Looking back over the course of Gallery Hyundai’s fifty-year history, we have come to mark the occasion with a sense of gratitude and compulsion to pay our respects to the Korean contemporary art world. Our boundless gratitude goes to everyone over the years who helped our gallery achieve this milestone including, among others, the artists, art lovers, critics, curators, educators, historians, cultural officials, journalists, patrons, dealers, suppliers, connoisseurs and philanthropists. It is only with the passion, dedication and support of these diverse individuals that Gallery Hyundai has been able to overcome numerous challenges and to reach this day. That being said, the ones who must be thanked and celebrated the most remain the artists themselves. For your passion and sweat-soaked work and focus we give you our truest thanks.
On April 4th, 1970, at 10 o’clock in the morning, Gallery Hyundai (or Hyundai Hwarang as it was then known) took the very first steps of its journey in Insadong. For the fifty years that followed, founder Park Myung-ja opened exhibitions for countless artists in her role as an art dealer, galvanizing their drive to create while serving as a builder of social bridges connecting these artists with the enthusiasts. She strove always to ensure that major works of these artists be housed in meaningful collections all the while working tirelessly to mend, little by little, the tiny ruptures and spaces existing between Korea’s modern and contemporary art worlds.
During this amazing period, as Korea as a whole achieved shining successes in economic development and democratization, Gallery Hyundai experienced firsthand the ascension of culture and the advancement of society. The gallery contributed to this development through a wide array of exhibitions presenting works both historical and new, completing important acquisitions and placements domestically and internationally, in the process.
It was during this turbulent age that the gallery came to realize that its mission — and its duty — went beyond that of a mere commercial art gallery. I feel confident that we have, in our own way, contributed to the progression of Korean art history. We have, of course, faltered at times, and there have likely been ways in which we fell short of expectations. That being said, the special relationship Gallery Hyundai has built with the Korean art world over the years is one so entirely singular, I have yet to see its likeness anywhere else, home or abroad. Moving forward, we pledge to put our whole heart and soul toward constantly improving and I am eager to throw our weight behind the shared process leading into the future. Remembering always the deep significance of this chance to play a part in our unfolding cultural history, we will push ourselves to lead in a way commensurate with the coming age.
Wherever you fall on the spectrum, Gallery Hyundai exists today in debt to you all and the precious ties you have so generously shared with us. As an expression of our gratitude to everyone who has been moved by their love of art to support our gallery and to celebrate the past half-century of contemporary Korean art, we have prepared a commemorative project marking the fifty-year anniversary of the gallery’s founding.
Ever since I first took on the responsibility of running Gallery Hyundai, I have always held close these guiding words from our founder: “If there are no artists, there is no gallery.” Indeed, it is only due to the fact that artists who devote their lives to the act of creation exist that galleries, and the art market itself, can also exist. We will not lose sight of this undeniable truth. Gallery Hyundai, who has grown together having shared the ups and downs of the last fifty years with our artists, will continue to pour all our care and energy into supporting artists and shining a light on their achievements. We will work to expand the world’s understanding and appreciation of the originality and excellence of Korean art.
