Korean contemporary art show at London’s Saatchi Gallery to give artists rare international exposure

Korean Eye 2020, which will tour to Russia, London and Seoul, will introduce to international art lovers artists who’ve only shown at home thus far

Its co-presenters are a couple, David and Serenella Cicilitira, who fell in love with Asian contemporary art by chance when he saw some on a business trip

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Helena Parada-Kim’s painting The Sun and the moon, on show at the Saatchi Gallery in London at a preview of the Korean Eye 2020 touring exhibition of South Korean contemporary art. Photo: courtesy of the artist and Korean Eye.

Published: 2:30pm, 12 Oct 2019Updated: 7:05pm, 16 Oct 2019

Korean Eye, a large group show of South Korean contemporary art, is returning to London’s Saatchi Gallery after an eight-year gap.

The 2012 exhibition featured the work of 33 artists. Korean Eye 2020, featuring the work of 30 artists, is scheduled to tour first to the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, Russia, early next year, then to the Saatchi Gallery over the summer, before landing in Seoul in autumn.

The exhibition will mark the 10th anniversary of the Global Eye Programme, set up by Parallel Contemporary Art and the Saatchi Gallery to provide artists with the platforms, support and recognition they need to develop their careers.

Contemporary art is thriving in South Korea and has an international reputation for its distinctiveness, but artists rarely get to showcase their work in big overseas exhibitions. Korean Eye 2020 fills that gap.

Works by Hyojin Park at a preview in London of the Korean Eye 2020 exhibition. Photo: Lorraine Goddard

The show will be curated by Serenella Cicilitira – the co-founder and chief executive of Parallel Contemporary Art.