Gucci is kicking off the “Gucci Cultural Month” initiative, which aims to honor the legacy of Korean culture by showcasing the creations of notable individuals who have used a variety of media to take local arts to a worldwide audience.
Four well-known artists—conceptual artist Kimsooja, director Chan Wook Park, contemporary dancer Eun Me Ahn, and pianist Seong Jin Cho—will be included in the event, which begins in Seoul on October 15. Through photos, movies, displays, special performances, and cultural talks, the festival will honor their efforts.
Kimsooja is renowned for her many creative mediums and has received recognition for her work from worldwide biennials and museums. Over time, her creative pursuits have broadened to encompass a variety of topics, including poverty, religious conflicts, migration and displacement, existential frontiers, and social challenges. Her work has been featured in over 40 biennials, including the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013, large-scale site-specific installations, and solo exhibits in prominent worldwide museums. Among the honors bestowed to Kimsooja are the French Legion of Arts and Letters in 2017 and the American Art Award from the Whitney Museum of American Art in 2002.
Park is a well-known director best known for his “Vengeance Trilogy,” which includes the films “Oldboy,” “Lady Vengeance,” and “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.” In particular, Park’s 2003 picture “Oldboy” contributed to his rise to prominence as a director outside of his own nation. In addition, he was the 57th Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix winner.
Eun Me Ahn, who has always been fascinated by dance, has produced and performed over 100 avant-garde works since her debut full-length production, “Paper Steps,” in 1988, and her early short piece, “Siral,” in 1986. When she first went to New York, her wild dances, shaved head, and strange stage presence—which conveyed an overpowering state of ugly human emotions—attracted attention. As a result, she was given.
In 1999 and 2002, she was honored with choreographer honors from the Manhattan Arts Foundation and the New York Cultural Foundation. She created important pieces including “The Little Match-seller,” “Sky Pepper,” and “Eun Me’s Chunhyang” while leading the Daegu City Dance Company as creative director from 2000 to 2004 after returning to her native South Korea.
Cho, a pianist who is highly regarded worldwide, became well-known in 2015 after taking first place in the Chopin International Competition. In acknowledgment of his contributions to the field of classical music, he was granted the esteemed Samsung Ho-Am Prize in the Arts last year, and he inked an exclusive deal with Deutsche Grammophon in 2016. Cho, who is currently residing in Berlin, has collaborated with some of the major orchestras worldwide, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker, and Wiener Philharmoniker, to mention a few.
Gucci has engaged the local public even further by appointing a number of pop singers as brand ambassadors throughout the years. These stars include rapper Jay Park, actor Park Gyu Young from K-dramas, Lee Jung-jae from “Squid Game,” rapper Jay Park, and Hanni, the main vocalist of the Korean band NewJeans.