IM HEUNG-SOON Korean, b. 1969
Overview
IM Heung-Soon is an artist and film director based in Seoul and Jeju Island. Early in his career, he worked with the 〈Seongnam Project〉 (1998-1999), an artist group dealing with the problem of unequal distribution of capital in Seongnam City. IM was also active in 〈mixrice〉 (2002-2004), a group that explores the concept of migration in contemporary society in various ways, including collaboration with migrant workers. With this awareness of the problem, he continues to speak about groups on the margins of social, political, and capitalist ideology, such as victims of massacres by the state, North Korean defectors, and female workers.
IM Heung-Soon was the first Korean artist to be awarded the Silver Lion at the 2015 Venice Biennale for his work 〈Factory Complex〉 (2014). It is a feature-length documentary dealing with the chronology of female labor in Korea, from the old Guro Industrial Complex factory workers to the Guro Digital Complex employees today. It is regarded as a work that has broken the boundary between film and the fine arts.
At the invitation of the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, USA, IM Heung-Soon drew international attention by showcasing 〈Good Light, Good Air〉 (2018), another of his works dealing with the modern and contemporary history of Korea and Argentina, at Carnegie International, an eminent biennale. The work was created in collaboration with novelist Han Kang (1970- ), who won the prestigious literary award Man Booker Prize. It depicts the pain of contemporary massacres perpetrated by the government in Gwangju, South Korea, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The work was well received in Korea too.
IM Heung-Soon is solidifying his position on the international stage by receiving invitations from major art museums such as Tate Modern (2015), MoMA PS1 (2015), and the Centre Pompidou (2016). His works are in the collections of renowned domestic and foreign art institutions such as MMCA, LACMA, and Sharjah Art Foundation.
임흥순은 서울과 제주도에 기반을 두고 활동하는 미술가이자 영화 감독이다. 그는 작업 초기 성남시의 불균등한 자본 분배의 문제를 다루는 예술가 모임인 〈성남 프로젝트〉 (1998~1999)와 이주 노동자와의 협업과 같은 다양한 방식으로 현대사회 속 이주의 개념을 논하는 〈믹스라이스〉 (2002~2004)에서 활동했으며, 현재까지도 이러한 문제 의식을 갖고 국가적 학살의 피해자, 탈북자, 여성 노동자 등과 같이 사회, 정치, 자본적 이데올로기의 주변부에 위치한 집단에 대해 말하기를 지속하고 있다.
작가는 국내 최초로 2015년 베니스 비엔날레에서 그의 작품 〈위로공단〉 (2014)으로 은사자상을 수상했으며, 이는 옛 구로 공단의 여공부터 시작하여 오늘날 구로디지털단지의 여직원까지 한국 여성 노동의 연대기를 다룬 장편 다큐멘터리로 영화와 미술의 경계를 허문 작품으로 평가되고 있다.
미국 피츠버그 카네기 미술관의 초청으로 유서 깊은 비엔날레인 카네기 인터내셔널에서 한국과 아르헨티나의 근현대사를 다룬 그의 또 다른 작품인 〈좋은 빛, 좋은 공기〉 (2018)을 선보이며 국제적인 관심을 불러일으켰다. 영미권 최고 권위를 자랑하는 문학 상인 맨부커상을 수상한 소설가 한강 (1970-)과 함께한 이 작품은 대한민국 광주와 아르헨티나 부에노스아이레스에서 국가에 의해 자행된 동시대 학살의 고통을 그린 작품으로 국내에서도 호평이 이어졌다.
임흥순은 테이트모던(2015), MoMA PS1(2015), 퐁피두센터(2016) 등 굵직한 해외 미술관의 러브콜을 받으며 해외 무대에서도 입지를 톡톡히 다지고 있으며, 그의 작품은 국립현대미술관(MMCA), 로스앤젤레스 미술관(LACMA), 샤르자 예술 재단(Sharjah Art Foundation) 등 국내외 유명 미술기관에 소장되어 있다.
Exhibitions
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The Observatory
11 - 27 May 2023전망대 11 May - 27 May 2023 Frieze No’9 Cork Street, London IM Heung-soon Solo Exhibition 《The Observatory》 at Frieze No’9 Cork Street, London The Page Gallery presents ‘The Observatory’,...Read more -
IM Heung-Soon: GHOST GUIDE
5 Dec 2019 - 29 Feb 2020IM Heung-Soon: GHOST GUIDE 05 December 2019 - 29 February 2020 The Page Gallery EAST IM Heung-soon is an artist and film director based in Jeju island and Seoul. In...Read more -
CONTEMPORARY ART STAGE I
11 Apr - 12 Jun 2019CONTEMPORARY ART STAGE I 11 April - 12 June 2019 The Page Gallery EAST CONTEMPORARY ART STAGE 1 is a group exhibition presenting the artists at the forefront of the...Read more
Publications
News
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임흥순 개인전 <기억 샤워 바다>
제주4·3평화기념관 September 16, 2023거친 태풍을 견디고 순풍에 돛달아 잔잔한 물결 위를 미끄러진다. 숨 돌릴 틈 없이 더 큰 태풍이 들이닥쳐도 떨리는 두려움으로 필사적으로 맞선다. 그것이 존엄이고 희망이다. 임흥순은...Read more -
4·3의 역사와 현재, 미래의 연결 ‘메모리얼’
제주메일 May 18, 20234·3사건과 10년 전 강정해군기지(민군복합형 관광미항) 문제를 담은 2012년도 영화 ‘비념’이 다시 상영된다. 영화 ‘비념’의 촬영지이자 주인공인 고(故) 강상희 할머니의 집 마당인 제주시 애월읍 납읍로 6길...Read more -
4‧3 영화 '비념' 할망 집서 소통하는 임흥순 감독
뉴제주일보 May 18, 2023베니스비엔날레에서 한국인 최초로 은사자상을 받은 임흥순 영화 감독. 그는 줄곧 4‧3을 비롯한 우리나라 근현대사의 상흔을 집중 조명해왔다. 이러한 그가 오는 27일 오후 7시30분 4‧3 작품...Read more -
May at No.9 Cork Street
FRIEZE April 27, 2023The May programme at Frieze's Mayfair gallery space presents exhibitions from The Page Gallery (Seoul) Jhaveri Contemporary (Mumbai) and Galleri Opdahl (Stavanger) running from May...Read more -
2022 타이틀 매치: 임흥순 vs. 오메르 파스트 《컷!》
SEOUL CULTURE PORTAL November 17, 2022 Read more -
Director Im Heungsoon Mirrors Gwangju and Buenos Aires
한국 영화 June 13, 2021The movie Good Light, Good Air is a mirror reflecting Gwangju and Buenos Aires, the two cities victimized by national violence. It faces problems that...Read more -
IM Heung-Soon: GHOST GUIDE
artforum May 2, 2020IM Heung-soon has been using film and video to give voice to the voiceless since the late 1990s; he won the Venice Biennale Silver Lion...Read more -
Remembering ghosts of modern history
The Korea Times December 23, 2019Artist Im Heung-soon pays attention to those who are marginalized. He is best known for winning the Silver Lion at the 2015 Venice Biennale for...Read more -
Female defectors reflect on their journey: ‘Ryeohaeng’ shares the struggles many endure to leave North Korea
Korea JoongAng Daily August 6, 2019“Ryeohaeng,” the North Korean word for “travel” and also the title of director Im Heung-soon’s film, tells the stories of 10 female North Korean defectors...Read more -
Im Heung Soon on 'Brilliant Ideas' | Episode 71
Bloomberg January 23, 2018Striking, complex, and deeply moving, the poignant video works of Korean-born artist Im Heung Soon deal with serious local and international issues like war, poverty...Read more -
IM Heung-soon: Things that Do Us Part
Hyundai Artlab November 30, 2017IM Heung-soon’s 2017 MMCA Hyundai Motor Series exhibition Things that Do Us Part considered the ways in which division is a subconscious and ubiquitous ideology...Read more -
MMCA Hyundai Motor Series2017: IM Heung-soon - Things that Do Us Part
국립현대미술관 November 13, 2017MMCA Hyundai Motor Series is an annual exhibition project that the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art conducts in partnership with the Hyundai Motor...Read more -
IM Heung-soon Explores the Horrors Women Endure in War
New York Times July 30, 2015 Read more -
[INTERVIEW] Film Director, IM Heung-soon
Korean Cinema May 27, 2015On May 10th, film director IM Heung-soon received the Silver Lion at the 56th International Venice Art Biennale for his documentary Factory Complex, which is...Read more -
Documentary of Female Workers, Factory Complex Wins the Silver Lion at the Venice Biennal
The Kyunghyang Shinmun May 11, 2015Factory Complex is a 95-minute documentary shot in South Korea, Cambodia, and Vietnam and deals with labor issues concerning Asian women. Through an innovative style...Read more -
Ode to working women
The Korea Times May 10, 2015Korean artist Im Heung-soon won the Silver Lion at the 56th Venice Biennale 2015 for his documentary film 'Factory Complex,' Saturday. This is the highest...Read more -
IM Heung-soon: Reincarnation
Museum of Modern Art May 3, 2015IM Heung-soon’s work explores the ongoing process of modernization and globalization in Korea as seen through the eyes of older generations whose lives have spanned...Read more