On view now, the NYC Parks and Tina Kim Gallery are presenting the exhibition of Korean artist Gimhonsok’s public artwork in Tribeca Park entitled, Bearlike Construction. The exhibition, part of NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program, consists of a large, bronze teddy bear that appears to be made of trash bags. Located in the central plaza at Beach Street and Avenue of the Americas, the piece will be on view through November 2014.
Gimhongsok, Bearlike Construction. Photo Courtesy of NYC Parks
Installed in the charming triangular park, at first glance Bearlike Construction appears to be a pile of garbage bags, a ubiquitous site on street corners in New York City. It is only after closer inspection that the figure of the bear reveals itself, an unlikely interloper in an urban environment. An artist well known for his critical observations on contemporary society as well as his impish humor, Gimhongosk has created a work that perfectly balances serious topical inquiry with charming insouciance.
Gimhongsok’s diverse body of work includes sculpture, photography, and video often utilizing all three in complex installations and performances that critically engage questions of social identity and cultural translation.
Born in Seoul in 1964, Gimhongsok graduated from Dusseldorf Kunst Akademie in Germany after earning his BA in Fine Arts at the Seoul National University. He has exhibited internationally at RED CAT Gallery, Los Angeles; Artsonje Cener, Seoul; the 50th and 51st Venice Biennales; the 10th Istanbul Biennale; the 10th Lyon Biennale; and the 4th, 6th, and 9th Gwangju Biennales. His works have been included in major museum exhibitions at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; Hayward Gallery, London; Tate Liverpool; Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
This exhibition is sponsored by the Tina Kim Gallery. Located in the Chelsea Arts Tower, the gallery is devoted to presenting contemporary art by both emerging and established artists. Tina Kim Gallery is affiliated with Kukje Gallery in Seoul, Korea and regularly collaborates on organizing exhibitions by internationally renowned artists and introducing emerging Korean artists to an international audience.
NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program has consistently fostered the creation and installation of temporary public art in parks throughout the five boroughs. Since 1967, collaborations with arts organizations and artists have produced hundreds of public art projects in New York City parks. For more information visit www.nyc.gov/parks/art.
