Installation view of 《The Horns of a Dilemma》 © Ilmin Museum of Art

Many people are curious about how artists live and what kind of lives they lead. They wonder what artists are truly pursuing through art. Perhaps this curiosity stems from a sense of admiration for those who seem to live freely, differently from themselves; on the other hand, it may arise from skepticism about how such lives are actually sustained.
 
Not everyone who graduates from law school becomes a legal professional, and not everyone who graduates from medical school becomes a doctor. Nevertheless, through academic training and social networks, people generally acquire certain ways of navigating life. In one way or another, they develop the ability to make their way through the world—although the deeper conflicts each person carries may remain unknown.
 
By contrast, those who choose the path of art—whether in visual art, theater, or dance—often possess a wandering temperament that resists organizational structures and conventional values. Such a disposition can make it difficult for them to establish stable relationships with others or with society. Are those who pursue the path of art driven by ideals that are simply too high, or is it because they possess an innate refusal to compromise? These artists who linger on the margins of the world often appear worrisome even to those around them.
 
And how much greater must the anxiety be for the artists themselves? For those who hope to express themselves through art, to reflect on life through artistic practice, and perhaps even to one day have their names remembered as artists, the present reality—where art itself has already become entangled with money—cannot simply be ignored. Let us consider a simple example of such a dilemma.
 
1. Choosing the path of an artist may mean accepting the possibility of becoming homeless on the streets.
2. Choosing the path of an ordinary livelihood may mean becoming a teacher in a children’s art class.
 
《The Horns of a Dilemma》, organized by Ilmin Museum of Art, explores a situation in which such either–or choices have become almost routine. The exhibition looks into the lives of six artists, tracing materials from their early years—such as childhood awards received when they first began studying art—through the entrance examinations for middle and high school, their years in art college, and the various traces of 고민 and reflection left behind along the way. Alongside artworks, the exhibition presents diverse documents related to both art and everyday life. It reveals not only the personal desires and achievements of these artists, but also the hopes and disappointments surrounding the art culture of our time.
 
Whether one is gored by the horns of this dilemma, grasps them tightly, or pulls them out altogether—now, the choice is yours.

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