Description

SSamzie Space, sponsored and operated by SSamzie Co. Ltd. (president Chun Ho-kyun), opened in June 2000 as a composite-culture space to promote cutting-edge art in Korea. It is located in the area of Hong-ik University, which is the hotbed of art production and consumption in Seoul and also the main gathering spot for artists. SSamzie Space, which has become an incubator for new generation art, is linked to and is an extension of the SSamzie Art Project launched in March 1998. SSamzie Space’s three galleries, namely, the Main Gallery (3F), Project Gallery (2F), and Garage Gallery(1F) and the Media Theater "Baram"(2F) together make up the activity space presenting on a regular basis various exhibitions, performances, concerts and events. The art studios located on the 4th to 6th floors are the creative spaces of the young artists. The 5th floor, the main office as well as an archive, is provided with art books, journals, catalogues, videos, and artist portfolios.

SSAMZIE ART PROJECT
SSamzie launched the ’SSamzie Art Project’ to support and sponsor artists during the unprecedented financial crisis of the IMF in 1998. Although SSamzie had previously established a background of art based product designs, performances from comprehensive fashion shows, art prints, art advertisements, art books, and various cultural event sponsorships, this marked a new peak of SSamzie’s art support. Through art studios, overseas exhibition promotion, and Gallery Hyundai exhibition programs, the ’SSamzie Art Project’ has become the bedrock for the creativity of young avant-garde artists. Moreover, the range of the project has reached experimental and progressive art genres, including, among others, underground music, progressive dance, and independent films.

PROGRAM

GALLERIES (1F, 2F, 3F)
The three galleries of SSamzie Space regularly hold six to eight exhibitions, curated to meet the characteristics of each gallery. The annual project exhibitions, which form the main frame of the exhibition programs, are:

"The Emerging": the simultaneous solo exhibitions of three young emerging artists.

"Pick & Pick": one leading artist, ’picked’ by SSamzie Space ’picks’ his junior artists and pupils to form a group exhibition.

"Title Match": the two-person exhibition for a dialogue and friendly rivalry between a 20th century avant-garde artist and a young futuristic artist of the 21st century.

International exchange exhibition: the international group exhibition based on the shared experiences of mutual visits between Korean and foreign artists.

Artist Studio (4F, 5F, 6F)
The artist studios epitomize the character of SSamzie Space, different from ordinary galleries and museums. Each year, new artists are invited to the Studio Program and are then provided with studio space and supported for their creative endeavors. At the end of their one-year-long residency, artists hold "The Open Studio" exhibition to show the fruits of their artmaking and also to donate one of their works, which form the basis of the ’SSamzie Art Collection’. In 2001, the Studio Program was expanded to include foreign artists and project teams, which later evolved into the short-term residency program for foreign artists and overseas Korean artists. Each year an Australian artist is invited to the short-term program through Asialink and in 2005 the exchange studio program between the international artist-in-residency programs will begin.

THE MEDIA THEATER "Baram (Wind)" (2F)
Concerts by underground rock bands are mainstays for the evenings and occasionally, art performances, avant-garde films, and media art festivals are hold here as well, with which "Baram" has been recognized as an alternative space and has attracted attention from the mass media. All concerts and performances are programmed by "Ssamnet" which casts on Internet broadcasting network of "SSamzie". At the same time, "Ssamnet" has also become devoted to selecting new artists, marketing, planning concerts, and producing albums.

Archive (5F)
The archive is stocked with art books, journals, catalogues, videos, and portfolios of progressive young artists. Once all preparations are ready, the archive will be open to the public via a membership program. It is expected that this archive can serve as an information and reference center for new generation art.