Written by Joon Moon

President Moon’s Son to Hold Art Exhibition Near the Blue House / by Seoul Economic Daily

Artist Joon Yong Moon participates in the Kumho Museum’s “Blank Page” exhibition.

Group exhibition of 8 artists, showcasing ‘interactive art’.

Jun Yong Moon’s graduation project became widely known due to his father’s fame. /Seoul Economic Daily DB

Artist Joon Yong Moon, the son of President Moon Jae-in, will participate in an exhibition at the Kumho Museum located on Samcheong-ro near the Blue House. This is Moon’s first new exhibition since his father was elected president.

According to the Kumho Museum on the 17th, Joon Yong Moon will present his work at the “Blank Page” exhibition, which opens on the 24th and features a total of seven teams (eight artists). A museum representative said, “We have been preparing for Moon’s participation since early this year, as his work fits the exhibition’s focus on immaterial subjects and spatiality, which is part of our ongoing series of synesthetic experiences for visitors. The interactive artwork will draw on the walls based on the viewer’s movements when they enter the exhibition space.”

Graduating from Konkuk University with a degree in Visual Design and studying at Parsons School of Design in New York, Moon has faced controversy over alleged employment favoritism but has been recognized in the art world for his work in interactive and media art. Interactive art, which is reactive and communicative, emphasizes ‘interaction,’ a trait he shares with his father, President Moon. Media art incorporates new technologies to create artistic expressions.

In 2011, Moon’s “Makuro Kurosuke Table” at the Gwangju Design Biennale, which featured dust monsters appearing and disappearing when touched by viewers, gained popularity for symbolizing social spaces. Later that year, he became a resident artist at the Incheon Art Platform, and in the following year, he was selected for the Seoul Museum of Art’s Emerging Artist Exhibition Support Program. At the “Seoul International Media Art Biennale” in September 2012, he presented an augmented reality media piece. However, his work received less attention as his father was running for president as the Democratic United Party’s candidate. Yoo Jin-sang, a professor at Kaywon University of Art and Design and the biennale’s general director at the time, mentioned, “I learned about Moon’s work when exchanging opinions on promising Korean media artists with Paola Antonelli, a media art expert from MoMA(*Museum of Modern Art in New York). We requested his portfolio and invited him to participate. I found out about his family relations later.” Moon had previously participated in MoMA’s “Talk to Me” exhibition in 2011. The Kumho Museum exhibition will also feature artists Yang Jungwook, Kim Joory, Park Jaeyoung, Park Yeoju, Jin Dalrae & Park Woohyuk, and Park Jaesung.

Meanwhile, Moon is also participating in the “Play Art, Playful Art” exhibition at the Pohang Museum of Art, which opened on April 20 during the presidential election period and runs until July 2. This exhibition explores the form and philosophy of play, translating it into art, and includes various artists such as Wi Youngil, Kim Yongkwan, and Everyware alongside Moon.

/Sang-In Cho, ccsi@sedaily.com