense, collecting is an instinctive and primal act. Through this exhibition, we sought to reverse their familiar impulse\u2014shifting attention away from the objects themselves and towards the \u2018act of collecting\u2019 and the individual perspectives embedded within it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n(Y) \u201cAll six artists share a common methodology: they incorporate the act of \u2018collecting\u2019 into their respective practices. Sunpil Don and Geumhyeong Jung present themselves explicitly as \u2018collectors.\u2019 Jihye Yeom engages with historical archives, gathering data as the foundation for her video works. Kai Oh collects not only images, but also the very formats through which those images are stored and displayed.\u201d
\n(T) \u201cWe deliberately focused on artists who do not shy away from the historical relationship between Korea and Japan and the tensions that persist. Instead, these artists transform these complexities into a vital source of creative driving force. Kei Takemura, for example, stitches damaged objects together using silk thread to restore memory and history. The notion of decay is explored in Sen Takahashi\u2019s \u2018Decaying Collection,\u2019 which directly confronts themes of disappearance. Their work invites us to mourn the scars from the past and to reflect on how to bring those memories to life in the present.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n(Y) \u201cIndeed, an art fair isn\u2019t the most ideal setting for an exhibition, and it certainly comes with its challenges. However, I believe Kiaf\u2019s dynamism helps offset those constraints. If this exhibition appears \u2018misaligned\u2019 with the conventional formats of galleries, museums, or private collections, I hope it will instead offer a distinct and nuanced experience, precisely because it exists as a special project within Kiaf.\u201d
\n(T) \u201cArt fairs revolve around the idea of \u2018owning\u2019 works of art. That\u2019s why it makes such apt environments for posing a fundamental question\u2014\u201cWhat does it mean to own something?\u201d Acquiring a work isn\u2019t just about possession. It comes with \u2018responsibility\u2019: to preserve it, care for it, and possibly pass it on to future generations. I hope this exhibition gives visitors a quiet moment to reflect on what collecting and ownership truly mean\u2014even within the energy and bustle of the fair.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","categories":[50,53],"class_list":["post-53488","insights","type-insights","status-publish","hentry","category-insight","category-live-and-talk"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.0","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kiaf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insights\/53488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kiaf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insights"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kiaf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/insights"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kiaf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kiaf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}