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.