JEAN DESIGNART, July 21 Im Jibin 《EVERYDAY SHAPE》

 

Exhibition period. July 21 (Fri) - August 15 (Tue), 2023

(10:30am – 7pm, closed on Sundays)

exhibition place. JEAN DESIGNART (27, Dosan-daero 67-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul)

participating artist. Im Jibin

 

JEAN DESIGNART is pleased to present Im Jibin's solo exhibition 《EVERYDAY SHAPE》 from July 21st (Friday) to August 15th (Saturday). The artist has been talking about the tense reality of modern society through BEARBRICK, which is an important motif and starting point for his work. In this exhibition, a series of works borrowed from BEARBRICK, which is a friendly object that anyone can enjoy and is also an art toy icon in modern society, will be presented.

 

The artist's work is made by hand in all processes. A lot of time and labor is consumed until the work is displayed in the exhibition hall. The process of making clay, taking out shapes, and grinding them for 15 years was all repetition of the same work, but to the artist, each day has the meaning of all other days. Happy and exciting days, exhausting and difficult days, happy and sad days, each artist has been working on the soil with different expressions and thoughts. The artist created the current shape by trimming and shaping the accumulated hours diligently day by day. Doing the same thing every day can feel like boring work that doesn't seem special in a way, but through this exhibition, the artist wants to convey our lives, which are made up of repeated daily routines.

 

“It seems that we are living in an era where human labor is bound to be weeded out now that technologies replacing humans are pouring in. But that's why I think the time when I was covered in dust and touched the work is meaningful. When I look at the works of the past, each of them reminds me of the day I made them. The sculptures created with different emotions and feelings every day may be in the shape of the past.”

Im Jibin from the artist's statement

 

The artist plays an important role in publicizing the public-friendly aspects of the institutions through projects with public institutions such as various units of local governments, including collaboration with multinational luxury brands and celebrities. He is also often invited to government-led projects as well as various collaborations with leading companies, contributing to narrowing the gap with the public. To that extent, the public-friendly image of his work as well as his collaborations with more public units will spread its influence and repercussions far and wide. It naturally crosses numerous boundaries, such as high and low, fine art and popular culture, and public and private, which is another direction of contemporary art.

 

Through these various projects, the artist hopes that his work can become a work that can be sympathized with and understood by many modern people who are tired of reality. It is intended to be a work that can bring joy, help, and contribute to the lives of all of us. Therefore, the artist's art for everyone everywhere is also public art with another important value of contemporary art. It is not just a private pleasure for a few people, but it works as a public meaning that can communicate, sympathize, and enjoy together with everyone's life, transforming all places in the world into artistic sensibility. Above all, I hope that this exhibition will be an opportunity to add more special meaning to the audience as it will be able to easily sympathize with the hearts of people who are close to everyday life without being conventional and rigid.

 

 

Im Jibin (b.1984)

Im Jibin satirizes the light and shade of modern society through works borrowed from the art toy BEARBRICK. While studying at the Department of Fine Arts at Shilla University, he became famous with his debut when he participated in the Shanghai Biennale. He is always considered a young artist representing Korea. Since 2013, he has been working on the “Everywhere” project, in which he travels around the world and installs large bear balloons.

 

 

Major solo exhibitions

2022 ≪You Are Not Alone≫ Shout Gallery, Hong Kong

≪Space in LOVE≫ DDP, Seoul

2020 ≪Space in LOVE≫ Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Seoul

≪NOW-HERE≫ Third Museum, Seoul

≪Colorful Garden≫ Gana Children's Museum, Yangju

≪Room 59-1≫ Gallery Lab, Seoul

2019 ≪You are not alone≫ Busan Citizens' Hall, Busan

 

Collaboration

2022 ≪Gangnam Samsung≫ Art work installation

≪More Hyundai≫ Art work

≪Samsung QLED≫ Global Advertising Model Art work

≪Samsung Hong Kong≫ The Frame TV Limited Edition work

≪Gucci≫ KAI GUCCI Capsule Collection Teasing Campaign, Installation

2021 ≪Cultural Heritage Administration, Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation≫ Cultural Heritage Visit Campaign Art work

2020 ≪Coca-Cola≫ 2020 New Campaign Art work

2019 ≪Mercedes-Benz≫ 2019 Seoul Motor Show Art work

≪Samsung Galaxy S10≫ Art work