Choi Gene Uk was born in Seoul and earned his BFA in Painting from Seoul National University in 1981, followed by an MFA in Painting from The George Washington University in 1984. Since returning to Korea, he has worked primarily in painting, after serving as a professor in the Department of Western Painting at Chugye University for the Arts. He has since retired and continues his work as an artist with a primary focus on painting.
◎ Coloring, Form, and Historical–Geographical Symbolism: Public Art and
the Popularization of Fine Art, New Landmarks Anticipated
Subway art in Seoul is becoming increasingly diverse. Large-scale
artworks scheduled to be unveiled at major stations of the second phase of the
Seoul subway system, set to open in 1997, are being completed one after
another. Once installation is finished, subway stations across Seoul are
expected to emerge as new destinations for art appreciation. While artworks
displayed in the first-phase subway lines (Lines 2–4) remained largely
decorative, the second-phase projects are high-quality artworks, each produced
at a cost of approximately 100 million won, focusing on the historical and
geographical contexts and traditional aesthetics of their respective areas.
Following the installation of Wangsimni People by
Choi Gene Uk (Professor at Chugye University for the Arts) at Wangsimni Station
on Line 5 this past February, five additional works are scheduled for
completion by the end of June. These include Images Seen by the Weaver
Girl in a Dream by Sung Wan-kyung (Professor at Inha University) at
Gimpo Airport Station; Fortress-Shaped Sculpture and Circular
Celestial Map by Kim Jung-hun (Professor at Kongju National
University) at Cheonho Station; Harmony by Yang Seung-chun
(Professor at Seoul National University) at Hwagok Station; and
Ground by Won In-jong (Professor at Ewha Womans University)
at Olympic Park Station. These works are part of the “Subway Art Installation
Plan,” initiated in 1991 by the Seoul Metropolitan Subway Construction
Headquarters (Director Kim Hak-jae), targeting 24 stations among the 148
stations on Lines 5 through 8 selected for their strong regional symbolism or
anticipated high passenger volume. The works are being installed along the
Gangdong and Gangseo sections of Line 5.
Choi Gene Uk, Wangsimni People, 1995 © Choi Gene Uk
The earliest installation, Wangsimni People, is a
monumental relief installed along the U-shaped wall of the underground
concourse on Basement Level 2, measuring 17.7 x 2.6 m, 48 x 2.6 m, and 19.1 x 2.6 m.
Created over a period of approximately two months using black gravel, white
cement, and glass mosaic tiles, the work visualizes a colloquial
expression—“Wangsimni people have blackened the backs of their heads”—which
refers to the notion that residents of Wangsimni, located east of the old city
center, would tan the backs of their heads in the morning sun as they walked
toward the city.
Against a background of triangular forms composed of red, blue, and
green glass mosaic tiles, the artist renders human profiles in a concise
manner, conveying an image that is both simple and energetic. Particularly
distinctive is the use of white cement areas that invite graffiti, encouraging
citizens to participate in completing the artwork.
The Subway Construction Headquarters plans to complete installations by
the end of the year at six stations on Line 5, including Omokgyo Station; three
stations on Line 7, including Nowon Station; and two stations on Line 8,
including Jamsil Station. Additional installations at two stations on Line 7
and seven stations on Line 6 are scheduled for completion by 1997, to be
unveiled simultaneously with the opening of the subway lines.
Choi Gene Uk, who participated in the project, commented: “Installing
artworks in subway stations is highly encouraging in terms of the
popularization of art. In the future, it would be worth considering a
model—common overseas—in which artists participate from the station design
stage, constructing the station itself as a single artwork.
