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ATO – A Beautiful Gift of Korean Contemporary Art

Beautiful Gift, a special exhibition curated by Kim Hee Seon

featuring six iconic Korean artists
Park Seo-Bo, Lee Ufan, Park Suk Won, Kim Kang Yong, Kang Hyung Koo, and Lee Lee Nam

On view Oct 10–Nov 23, 2024, at Gallery AP Space in New York.

Sometimes, the most meaningful gifts are the ones that speak to both history and the future. That’s exactly the spirit behind ATO: Beautiful Gift, a special exhibition on view at Gallery AP Space in Chelsea, Manhattan from October 10 to November 23, 2024.

Curated by beloved South Korean actress Kim Hee Seon, ATO brings together six major contemporary Korean artists for a rare and powerful presentation of cross-cultural dialogue through art. With 32 works by Park Seo-Bo, Lee Ufan, Park Suk Won, Kim Kang Yong, Kang Hyung Koo, and Lee Lee Nam, this exhibition isn’t just a celebration of Korean creativity—it’s a bridge connecting Korean tradition with the pulse of the global contemporary art scene.

Best known for her decades-long acting career across Korea and China, Kim Hee Seon steps into a new role here as content director and curator. Far from a celebrity cameo, Kim approached the exhibition with depth and sincerity, personally visiting each artist’s studio to shape a show that reflects both artistic mastery and emotional resonance.

After a critically acclaimed debut at The Hyundai in Seoul, where it drew over 40,000 visitors in fall 2023, ATO: Beautiful Gift makes its U.S. premiere with even greater cultural significance. For Kim, the exhibition is a heartfelt offering: ato means “gift” in Korean, and each piece on display feels like a personal message from the artist to the viewer.

Park Seo-Bo (박서보) The late Park Seo-Bo is widely regarded as one of the founding figures of Korean contemporary art. His iconic “Ecriture” series uses hanji (traditional Korean paper) and subtle brushwork to explore repetition, rhythm, and meditation. The work is both deeply personal and philosophically universal—anchored in Korean aesthetics but reaching across cultures and generations.

Lee Ufan (이우환) An international name, Lee Ufan is a pioneer of both Korea’s Dansaekhwa movement and Japan’s Mono-ha. His minimalist works emphasize space, silence, and material presence. Whether it's a stone laid gently beside a canvas or a brushstroke that feels suspended in time, Lee’s work is rooted in restraint, inviting viewers to reflect on presence, stillness, and the dialogue between matter and mind.

Park Suk Won (박석원) Through his “Jik” series, Park Suk Won reveals the poetic potential of material. His sculptures, built from layers of natural materials, evoke geological formations and meditative stacking. His work balances the structural and the spiritual, showing how even abstraction can reflect a deep harmony between nature and the human experience.

Kim Kang Yong (김강용) Kim Kang Yong’s works blur the line between painting and sculpture. Using sand, soil, and other earth-bound materials, he creates hyper-realistic surfaces that feel tactile and lived-in. These textured compositions often depict rooftops or urban details, offering metaphors for collective memory, resilience, and the fabric of everyday life.

Kang Hyung Koo (강형구) With his signature hyper-realistic portraits, Kang Hyung Koo magnifies the human face into something monumental. His subjects range from global icons like Marilyn Monroe to quiet figures caught mid-thought. More than just skillful likenesses, his portraits are psychological landscapes—deep explorations of identity, time, and perception.

Lee Lee Nam (이이남) A true digital innovator, Lee Lee Nam is known for fusing traditional East Asian art with cutting-edge technology. Often compared to Nam June Paik, Lee reinterprets classical works with animation, sound, and light, creating immersive experiences that move, breathe, and evolve in real time. His art feels both ancient and futuristic—a space where tradition and innovation meet.

ATO: Beautiful Gift arrives in New York at a time when Korean culture is enjoying unprecedented global influence—from music and film to food and design. However, this exhibition goes deeper than trend—it highlights the philosophical and artistic rigor that has defined Korean visual culture for decades.

Jean Park, Director of Gallery AP Space, sees the show as a pivotal moment: “This exhibition celebrates Korean artistic excellence and its impact on global contemporary art. We invite everyone to experience this unique cultural event.”

A documentary crew from Korean Public Television is also capturing the experience, following Kim Hee Seon and the artists as they engage with American audiences and cultural figures—documenting a moment of meaningful exchange and mutual discovery.

In the end, ATO is exactly what its title promises: a beautiful gift. Not only in the works themselves, but in the stories they carry and the conversations they spark. It’s a reminder that art, at its best, is a form of giving—of offering insight, beauty, and connection in a world that needs all three.