ABOUT LIM DONG-LAK
- The Sculptor, Lim Dong-Lak graduated from Hongik University for BFA and MFA in Art department on sculpture. Beginning in his first invited solo exhibition at Gana gallery (Korea) in 1984, he had 17 solo exhibitions not only domestically but also internationally such as Muramatsu Gallery (Tokyo, 1994), La Defence (France, 2006) and BadenBaden (Germany, 2007). Also, he participated in various international art fairs like the Triangle Art special invited solo exhibition (Nice, France), the Nishiharima International Sculpture Symposium (Japan), the Miami Art Fair (USA), the Koln International Art Fair (Germany). Particularly in 2006, the prestige of Korean contemporary sculpture was soared by permanently installing one of his works which had been represented by special solo exhibition in La Defense, France. In addition, he strengthened his position as an international artist through the Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition held in Baden-Baden, Germany in 2007, and special solo exhibition at OPEN, the International Exhibition of Sculptures and Installations, organized by Arte Communications in collaboration with the Department of Culture of the Venice City Council, and sponsored by
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy and the Italian Ministry of the Culture Heritage.
Through his positions such as an organizer of the Gwangju Biennale, committee member of a project display at the National Museum of Modern Art, jury of the Korean Art Contest (as Chairman of the Sculpture Subcommittee), and a chairperson of Busan International Sea Art Festival in 1992, the Busan International Sculpting Symposium in 1994, and the Busan International Art Festival in 1998, he has been making an incredible effort to develop Korean art and culture. He is currently a professor in Art department on sculpture at Dong-A university.
- -The following extract is taken from a show review of his exhibition in 2007-
Lim Dong-lak has been playing an important role in Korean Art and Culture as a leader of Korean Sculpture today. He shows passion as a sculptor and is highly respected as a professor. Moreover, he has hosted a variety of cultural events such as the International Biennale and has been successfully effecting international cultural interchange as well.
Lim Dong-lak has installed many pieces of his work in public and has studied the changes of visual environment that influence urban environment for a long time. He has been performing as a spatial mediator, inspiring more comfortable space between human beings and their cities. He has created artwork which has been monumental to sculpting. He believes that sculptures must inspire concepts relating to social and cultural issues, and this is evident in his artwork. He has been incredibly beneficial to the world of sculpting, and has been praised as one of the artists who has overcome the flaws which are common to the art.
Specifically for Lim Dong-lak, the process of making artwork seems to have been converted from the analog method to digital because he is sensitive to the change of times. While he has been making multiple series of pieces consecutively under the name of "Point", he has been experimenting with unconventionally naive modeling order. He's also been exploring styles of combination and structure based on the theory of "Fractal," which employs a single shape repeatedly to create an overall image. This style results in structures that are both separate and merged together. Now he has been developing consecutive, repeating structures that are duplicated to develop overall composition. These structures are then computerized with a mathematical function. They can evoke complex emotions such as crying in silence while maintaining a peculiar rhythmical sense and nervousness as well. Such a structure was animated through the connection of repetitive patterns which function in a way similar to cell division (which promotes self-reproduction). The figure seems to come alive as its pattern replicates itself.
The sculptures of Lim Dong-lak are clearly distinctive from conventional approaches to sculpting which have traditionally pervaded the art. In other words, his work shows the complete conceptual dissimilarity between the analog and digital methods. He uses a computer from the beginning: laying plans, cutting his materials, and joining them are all through digital technology. Furthermore, there is a great deal of attention paid in considering the actual space and the cyber space. Through reflection effects, which reflect the surfaces of metal he can be understood as ushering in a new interpretation of spaces (as well as opening the door for a variety of technological attempts in the future). That is the reason why his artwork, which has the advantage of employing digital methods, receives attention in the contemporary field of sculpture, which as a discipline has been generally based on the analog method.
There is another reason why his artwork has appeared in the spotlight. It is based on oriental dualism (Yin and Yang), and founded on the principle of the "Middle Path" (中道). This is presented through themes such as vertical and horizontal, stability and instability, protrusion and indentation, and straight surfaces alongside curved surfaces.
Lim says "I sculpt light and space... I pursue an art that represents the search for the transposition of the mind/nature and the Middle Path."
His artwork has now been displayed in many important institutions such as the Seoul Museum of Art and the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Korea. The status of his art has been clearly reflected through the exhibition in La Defense, France and in Leopold Square in Baden-Baden, Germany in 2006."
Choi, Sung-hoon,
Professor of Plastic Arts
Director of Art & Science Research,
National Museum of Contemporary Art