Oct. 01, 2025(Wed)
Emeritus
Professor Ahn Kyuchul Exhibits Twelve Questions in Busan
Ahn Kyuchul, an
emeritus professor in the Department of Fine Arts at the School of Visual Arts,
is presenting a solo exhibition titled “Twelve Questions” at the Kukje Gallery
in Busan, running until October 19. The exhibition brings together Ahn’s
artistic achievements since retiring from K-Arts and becoming a full-time
artist four years ago.
Ahn, a celebrated
visual artist, has also published three books since 2021. He explained that the
exhibition stems from a single question. “Questioning is what drives me to
draw. Visual art might mean expression for some or consolation for others. For
me, it has always been questioning,” Ahn shared at the opening.
One of his
signature works, “Aphorism in Foreign Languages,” illustrates his eccentricity and
ingenuity. On a canvas divided into twelve black-and-white grid sections, a
question is written in the first blank: “Where does writing begin? Where does
painting begin?” – sentences borrowed from Roland Barthes (1915-1980), which posed
them after viewing Japanese ink paintings. Subsequent sentences feature
writings by twelve authors, including Paul Celan (1920-1970) and Fernando Pessoa
(1888-1935). To viewers unfamiliar with Portuguese, French, or Chinese, these
excerpts appear as abstract drawings rather than words, emphasizing the layered
meaning of text as image.
The exhibition
also includes Ahn’s first animation, Walking Man (2024), as well as Falling
Chair - Homage to Pina (2024), a video performance in which Ahn himself
appears. In addition, archival works such as a book of performance photographs
and a series of sculptures on the theme of “home” from the 1990s are displayed,
tracing three decades of Ahn’s artistic career. Through “Twelve Questions,”
audiences are invited to encounter the life-long pursuit of a “very ordinary
artist” who has shown that deeply moving works can emerge from persistence,
curiosity, and a relentless spirit of inquiry.
