Gucci To Support ‘Alternative’ Exhibition In Seoul

Gucci is launching a new project to support the cultural and art scene in Seoul. Called “No Space, Just a Place,” it is to run March 12 to June 15 at the Daelim Museum. Curated by Myriam Ben Salah, the exhibition stems from Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele’s musings on society and heterotopy, a combination of the Greek words “etero,” meaning different or other, and “topos,” meaning space. In this context, it posits the idea of an “other space” for thoughts, an alternative place where it’s possible to think about radical ideas, in contrast with dominant narratives. In line with Michele’s exploration of the relationship between genres and gender and self-expression, the exhibition reflects these alternative spaces, where a different, desirable future can be conceived.

“Independent and alternative spaces in art are historically underground venues that populate storefronts, lofts, warehouses and other places abandoned by the mainstream. They confront the neutrality of the commercial gallery’s ‘white box’ by promoting work that is often politically engaged, experimental and more concerned with artistic debates than commercial viability,” Gucci said in a statement. “Since the spontaneous appearance of these initiatives in the late 1990s in Seoul, a growing number of projects have engaged in the practice of critically questioning the art ecosystem. [The exhibition thus] aims to give visibility to these radical venues and to explore their ‘alternativeness’ as a conceptual tool through which to think about autonomy, defy authority and foresee new narratives for the future.”

A selection of independent art spaces has been invited to exhibit at the Daelim Museum across its three floors. “Every project will be thematically tied to the idea of the alternative spaces as a utopian place in which to set new empowering narratives, dwelling on the understanding of otherness, the exploration of minoritarian identities and queer politics,” continued Gucci. The curator asked a selection of local and international artists to exhibit their works in immersive installations inspired by the near future or by fantastic mythologies.

“Using strong visual imagery, imbued with humor and magical realism, the artists playfully question the narrow perspectives of our society’s dominant discourses in a way that perfectly chimes with Gucci’s singular, eclectic, contemporary vision,” according to the Italian brand.