German artist Anne Imhof delivers hope for youth at Coex K-Pop Square every night

"Youth" by Anne Imhof at Coex K-POP Square in Seoul (Circa)

South Korea’s landmark illuminated billboard in southern Seoul will present “Youth” by acclaimed German artist Anne Imhof every day at 8:23 p.m. throughout the month, inspiring young people to hold out hope despite frustrating situations.

The presentation is scheduled to kick off at 8:23 p.m. on Friday at Coex K-Pop Square in Gangnam, Seoul, which is the largest light-emitting diode billboard in the country. The work will also be shown at 8:23 p.m. in Hong Kong, London, Berlin, New York, Milan, Los Angeles and Tokyo.

The screening is part of a project organized by the Cultural Institute of Radical Contemporary Arts that began in October 2020 in the midst of the global pandemic. The aim was to give the public a chance to appreciate art in outdoor spaces, presenting commissioned works by established and emerging artists around the world.

Every evening at 8:23 p.m., Circa has continued presenting unique works by differents artist each month on public screens across the world.

“When I first saw these horses running through a deserted suburbia, I was thinking: What if Youth is freedom? What if Youth is hope? What if Youth is peace? One year later, watching them gallop around the world, the questions still remain the same,” Imhof noted on her work “Youth.”

A still image from "Youth" by Anne Imhof (Circa)

The artist draws on cultural history from Greek mythology to underground culture, whilst examining the dynamics of power.

Imhof’s “Youth” was originally intended to be shown at the Garage Museum in Moscow, but was canceled due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. With the Circa 20:23 presentation marking one year since that conflict began, the cultural institute is collaborating with the artist to organize a 24-hour fundraiser. Limited edition prints are offered on Circa’s official website.

Commissioned artists whose work have been shown in Circa project include Korean artist Jun So-jung, English painter David Hockney, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, American artist Cauleen Smith and Japanese artist Yoko Ono. Jun’s media work “Green Screen,” inspired by the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas, was shown in August 2021 across the world.

Imhof is the winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2017 and has exhibited globally at the Tate Modern in London, Palais de Tokyo in Paris and Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. The artist is currently based in Berlin and New York.

Screenings of "Youth" at Coex K-Pop Square continue throughout February.

By Park Yuna(yunapark@heraldcorp.com)