Kulim Kim

Kim Kulim (b. 1936), an artist who has led avant-garde art in Korea, presents works that deviate from existing values and customs. Since his first solo exhibition in 1958, Kim has carried out activities in all directions, crossing over the disciplines of painting, printmaking, sculpture, embroidery, photography, installation art, performance, land art, video art, mail art, experimental drama, experimental filmmaking, avant-garde music, avant-garde dance, stage art and fashion etc. Due to such fearlessness towards diverse experimentation, this artist’s name is often accompanied by the modifier “first.” For example, Kim demonstrated his potential as a pioneer of Korean experimental art in The Meaning of 1/24 Second (1969), which was the first experimental film made in Korea, and was shown not only in Korea, but also at renowned art museums overseas, including the Tate Modern in London during the 2010s. Moreover, he has left giant footprints in the general Korean art scene and in the history of avant-garde art, through his leading roles in the foundation of the Korean Avant-Garde Association (AG) in 1969, and the Fourth Group in the 1970s. Kim’s representative series Yin and Yang, on which he has worked since the late 1980s, explores the principles of the birth of all creation, based on the theme of confrontation and harmony among heterogeneous elements such as the digital image and analog brush strokes, while criticizing human society for its refusal of tolerance and harmony. Kim Kulim has consistently shown his works in the US, Japan, France, and Korea. Many of his works are now in the permanent collections of leading institutions such as Tate Modern in London, and the Guggenheim Museum in the US.