- The Korean Cultural Center in Hong Kong presents the second 2025 Open Call Exhibition 《Alice ∙ The Turtle, Rabbits beyond the Door》 from August 7 to September 20, 2025. The exhibition features the contemporary artist collective Burgundy, composed of four Korean artists—LEE Jooyoung, KIM Myongjong, KIM Jeongwoo, and JEONG Woojin—who examine the intertwined concepts of identity and change through the symbolic metaphor of the “door.” The titular figures—“Alice,” “The Turtle,” and “Rabbits beyond the Door”—draw inspiration from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and the Korean folktale Byeoljubu-jeon, invoking transitional characters who cross thresholds into unfamiliar realms. Hong Kong, as a historical and cultural crossroads, becomes a metaphorical door—an entry point into the unknown. The exhibition is inspired by the erratic and enigmatic rabbits of folklore who dive through rabbit holes or traverse oceans, conjuring a sense of dislocation, wonder, and becoming. LEE Jooyoung explores the ambivalent nature of language as a mediator between sensory experience and action. Her works—including the video piece Wading Through (2025) and the carbon paper drawing series murmur (2025)—visualize language’s potential for liberation and its resistance to fixed meaning through repetition and delay. KIM Myongjong dissolves boundaries between media to interrogate contradictions and abnormalities in contemporary society. Theater of Dream Shadows (2025) and The Yubuldo Chanting (Canteen) series (2025), the neon signs inscribed with characters symbolizing the worlds of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, are the works that tries to speak about what comes after the moment when we face that utopia. KIM Jeongwoo investigates the tension between image and materiality in painting. Through 0 (2025) and Fragmented (2025), the artist expands and fragments the components of painting, transforming the exhibition into a space where viewers can physically engage and sensorially immerse themselves in the works. JEONG Woojin’s practice is rooted in a deep contemplation of the relationship between humans and their environment. Her work visualizes the subtle emotional and existential shifts that occur as identity is shaped and reshaped through external conditions, using diverse materials and forms to express this ongoing transformation. The opening reception was held on August 7 from 6 to 8 PM. At 7 PM, a artists tour was given by the artists. The Korean Cultural Center’s annual Open Call project aims to introduce emerging Korean artists and curators to the Hong Kong art scene. Alongside the Korean Young Artists Series, this initiative continues to serve as a key platform for discovering promising talents and supporting their entry into the international art market.

2026 Korean Cultural Center in Hong Kong Open Call for artists and curators   The Korean Cultural Center in Hong Kong (KCC) is now accepting proposals for the upcoming 2026 exhibition season.  We are planning to have an open-call exhibition in the coming 2026 at the exhibition hall located in the Korean Cultural Center in Hong Kong.  It aims to support potential Korean artists and curators to find a larger market abroad.   Open Call Overview 1. Purpose - To promote cultural exchange between Korea and Hong Kong through exhibition - To introduce outstanding Korean artworks to Hong Kong   2. Exhibition Period Approximately 2 months in 2026 ※ Exhibition dates to be adjusted later   3. Exhibition Venue Exhibition Hall, Korean Cultural Center in Hong Kong (6-7/F, Block B, PMQ, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central)   4. Eligibility a) Individual Artists - Korean nationality - Three or more exhibition experiences   b) Group of Artists (a collective group of 3 or more artists) - More than 50% of the participating artists must be Korean nationals - The exhibition proposal showcasing either outstanding Korean art or cultural exchange between Korea and Hong Kong - Three or more exhibition experiences   c) Curator - Should submit an exhibition proposal consisting of three or more artists More than 50% of the participating artists in the exhibition must be Korean nationals - The exhibition proposal showcasing either outstanding Korean art or cultural exchange between Korea and Hong Kong - Three or more exhibition curation experiences   ※ Artists and curators can submit any form of art, including fine arts, sculptures, installation works, media arts, etc. Yet, due to the limitation of the shipping cost, bulky and heavy works need to have a separate consultation with KCC.   5. Required Application Materials (Both Korean and English): Online applications to opencall@kcchk.kr with the following: - Completed application form (download the form below) - Artists/Curator Portfolio (PDF format, less than 20 pages, less than 10MB) - Images of the art work to present (JPEG format; image files should be less than 2MB) or video links (max. 5MB) - Exhibition Proposal (Only for the curators)   6. KCC will provide - Exhibition venue at the KCC (refer to the attached PPT file) - Curatorial support for solo artists ※ KCC will group the selected solo artists and curate them into a group exhibition - Online press materials and PR support - 3 days of accommodation fee at PMQ (Heritage building for art and culture where KCC is located) - Shipping fee for the artworks (Up to around KRW 13,000,000) - Production cost for promotional materials (leaflets, posters, etc.) - Opening Reception ※ The curator is required to attend the opening ceremony. Participating artists must ensure a minimum attendance rate of 50% (e.g., in cases involving three aritsts, at least two must be present at the event) ※ The Opening Reception may not be held depending on the situation ※ All these supporting amounts will be offered within reasonably limited bounds.   7. Successful applicants are required to - Produce the leaflet and promotion materials (posters, etc.) (applies only to curators and artist groups) - Participate in the exhibition installation and opening reception   8. Selection Process External jurors consisting of curators and visual arts professionals will review the applications before voting on the two finalists.  The winners will be announced in early November 2023 via email.   More info: hk.korean-culture.org/en/1071/board/682/read/138643 Application Due Date: 30 September 2025, 23:59 (HKT) Enquiry: opencall@kcchk.kr

[The Opening Reception] Alice • The Turtle, Rabbits beyond the Door (7 Aug, 6-8 pm)   Korean Cultural Center invites you to the Opening Reception of the exhibition "Alice • The Turtle, Rabbits beyond the Door", the second exhibition of the 2025 Open Call series, featuring diverse works by Burgundy (LEE Jooyoung, KIM Myongjong, KIM Jeongwoo, and JEONG Woojin). The exhibition examines the intertwined concepts of identity and change, connecting them through the central metaphor of the door. While these concepts may appear antithetical, the exhibition reconsiders them as mutually sustaining—each defined and deepened through its relation to the other.   ✨Opening Reception✨ Date: Thursday, 7 August 2025, 6:00 – 8:00 PM (Artists tour at 7 PM) Venue: Korean Cultural Center (6-7/F, Block B, PMQ, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central)

To commemorate the year falling between the 120th anniversary of Goam Lee Ungno (1904–1989) and the 100th anniversary of Park In-kyung (1926–), the Korean Cultural Center in Hong Kong presents Lee Ungno & Park In-kyung: Artistic Companions in Life, running from June 5 to August 2, 2025. This exhibition is co-organized with Galerie Vazieux—based in Paris, where the couple lived after leaving Korea—and follows their presentation at Art Basel Hong Kong 2025.   In addition to the works featured at Art Basel Hong Kong, the exhibition brings together more than 30 major works by Lee Ungno from the 1960s to the 1980s, including the Abstract Letters and People series, alongside around 20 of Park In-kyung’s recent ink-wash abstractions. These works, shown side by side, trace the path the two artists walked together and illuminate their shared sensibilities.  First meeting in 1949 as teacher and student, Lee Ungno and Park In-kyung co-exhibited their artworks in Germany in 1958, and settled in France in 1959. They shared a belief in embracing Western contemporary art while preserving the traditions of East Asian painting, and each developed their own form of Korean abstract painting. As complete and independent artists, Lee Ungno and Park In-kyung worked in different styles. When their works are viewed together, however, one can sense a shared quality—something that emerges only between those who have walked the same path in life. Their mutual interest in nature, their exploration of the visual composition of characters and texts, densely filled surfaces without emptiness, and the tension that arises from crossing the boundaries between figuration and abstraction all reflect their artistic kinship.  Lee Ungno’s Abstract Letters and a writing painting by Park In-kyung, presented in Artistic Companions in Life, reflect their shared attitude of prioritizing form over meaning.  Park In-kyung's recent ink-wash paintings, based on daily observation of nature, resonate with Lee Ungno's People series in how they both cross the boundary between figuration and abstraction.   Although Lee Ungno passed away in 1989, his legacy as a pioneer who expanded the horizons of East Asian painting continues to live on. Park In-kyung, once limited in her practice by the social roles assigned to women and financial difficulties, began actively producing work after his passing. Even in 2025, as she approaches her centennial year, she continues to observe nature and pick up the brush. Their work—interweaving Korea and France, East and West—has long transcended borders. We hope that in Hong Kong, a city where East and West coexist, Artistic Companions in Life will find new resonance.    The opening reception was held on June 5 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, with a guided tour by curator Choi BoYoung from Galerie Vazieux at 7:00 PM. Around 40 art professionals and general visitors attended the opening, exploring the exhibition and engaging in discussions about the artworks.

[The Opening Reception] Lee Ungno & Park In-kyung: Artistic Companions in Life (5 June, 6-8 pm) Korean Cultural Center invites you to the Opening Reception of the exhibition "Artistic Companions in Life", featuring diverse works by LEE Ungno from the 1960s to the 1980s, including his famous Abstract Letters series and the People series, accompanied by PARK In-kyung's recent ink-wash abstractions derived from her daily observation of nature. The exhibition, co-presented with Galerie Vazieux (Paris, France), presents this couple's shared artistic journey and the commonalities of their artistic world.   ✨Opening Reception✨ Date: Thursday, 5 June 2025, 6:00 – 8:00 PM (Curator tour at 7 PM) Venue: Korean Cultural Center (6-7/F, Block B, PMQ, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central)