CI KIM

Ci Kim "A Sad Tiger’s Self Navigation"

So many different kinds of artists have come and gone throughout the history of the world. Some have pursued art as an expression of their religion, for their noble patrons or even for their nation, while some have pursued art with the utopian belief that art could change the world, whereas others were like behaviorists who believed that such a belief was useless and spent all of their energies breaking down conventions and power structures. Furthermore, between each representative artist that has come and gone through each generation were a countless number of different types of artists that have lived. And what about the present? We are so cognizant of the reality that the art system is inevitably tied to capital and power and have become increasingly reticent about engaging in any discourse concerning dreams, ideals or beauty. Artists are increasingly busy dealing with real life issues in this world as we tread through this ever-large factory called Art where freedom and the restrictions of institution coexist. The so-called ‘star’ artists are manufactured, evaluated and nurtured using a clear formula that is agreed upon with a tacit understanding within the art world. But is there in fact a kind of ‘standard’ by which we measure a ‘true’ artist? And what is it that we want to see through an artist?

There is one artist who bears all sorts of contradictions within himself. No, in fact, the world has yet to give this artist the title of ‘artist’ because he is overshadowed by all of his successes in other areas of his life. Ci Kim has been an avid collector of art as well as a successful entrepreneur for over thirty years. After having seen quite a bit of success in both areas, as a collector as well as entrepreneur, Kim set his eyes on a brand new goal in life, to become a ‘true’ artist. That is, a person who is solely judged by his ‘art works’, disregarding any descriptors and/or images that were associated with him from other areas of his achievements in the past. It’s true that avid collectors who of course love art, do sometimes get involved in ‘art practice’, but rarely, if ever, do they so boldly want to make the full transition to full-fledged artist, willing to compete in the international stage of professional artists. It is impossible that someone who’s been collecting art for over thirty years would be ignorant of this fact. However, this man has convinced himself that it only takes a laid-back willingness to laugh at conventions, the courage to break away from one’s comfort zone and to face the uncertain, as well as hard work to make great artworks. And now, seven years have passed he made that decision. As the postmodern age has come to full fruition and decades have passed since postmodern art has become the standard platform, he has naturally approached all types of media including painting, collage, sculpture, installations and even photography and has showed his works in several solo exhibitions. People have noted and commented about issues of diversity, hybridity, deconstruction as well as schizophrenia in his works and placed him as a postmodern artist, but originality has always been an issue as his works were seen more as nothing more than a comfortable hobby than a serious piece of artwork.

Kim here presents his self-portraits which somehow mix up art and life, ideals and reality, in his solo exhibition. Kim’s journey of self-discovery has yet to cease, and therefore his images are in a present progressive tense. In these are images of van Gogh, staring out into nowhere with a big bandage covering the side of his head where he cut off his own ear, as well as a two-headed Mona Lisa juxtaposed next to each other. Moreover there is a boat, the companion with whom the artist shares all the changes that are continually to come. It is a boat that is made of a bunch of articles that Kim had found at a nearby beach close to his studio. There are pieces such as a shoe, bottle, a car seat, and even a refrigerator. Such worn and corroded items covered in sea shells have passed any hint of usefulness but harbor traces of the passage of time, the smell of people and the ocean, all of which have transformed the objects into an artistic form. The small pieces of trash which Kim had gathered day by day have become his companions to walk with him through the vast ocean of life. Kim is sure to have days of progress and days of drifting, not to mention that the road ahead is long. But here is a momentary pause to look back at where he’s been. And on his boat, he gives him self a toast and a cheer.