Exhibition brings together Jordanian, Korean artists in celebration of 6 decades of Amman-Seoul ties

AMMAN — Celebrating 60 years of Korean-Jordanian diplomatic ties, nearly 40 artists from both countries collaborated in an artistic venture for six months and their efforts culminated in the launch of an exhibition titled “Breaking the Borders” at The Hangar, Ras Al Ain, on Monday.

The South Korean embassy, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, organised the exhibition. 

They have been working for “over six months on this, both individually and collaboratively”, stated Korean artist Kim Kira, who explores the uneasiness of emigration and conflict in two video installations on show. 

The spacious nature of the downtown Amman venue complements the diverse range of multimedia artworks from the two nations. 

Visitors entering the venue are greeted with huge sculptures which help outline the socio-political nature of many of the artworks on display. 

Notably so is the collaborative work “Unit and Diaspora” by Nisreen and Nermeen Abu Dail, composed of tens of golden sundials representing the Palestinian resistance and its relationship with the passing of time. 

“The venue is beautiful and probably one of the best places in Amman to see art displays,” said local resident Aya Jabar, who visited the exhibition on Monday. “I was here for Amman Design Week a few years ago and I love how versatile this space is,” she added. 

Kim Byung-un, curator at the Asia Cultural Centre, expressed her delight at the “vivid and solarised paintings” from Jordanian artist Ardan Aslanian, which spoke to her “as a woman, with a focus on the struggles of the modern working woman despite us being from different cultures”.

Kim also noted that this exhibition represented an opportunity for Korean artists to showcase their talent internationally as “unfortunately a lot of Korean art is kept hidden in the capital, Seoul”. 

She lauded the “fantastic showcase of talent” from the two countries, adding she is “proud to introduce these Korean works here in Jordan” on her first visit to the country. 

Women and their experiences in the two cultures are one of the key focuses of the exhibition. The pop art of Kang Airan’s work “Pile of Books”, referencing authors such as Simone de Beauvoir and Judith Therman, contrasts with  Ala Younis’ piece “Nefertiti”,  which highlights the struggles of Egyptian women during the 1952 revolution. 

“At the beginning of the project I didn’t know anyone, now we are best friends” declared Kim Kira, standing next to Jordanian artist Areej Huniti who’s work ‘Moonsighting’ is also on display, encapsulating the collaborative spirit of the event. 

The event runs through May 15-29 from 11am until 8pm.