Kira
Kim (b. 1974) has continually explored the social role of art and artists
through diverse media, including two-dimensional works, performance,
installation, and video. He incisively yet humorously exposes the power
structures of capitalist society and the condition of humanity within it.
To
achieve this, Kim collaborates with experts from various fields—filmmakers,
voice actors, singers, actors, poets, and more—creating a layered platform for
discourse. Currently, he is interested in examining the social and cultural
positions of individuals through the lens of art, as well as the desires of
both individuals and groups that challenge these roles.
From
the beginning of his career, Kim has presented a critical view of contemporary
capitalist society and dominant ideologies. In Still Life with one dollar
(2008), for instance, he depicts aspects of capitalist desire and consumerism
in the form of a still life, combining logos and products from global fast-food
brands like McDonald's and Burger King.
Kim
highlights how, in today's vast consumer society, desires and values have
themselves become consumable objects, emphasizing the illusory aspects tied to
commodities. For example, corporations don’t merely sell products but also the
illusion of emotional satisfaction through the act of consumption. The brand
logos, therefore, serve not only as identifiers but also as triggers for
consumer desires and emotions.
Kira
Kim parodies logo images and icons representing capitalism as visual elements
within his work, critiquing the fetishization of commodities and the ideology
driving consumerism. This approach of appropriation and parody frequently
serves as a strategic method in his practice.
In
his 2009 solo exhibition, “Super Mega Factory” at Kukje Gallery, Kim presented
works that drew on diverse references from art history, history, and politics,
recontextualizing them with a clever twist. By removing these symbols from
their original contexts, he encourages viewers to look humorously at an unideal
reality. In works like a monstrous, distorted Superman or an image of Queen
Elizabeth with a black eye, he subverts familiar icons to invite fresh
perspectives on what we take for granted, challenging assumptions and prompting
a reevaluation of accepted norms.
Kim
has also delved into one of the core contradictions in Korean society: the
issue of division between North and South Korea. For instance, his 2013 video
work A Weight of Ideology_The Letters to North_Let Me Know How Are
You?_On the Yellow Sea addresses inter-Korean relations through the
seemingly trivial subject of naengmyeon, a cold noodle dish. In this piece, the
artist places a letter containing casual reflections on Pyongyang naengmyeon
into a glass bottle and sets it adrift in the sea, addressed to an unknown
person in North Korea.
Rather
than focusing on the weighty topics of ideology or conflict, this work is
approachable and human in tone, mirroring the letter’s content. Through this,
Kim approaches the issue of division in a warm, relatable manner, emphasizing
that any discussion on North-South relations should begin with respect for the
basic human lives on both sides. He suggests that recognizing each other’s
humanity is the foundation for meaningful engagement.
In 2015, at the “Korea Artist Prize”
exhibition held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea,
Kira Kim presented works that explored the realities of Korean society, created
through collaborations with professionals from various fields. Using the
subtitle “Floating Village,” he addressed the notion of a drifting, uncertain
collective life within modern society.
The exhibited works are divided into three
conceptual parts: private ownership, common sharing, and public enjoyment. The
first, ‘private ownership’, involves the individual’s private domain becoming a
subject of public discourse. ‘Common sharing’ represents the process of private
realms expanding through art into a public forum. Finally, ‘public enjoyment’
suggests the premise of this discourse being reproduced and experienced in
public spaces.
In the first room, Floating
Village_Government_Consumer_Individual_The sole in Seoul (2015)
captures spaces fraught with conflict. Kim recorded scenes by dragging a camera
along the ground, moving from Seoul Station through City Hall and Gwanghwamun,
and finally reaching the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Seoul
branch. By scanning these locations, this work serves as an introduction to the
deeper exploration that unfolds in later pieces.
The
Weight of Ideology: Darkness at Noon (2014) is a video work created
in collaboration with a neuropsychiatrist. It documents the hypnotherapy
sessions of a painter who became a victim of state violence under the National
Security Law in the late 1980s. Once accused of espionage and detained by
authorities, the painter reveals, through hypnotherapy, the brutal and absurd
realities of state violence that have left deep marks on his body and mind.
In
this piece, Kim refrains from intervening, serving only as an intermediary in
the healing process. The stories that unfold, however, powerfully expose a
reality that resembles fiction in its intensity. Through this approach, Kim
unveils the inherent violence of societal ideologies, which, under the guise of
the common good, have inflicted harm on individuals.
Kim states, “Ideologies are always
beautiful and peaceful, yet the history they create is often violent and
painful.” Through collaborations with actors, he explores the dual nature of
ideology, producing video works that juxtapose and highlight both its beauty
and violence.
In The Last Leaf #02: Like You
Wanted Me, a man is drenched by a deluge of water bombs, symbolizing
the violence of ideology, while in The Red Wheel: You Belong to
Me, a woman dressed in a ruff colored clothe represents the allure
and beauty of ideology. By pairing these two images, Kim aestheticizes and
sensorially exposes the chasm between imagination and reality, underscoring the
inherent contradictions within ideological constructs.
Floating Village: The Song of
Wi Jaeryang (2015) is a video and sound work created in collaboration
with hip-hop musicians, a subculture embodying a spirit of resistance. It
presents a song filled with the life and experiences of an individual,
expressing sorrow, love for humanity, and a profound sense of compassion.
Kira Kim, Floating Village_The song of Wi Jaeryang, 2015 ©Gallery Nomad
This piece began when Kira Kim
discovered a poetry collection by Wi Jaeryang, a poet and city sanitation
worker in Seoul. Deeply moved by the sincerity and resonance of Wi’s poetry,
Kim collaborated with a film director and rappers to produce six songs, music
videos, and performances as a response to the poems. Through the story of Wi
Jaeryang, Kim evokes a zeitgeist reflecting on the uncertainties of
contemporary society.
Last
year, Kim participated in the 14th Gwangju Biennale, presenting Secret
Garden as Paranoia (2023), a work that has undergone variation over
time. The artist obsessively collected items considered 'Eastern' or 'Korean,'
such as ceramics, bonsai, surveillance cameras, sculptures, masks, and
traditional paintings, filling the walls with these elements.
By
gathering objects that may seem ordinary to specific groups, Kim critiques the
Western-centric attitude that easily and simplistically defines what is
'Eastern' without considering context.
In
this way, Kim has addressed the structural issues inherent in our society while
also conveying the stories of various individuals living within it relatable
and humanly, fostering empathy. The artist seeks to uncover something that is
not solidified into mere illusions of universality in our fluid and uncertain
contemporary society, continuously creating art as a platform for public
discourse where society can reflect together.
"For an artist, how you see things seems to be more important than what you see. An artist constantly breaks down stereotypes and prejudices through their stance and attitude, engaging in thoughts toward true equality and freedom."
Artist Kira Kim ©atpaju
Kira
Kim majored in painting at Gachon University and obtained an MFA from
Goldsmiths, University of London. The artist began his solo exhibition career
in 2006 at the King's Lynn Arts Centre in the UK and has since held numerous
solo exhibitions at various institutions, including Kukje Gallery, Doosan Art
Center, Alternative Space Loop, and Boan1942.
He
has participated in major international exhibitions such as the Gwangju
Biennale, Busan Biennale, Jeju International Biennale, Liverpool Biennial, and
Nanjing Triennale. He has received the ‘Korean Art Critics Association Artist
Award’ (2024), the ‘Cultural Promotion Award for Overseas Contributors’ (2019),
and the ‘Today’s Young Artist Award’ (2009). Additionally, he was a finalist
for the ‘Korea Artist Prize’ in 2015.
References
- 올해의 작가상, 김기라 (Korea Artist Prize, Kira Kim)
- 국제갤러리, Super Mega Factory (Kukje Gallery, Super Mega Factory)
- 현대자동차, brilliant 30: 김기라 - Projects - ART| 현대자동차
- 대안공간 루프, 김기라 개인전: 선전공화국 (Alternative Space Loop, Kira Kim Solo Exhibition: The Public of Propaganda)
- 갤러리 노마드, Floating Village (Gallery Nomad, Floating Village)
- 제14회 광주비엔날레, 김기라 (The 14th Gwangju Biennale, Kira Kim)