.Curation of Daegu Photo Biennial special exhibition Berlin: Morph-O, Isolation of (Portable) pressure, hosted by Kunstverein am Rosa-Luxemburg Platz, August/september 2019, artists: Ricarda Roggan, Henrik Strömberg, Jung Sung Tae, Woo Chang Won, as pilot exhibition for Daegu Photo Biennale ,Daegu City, South Korea
News: News Desk ,Daegu City, Evening News:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEMeV5rfE20&feature=share
.Photo Dot, Photography Magazine, Issue September 2019, vol.59, page 40 to 47, review of the exhibition
PHOTO DOT 2019. 09. VOL 59,P.040, ISSUE 1, Daegu Photo Biennale in BERLIN
‘Morph-O. Isolation of (portable) pressure. This special exhibition, planned as a pre-event for the Daegu Photo Biennale in 2020, is a new international project which introduces Korean photography abroad by presenting talented korean artists with artists who are established in the European art world. The Daegu Photo Biennale aims to raise the awareness of Korean visual arts and this project is expected to initiate a new path focused on developing exhibition projects and present the culture tendencies in Korea, which has previously mainly introduced famous foreign artists in Korea.
The special exhibition takes place in 2019, as Daegu Photo Biennale Special Exhibition in BERLIN, and is curated by the italian curator Chiara Valci Mazzara, based in Berlin and working actively between Germany and Italy in collaboration with Daegu Culture and Art Center. The title and concept of the exhibition is “Morph O”, which is meant as the synthesis between the word “Morph” that stands for the concept of shape and of the change of state and “-O” that symbolizes the acceptance and inclusion of the state, through which, the creative work of the participating artists, allows to contemplate the meaning of the interaction along with the transformation of materials appearance and constituents.’
.Sajinyesul, The Monthly Photo art Magazine, since 1989, vol.366, page 70 to 77, review of the exhibition
SAJINYESUL The Monthly Photo Art Magazine VOL.366 · October 2019,P.70, Focus.1, “Morph O” 2019 Daegu Photo Biennale in BERLIN
‘2019 Daegu Photography Biennale in BERLIN Special Exhibition was held from August 24th to September 7th at Kunstverein am Rosa-Luxemburg Platz as the first international project of Daegu Photo Biennale to introduce Korean photography abroad. This exhibition was organized by the curator Chiara Valci Mazzara who presented the show of four artists from Korea and Berlin. To the exhibition participated, as Korean artists Woo Changwon and Jung Sungtae, as european artists Ricarda Roggan and Henrik Strömberg.’
‘…The theme of this exhibition project conceived by Chiara Valci Mazzara is “Morph – O, isolation of (portable) pressure”. The wordplay is a neologism coming from the merging of two concepts such as “Morph” which is the root of the word meaning ‘form’, ‘shape’ and ‘change’ and the ending “-O” which represents the idea of circleness, attempting to accept the change, and comprehend each identical original form. The four artists from different cultural and geographical backgrounds presented their unique work in reference to this main concept…’
‘…The work by the swedish artist, Henrik Strömberg, Berlin-based, is perceived as surprisingly evocative to the audience who expected this exhibition as a group exhibition presenting exclusively pieces realized with the photography medium. The volumes belonging to the installation are in fact conceived and realized starting from the photographic works and displayed in reference to photography pieces exhibited in the main space. A round like shaped glass volume relates and dialogues to the photographic works completing the installation. His work evokes the idea of time and space simultaneously, and suggests the landscape as composed of a“dialogue” between the meanings of each other .
Photography as a medium can record the time frame of a “moment” through the lens. It is the ability to record time visually which only photography can have. Relating to the context, it can also explain why he choses glass as material. Dozens of printed photographs organized in stacks support the glass sculpture, which he learned to blow from a glass craftsman and in which he blew in his breath. In other words, the breath that the artist blows creates a different round shape of glass while recording the shape of the air at that moment. Recording a certain moment on a bi-dimensional or a sculptural volume became a joint point between photography and glass, and the reason to treasure Henrik Strömberg’s work. ‘
.Elle Korea, October 2019, vol.324, page 146 to 147, review of the exhibition and interview
ELLE Korea OCT.2019 P. 146-147, Expanded Universe
Printed version:
‘The theme 2018 Daegu Photo Biennale was “Frame Freely “, in other words “Crossover frames”, which meant not only cross between frames of the photographies, but also the social idea and the norm as the philosophy of Daegu Photo Biennale which has been pursued. According to the project and this idea of crossovers, ‘Daegu Photo Biennale Special Exhibition Berlin’ was held to create an opportunity for the arts of Daegu and Berlin to meet at the joint where the encounter was not yet existing.
The theme of this special exhibition is the merging of two words: “Morph” which means a change of state and “O” which symbolizes acceptance and inclusion. The project is been realized in collaboration with the curator Chiara Valci Mazzara, who works in Germany and Italy, and Kim Do Hyeung Curator of the Daegu Culture and Art Center with 4 participating artists, Woo Changwon, Jung Sungtae, Ricarda Roggan and Henrik Strömberg.
The curator Chiara has been asked some questions about “Morph” and “O” and the four artists, considering and examining the meaning of the interactions along with the appearance and transformation of the matter in different ways.’
Elle Korea , INTERVIEW to the curator Chiara Valci Mazzara:
You have been working in Germany and Italy as an independent curator.
I am curious about the relationship between you and the Korean art world and artists. This was my first time and it was an interesting challenge. This special exhibition provides a new exhibition format and an exchange between artists with different aesthetic reference,environments and cultural heritage. For this reason, I selected artists with a common visual and conceptual denominator shown in the work, and focused on various set-up through which different characteristics of each work can appear and present the artist’s artistic direction. In order to do that, I worked on intense communication and careful observation which have been both necessary. The theme “Morph O” is a very abstract concept. If you explain a little more…? The theme “Morph O” is a very abstract concept. “Morph” means shape and at the same time is the roots of the idea of change of things, substances, contents, matter. “O” stands for an attempt to adopt at the same time what it is ever-changing, as the circular symbolizes. For example, to Woo Changwon, “Morph” means the original appearance of the subject just before the substance changes in a defined way, and “O” is like a microscope. By building a system of matter, he reaches the molecule of phenomenon and rearranges the image from a new perspective, and delves into its core. The artists’ different interpretations are interesting. Would you explain its characteristics in one word? Woo Changwon is ‘Matter’, Henrik Strömber is ‘Volume’. Jung Sungtae is ‘Depth’, and Ricarda Roggan is ‘Poetry’.
Online version:
https://www.elle.co.kr/article/42671
Additional online institutional and private websites, magazines and platforms reviews about the show:
Daegu-Photo-Biennale-in-Berlin-Special-Exhibition-_-Koreanisches-Kulturzentrum.pdf
https://m.mk.co.kr/news/culture/view/2019/08/657973/
http://www.dkilbo.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=190265
https://photomarketing.co.kr/대구사진비엔날레-독일-베를린에서-2019-daegu-photo-biennale-in-berlin/?ckattempt=1
https://news.imaeil.com/CultureAll/2019090214493894224
https://m.post.naver.com/viewer/postView.nhn?volumeNo=23606429&memberNo=15848050&vType=VERTICAL
https://blog.naver.com/foto3570/221632773164
https://blog.naver.com/kimjajoong/221633428914
https://blog.naver.com/koreaphotoart/221635994359
