Korean art exhibit impresses public

Platters of sushi were quickly devoured as students and faculty noshed and chatted, all while viewing the latest in Korean art. Last night, the KNUA Exhibition at Penn premiered at the Charles Addams Gallery. The show features the work of ten faculty members at the Korean National University of the Arts, and the exhibit's broad contemporary focus includes video, holograms and sculpture. Part of an ongoing partnership between universities, the show is the third in a series promoting the exchange of both culture and ideas. Undergraduate Fine Arts Department Director Julie Saecker Schneider views the exhibit as a synthesis rather than a fusion. "Every show has been bigger and better," Schneider said. Because of ensuing interest, there has been talk of expanding the partnership, including the creation of a study abroad program. For Penn students, an exchange program with KNUA would mean the opportunity to use its state-of-the-art facilities, including a hologram lab -- an amenity which Penn lacks. On the other side, KNUA professor Wongi Sul views a growing partnership with Penn as a means of furthering KNUA's goal "to become an international art school." KNUA already has a student exchange program with Carnegie Mellon University and has done student shows with the Pratt Institute in New York City. This year, the KNUA exhibit will run until March 7, two weeks longer than expected. The exorbitant cost of shipping, as well as Penn's sizable Korean population, were major factors in Exhibitions Coordinator Deirdre Murphy's decision to extend the show. For many in attendance, the Penn-Korea connection offered up a few surprises. Sul's cousin, Penn Biology Professor Junhyong Kim remarked that the exhibit was "really fun for me. I didn't expect this at all." And other students seemed to agree. "I thought it was going to more traditional," said Engineering junior Yong Suk Lee, who coincidentally passed the exhibit after leaving class. Graduate School of Fine Arts students Sang Hee Park and Yulhee Kim said they were happy to see a Korean art show at Penn and chat with the KNUA artists in attendance. Others came from farther away. South Korea native Sujin Oh made a special trip to the exhibit with her husband, who is a visiting artist at the Clay Studio in Old City. For the nearly 75 students in attendance, the KNUA show came as a pleasant surprise, despite the Center for East Asian Studies' efforts to help publicize the event. After just hearing about the exhibit in an art class, College sophomore Shelby Ahern was "very impressed" and "hopes the word gets out."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.