With KÖNIG SEOUL, MCM and KÖNIG join forces once again to open a new art space in the Korean capital on 3 April 2021 for the first time.
MCM and KÖNIG have been cooperating for several years, most recently with KÖNIG TOKIO, a gallery space that was located on one floor of MCM’s flagship store in Tokyo until the end of 2020. The collaboration continues with KÖNIG SEOUL, opening a new chapter this spring in the MCM HAUS in Seoul’s prominent district Gangnam. KÖNIG SEOUL will occupy the building’s 5th floor as well as a spacious rooftop terrace that will be transformed into a sculpture garden. Soo Choi, a Seoul-based gallerist with 15 years of experience in the international art market, will serve as the managing director. KÖNIG has been actively involved in the Korean art scene for some years as a participant of the Art Busan and KIAF art fairs. The new space will provide KÖNIG with a platform to further strengthen its engagement with the region’s cultural institutions, collectors and public audiences.
Lena and Johann König say: “Our partnership with MCM is a fundamental step to help us build the perfect bridge between Germany and Korea. KÖNIG and MCM are both rooted in their German origin, but we committed ourselves to actively establish our brands out in the world. Korea has a strong position in the art market, so we are excited to be presenting our program to the Korean audience.”
“I am very happy that with the opening of the KÖNIG Galerie in our Seoul flagship store, we continue a successful collaboration between MCM and Johann and Lena König. Beyond my strong personal interest in art, this confirms MCM as a collaborative brand that seeks to partner with other artistic voices and starting conversations between art and fashion. The MCM HAUS in Seoul will be increasingly a cultural, collaborative space.“, says Dirk Schönberger, Global Creative Officer at MCM.
KÖNIG SEOUL will open with a group exhibition. The artworks chosen for the exhibition offer an exciting insight into the diverse program of KÖNIG, featuring works by Katharina Grosse, Norbert Bisky, Friedrich Kunath, Alicja Kwade, Anselm Reyle, Helen Marten and Sarah Morris.
Subsequently, KÖNIG SEOUL will present exhibitions with internationally established artists such as Jorinde Voigt, Jeppe Hein, Peter Dreher or Alicja Kwade as well as emerging positions such as Trey Abdella and Conny Maier.
KÖNIG SEOUL Inaugural Exhibition
with works by Kathryn Andrews, Mona Ardeleanu, Norbert Bisky, Monica Bonvicini, Claudia Comte, Jose Dávila, Peter Dreher, Katharina Grosse, Jeppe Hein, Camille Henrot, Robert Janitz, Koo Jeong A, Friedrich Kunath, Alicja Kwade, Basim Magdy, Conny Maier, Helen Marten, Kris Martin, Sarah Morris, Amalia Pica, Anselm Reyle, Michael Sailstorfer, Andreas Schmitten, Jeremy Shaw, Chiharu Shiota, Tatiana Trouvé, Rinus Van de Velde, Jorinde Voigt, Matthias Weischer, Erwin Wurm
Drawing from one of the most intriguing programs of contemporary art, KÖNIG SEOUL presents its first group exhibition featuring a cross-section of the KÖNIG cosmos. Despite the ongoing pandemic, KÖNIG decided to follow its plan to open the gallery space in Seoul, thus continuing its strong commitment to exhibiting the work of contemporary artists internationally. Art is one of the most important social engines that can provide strength and inspiration to society in these unsettling times.
Over the past 20 years, KÖNIG has become one of the most exciting venues for contemporary art in Germany. From the beginning, the focus of the gallery’s program has been on interdisciplinary and conceptual approaches, which is reflected in some of the most important positions of the present time. Up to forty artists are currently represented by the gallery and are regularly on view at the gallery’s locations as well as at internationally renowned institutions. At KÖNIG SEOUL, a carefully curated selection of more than 20 KÖNIG artists now come together in a group exhibition to present the gallery’s extensive program to the Korean public. The exhibition will feature over forty works, ranging from vibrant paintings to bold sculptures and delicate drawings, some of which have been created especially for this inaugural show.
Placed together within the new KÖNIG SEOUL space, these works are presented in juxtaposition to each other, creating unique associations and new connections that are reflective of the diverse cultural backgrounds and artistic practices of each artist and his/her work. Some of the recurring themes revolve around issues related to human behaviour and sociocultural structures, reflected, for example, in the sculptures by Tatiana Trouvé and Erwin Wurm, in the paintings by Conny Maier or the graphic works by Camille Henrot. Related, but also very distinct are the works by Koo Jeong A, Jeppe Hein and Alicja Kwade in which they explore the environment around us and our place within, with reflections on space, movement, time, and matter.
As diverse as the themes within the individual works are, so are the media and materials presented. The medium of painting itself is explored through the works of Katharina Grosse, Claudia Comte, Robert Janitz, Anselm Reyle, Friedrich Kunath, Norbert Bisky, Matthias Weischer, Mona Ardeleanu, and Rinus Van de Velde, whose artistic practices alternate between figuration and abstraction, the colorful and the subdued. The medium of sculpture is also approached in a variety of ways, including the iconic boxes by Andreas Schmitten and Chiharu Shiota as well as the bold metal works of Monica Bonvicini. The selection of works on paper reflect the equally delicate and vivid working methods of Sarah Morris, Helen Marten and Jorinde Voigt.
The exhibition continues on the rooftop garden, where a selection of sculptures is presented, among them works by Alicja Kwade, Erwin Wurm, Jeppe Hein, Jose Dávila, Kris Martin, Andreas Schmitten and Michael Sailstorfer.
