As I write this final installment I am
sitting on a plane bound for Seoul.
This time I am returning with my partner to adopt our third child. Our son (aged 11) and daughter (aged 8)
are travelling with us. As you can
imagine, we are incredibly excited.
This is of course the foundation of my love
affair with Korea and my deep appreciation for its people and culture. It is the reason I chose to focus both
my Research Project and Internship on the subject of Korean art and
opportunities for collaboration and partnership in Australia.
The process of working with Gertrude
Contemporary has been incredibly educative and beneficial and I owe a great
debt of gratitude to Gertrude’s Director and curatorial team for their openness
and generosity and for allowing me to be a part of their team.
Notwithstanding the challenges and the
highs and lows of this exhibition, there has been a deep spirit of reciprocity
and collaboration that has imbued this project from the very beginning. I’ve been inspired by it.
It seems to me that this has to be the
basis of any successful partnership in arts and in business. It is when two parties enter into a
relationship with a genuine desire to realize something that is greater than
the sum of the two individual parts that something magical happens.
Magic aside, the success of these
partnerships also relies upon open and effective communication. Every step of the process and the
expectations of all parties needs to be discussed, mapped out clearly and
documented. I appreciate this can
be difficult in an industry like ours where the creative landscape is
constantly moving and the value is derived as much from the creative journey as
it is the creative outcome.
I am continuing to work with Gertrude in
the lead up to the exhibition’s opening in Melbourne later this year. That will mark the end of this process
but I hope it will also signal the beginning of an important next stage in my
career, establishing a Foundation to support ongoing collaboration between
Australian and Korean artists and arts professionals.
I just got really teary reading this.
ReplyDeleteIt's incredible that you have such a passions for Korea. I've never been but I've seen so many moving artworks. Last year I went to an exhibition of Korean Photographs at the Australian Centre for Photography and was so taken aback by some of the shocking and beautiful images I saw of landscapes and portraits of families, all little jewels. I hope your new Korean jewel will bring you as much joy as the other two :)
Thanks Elizabeth - that is a beautiful sentiment. I agree with you, there is something incredibly compelling about the Korean aesthetic and in my experience there is a consistent thread of it throughout centuries of Korean art.
ReplyDeleteA terrific end post to your blog. It really summarise where you are at in your career and how your passion has developed along the way. I wish you well. As I mentioned in a post on Elio's blog, I can't believe how many people are so passionate about Korean art. It is a subject I knew nothing about until this project and I'm astounded by the artistic talent that has been presented on these blogs. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us and congratulations on the new member of your family!
ReplyDeleteProud of you , my friend. Really hope I can attend your show. I think the contemporary Korean art is amazing. I should plan to go to Souel in the next future.
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