Sook-Kyung Lee’s Five Favourite Works from Frieze Viewing Room
From Citra Sasmita’s feminist paintings of cosmic war to Xiyadie’s queer papercut scenes, the Director of the Whitworth shares her top picks from the Frieze Seoul 2024 edition
From Citra Sasmita’s feminist paintings of cosmic war to Xiyadie’s queer papercut scenes, the Director of the Whitworth shares her top picks from the Frieze Seoul 2024 edition
CITRA SASMITA, Phantasmagoria, 2024
Acrylic painting on Kamasan traditional canvas, synthetic hairs, wooden dowel, 400 x 100 cm, edition unique. Presented by Yeo Workshop. $20-50k
Citra Sasmita instigates women’s agency in Phantasmagoria (2024) by reclaiming Indonesian Kamasan painting – a technique dating from the 15th century and traditionally practiced exclusively by men. Centred around the Balinese mythology of cosmic war, The Legend of Barong and Rangda, the work places female characters as protagonists in navigating the struggles between opposing energies.
TOMIE OHTAKE, Untitled, 1967
Oil on canvas, 50 x 40 x 2 cm. Presented by Mendes Wood DM. $100-250k
The Japanese-born artist Tomie Ohtake was one of the main representatives of abstract art in Brazil. From figuration to expressive and geometric abstraction, she explored a diverse range of painting throughout her long career, widening her practice to sculpture and projects in the public realm. Her transcultural identity and interests in both intuition and meticulous methods shaped her singular practice.
XIYADIE , Joy, 1999
Papercut with water-based dye and Chinese pigments on Xuan paper, 140 x 140 cm. Presented by P21. $33k
Xiyadie is a self-taught artist based in north west China who employs the traditional technique of papercut to create intricate and subversive queer scenes. Using the pseudonym that translates to ‘Siberian Butterfly’, Xiyadie transforms the seemingly mundane folk-art medium of papercut into an expressive means of integrating and normalising queer narratives and desires.
TAIKI SAKPISIT, Dark Was the Night, 2024
Two-channel video installation, 4K Colour and Black & White, 5.1 Surround Sound, 0:15:30, edition 1/5 + 2 APs. Presented by SAC Gallery. $20-50k
Bangkok-based filmmaker and artist Taiki Sakpisit’s practice explores underlying tensions and conflicts with a sense of anticipation. The film Dark Was the Night reflects on Thailand’s tumultuous history and the enduring legacy of Pridi Banomyong, one of the prominent leaders of the 1932 coup that challenged the absolute monarchy. The narrative unfolds through dreamlike scenes surrounding his daughter, Dusdi, blurring the boundary between reality and fantasy, dreams and nightmares.
JOONHO JEON, Radiance, 2024
Oak tree, brass, LED lighting system, 107 x 64 x 81.7 cm. Presented by Gallery Hyundai. $100-250k
Joonho Jeon works across sculpture, installation and moving image, probing the impacts of political upheavals and technological development on humanity in local, national and planetary levels. Departing from his on-going collaboration with Kyungwon Moon momentarily, Radiance revisits Jeon’s earlier training in Buddhist wood sculpture and returns to his characteristically incisive sense of critique.
About Professor Sook-Kyung Lee
Lee is Director of the Whitworth and Professor of Curatorial practices of The University of Manchester, UK. She was Artistic Director of the 14th Gwangju Biennale (2023), titled soft and weak like water, which explored themes of resistance, indigeneity, decoloniality and ecology. Lee was Senior Curator, International Art at Tate Modern, working in exhibitions, collection displays and acquisitions. She also headed a major multi-year research initiative ‘Hyundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational’ at Tate Modern, overseeing its strategic vision and associated programming. Lee served as Commissioner & Curator of the Korea Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale and Curator of the Japan Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale.
About Frieze Viewing Room
Open to all from 28 August to 13 September, Frieze Viewing Room is the online catalogue for the fair, giving global audiences access to gallery presentations coming to Frieze Seoul 2024. Visitors can search artworks by artist, price, date and medium, save favourite artworks and presentations, chat with galleries and much more.
Further Information
Frieze Seoul is at COEX, 4 – 7 September 2024.
Limited tickets for Frieze Seoul are now on sale – don’t miss out, buy yours now. Alternatively, become a member to enjoy premier access, multi-day entry, exclusive guided tours and more.
A dedicated online Frieze Viewing Room opens in the week before the fair, offering audiences a first look at the presentations and the ability to engage with the fair remotely.
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