The scope of art has been expanded and people are no longer impressed by just fine or well-crafted works. Through art, audiences want to experience what is beyond their imagination – new and creative works that blow their minds. Now, the creative originality, which can also be expressed as the “geekiness” of artists, is getting attention. This implies that when appreciating art, namely contemporary art, more and more audiences prefer to encounter works that twist the world with curiosity and extraordinary ideas. In this sense, the art exhibit, “Geeky Land: Geeky Zone,” held at K Museum of Contemporary Art, is the perfect one to explore young artists’ geekiness. The exhibit, which is divided into two floors, presents nearly 500 pieces of art created by 31 artists in various forms: paintings, illustrations, sculptures, photographs, installation art, media art, and so on. No time to hesitate! Let’s get into the wonderland of Geek Zone!

 

Geek Actually 

Geek in the Pink

“In the pink” does not literally mean that the artworks are pink color. It is an expression that suggests there is an expansion of the designed pieces, with the finishing touch of artistic storytelling. There are works that center on the sense of community and visually show that artists can communicate with viewers through works of art.

Otaku

Otaku refers to those who are not only passionate about, but also experts in, a certain field. Therefore, it would not be an exaggeration that all the artists of the exhibition can be called “Otaku.” Although what fascinates them differs, they share a common bond in their continuous artistic effort to portray one’s deep interests.

Gusty

This section presents works of artists who constantly question our current society and try to communicate through vibrant and extreme images. They visualize their personal perspectives on each subject and deliver them in effective ways that will last long in viewers’ minds.

 

The Evolution of Geeks  

The first section of the exhibit leads the audience into the world of everyday life objects such as books, chairs, desks, and bus stop, which are altered into various forms. Placed at the center of the exhibition hall are sculptures that draw attention to them straight away. . They are decorated with colorful patterns, a collage made with different images, bringing a whole new sensation to viewers.

Sleek Geek                                                                                        Here the artists bring people to our childhood, and even into peaceful places where artists favor the most. Also, there are works that reflect the aspects of urban life. For instance, consumerist society is well reflected in the illusion of show windows. Coincidental occurrences of paintings are expressed through randomly spread sprays of pigments on photographs.  

Geeky Boogie

This section will remind viewers of the joyful rhythm of the boogie-woogie. Artists present works that are created through imagination with a variety of interesting ideas. You cannot miss the row of sculptures called “Space fatty,” which resemble lumps of fat.

 

Positiveness in Geekiness  

            When you look up “geekiness” in a dictionary, you will find that it has two, somewhat contrary meanings. The first one is “the quality of being unfashionable and socially inept,” which undeniably brings up a negative connotation to the term. In this regard, those who do not fit into society and contradict what the majority of people think can be pointed out as “geeks.” There seems to be a prejudice underlying the negative use of the word, where people comparatively take comfort in putting oneself under the judgmental values of social norms. On the other hand, geekiness also refers to “the quality of being knowledgeable and obsessively interested in something.” The point is, following pure interest is a prerequisite of sticking to one’s belief and following one’s heart even though it may counter the prevalent view of the society. Many innovations are brought by those geeks full of new and unlimited ideas. Their twisted views can bring pleasant surprises to the world. Perhaps this powerful potential of geekiness is inherent in every one of us. Whether or not we display its creativity is up to us.

 

The “Geeky Land: Geeky Zone” exhibition offers two ways to speculate geekiness: through looking around various inspiring art works of young artists and also looking closely into ourselves to discover the hidden geekiness that is ready to come out of us. For those who are tired of daily routines, why not visit K Museum of Contemporary Art to explore the Geek Zone?  

 

Period: 2018.04.07~2018.07.08

Time: Tuesday~Saturday 10:00~19:00 / Sunday 10:00~18:00 (Closed on Mondays)

Location: K Museum of Contemporary Art  

Price: 15,000 won