At the Hoam Art Museum in Yongin, South Korea, a valuable artwork nearly met disaster during Nicolas Party’s solo exhibition. On the 18th, just before the Chuseok holiday, a young visitor, distracted by their cellphone, accidentally bumped into the display stand holding Landscape with Trees, causing it to wobble dangerously.
Fortunately, the stunning triptych, painted on three arched screens that can be folded like a portable altarpiece, remained unharmed. Displayed on a pedestal designed to resemble marble, the artwork’s exhibition was temporarily halted for safety.
The museum later confirmed, “Upon inspection, there was no damage to the artwork, but two screws from the hinges connecting the panels were dislodged. We consulted with the artist about the necessary actions.” Plans are in place to reinforce the pedestal, and the exhibition will resume on the 24th. Party is known for his surreal and dreamlike pastel paintings, which command hundreds of millions of won in the art market. A similar triptych recently sold for $350,000 at the Frieze Seoul art fair.
In a separate incident on the 13th at the Jaham Art Museum in Seoul, a visiting artist unintentionally created a stir during Joo Jae Hwan’s solo exhibition. While exploring the second floor, the artist spotted a canvas with a yellow border and a blank center, which prompted them to draw their own face using a pen, even signing and dating the piece.
It wasn’t until the artist was about to take a photo that they realized the text on the canvas actually read, “Please draw anything you wish on this canvas from the heart.” The mix-up stemmed from a quick glance at the prompt.
Upon realizing the error, the artist promptly informed the museum and apologized. Joo Jae Hwan, the exhibiting artist, took it in stride, assuring them it was all in good fun, and the incident was resolved with a chuckle.
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