The Director of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, Jay Xu, visited Dongguk University Museum on November 6th. During his visit he looked over the art work on display at the museum. This visit was special for him because currently the San Francisco Asian Art Museum is presenting “In Grand Style: Celebrations in Korean Art during the Joseon Dynasty.” This is the first major U.S. exhibition to explore the body of art work during Korea's Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910).
Q: What is special about the Asian Art Museum and Korea? A: In October 1995, our Asian Art Commissioner, Lee Chong-moon, a Korean entrepreneur, donated his own money to the new Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. To thank him, the Asian Art Commission established the “Lee Chong-moon Center for Asian Art and Culture” at the Asian Art Museum. Also, in 2003 we opened up a display about the Goryeo Dynasty. Exactly ten year later we will celebrate the marvelous art of Korea by setting the exhibition focusing on the succeeding Joseon Dynasty.
Q: What do you think about the varied works of Korean art?A: Korean art work is very impressive since the atmosphere is very warm, beautiful, and direct. Also, there is a balance between traditional and contemporary in the works of Korean art. In other words, they respect traditional value and, at the same time, incorporate the most cutting edge elements.
Q: How can Korean art develop? A: There should be both advanced training programs and internship programs in Korea for the development of curatorial expertise who can present Korean art in the United States. For instance, Korean university students can visit an American museum for an internship program. There, they will have the chance to work with a senior curator and museum care takers. Students will be trained in all aspects on the top of basic assistance. On the whole, seniors and students will get interactive benefits since seniors can receive incensement of the work force with the help of students, while students can learn professional knowledge first-hand. Perhaps, these programs can boost the development of Korean art in America too.