Guerlain's historic boutique on the Champs-Élysées seized the occasion of the new edition of Art Basel Paris to showcase a selection of Korea’s most prominent contemporary artists. Curated by Hervé Mikaeloff, the exhibition Good Morning Korea featured around twenty artists, including renowned figures such as Park Seo-Bo, Nam June Paik, Lee Bae, Lee Bul, Anicka Yi, and Jeeyoung Lee.
This is not the first time that Guerlain has forged strong links with contemporary art, Good Morning Korea being the 17th edition of this interest in living art. Mikaeloff wanted to show the public the great strength of Korean art, often relatively unknown in Europe, except for pieces of the Dansaekhwa movement, represented by artists such as Park Seo-Bo and Lee Ufan. This movement bridges traditional Korean art and Western abstraction, symbolising the confluence of East and West.
A large piece by Park Seo-Bo, a black monochrome created using black ink, clam and white oyster shell powder, and traditional Korean Hanji paper on canvas is a reminder of the Dansaekhwa manifesto.
Park Seo-Bo, Écriture No.990227. Courtesy of the Park Seo-Bo and Perrotin Foundation.
Alongside his are works by younger artists, including JeeYoung Lee (born in 1983), a photographer who creates dreamlike universes from scratch in her studio before capturing them on camera. The meticulous attention to detail and the mastery of her compositions leave viewers questioning the medium—photography or painting? Winner of the Sovereign Art Prize in 2012, Lee's work is featured in numerous foundations across Korea and Japan.
Another internationally renowned artist, Lee Bul (born in 1964) presents Titan, a steel and mirror sculpture that embodies a new dystopian vision of the human-robot, humanoid, or hybrid creature.
Left: Lee Bul, Titan, 2013. © Lee Bul. Photo : Charles Duprat. Courtesy Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery. Right: HK Kwon, 22-20027100, 2022. © RX&SLAG.
HK Kwon's (born in 1977) approach focuses on the material and the scansion effects created by the layering of different surfaces. Born in 1982, Yoon Ji-Eun captures the multiple realities of our world and unconscious, blurring temporality.
Yoon Ji-Eun, Entrelacs du temps, 2024. Courtesy of Yoon Ji-Eun & Maria Lund Gallery © Yoon Ji-Eun.
In the private lounges of the House, visitors can discover Lee Ufan's customised ceramic bottle (made by Bernardaud) which takes the shape of the quatrefoil bottle designed by the perfumer in 1996. The fragrance was developed by Lee Ufan in memory of his childhood in Korea and the scent of the blue orchid, alongside Delphine Jelk, the House's perfumer. A total of 20 unique pieces are available.
Ann-Caroline Prazan, Director of Art, Culture, and Heritage of the House, presents the bottle customised by Lee Ufan.
Maison Guerlain Paris
68, avenue des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris
Good Morning Korea, until the 12th of November 2024
