Minji Chun

Research Topic: Socially Engaged Art in Contemporary Korea

Supervisor: Professor J.P. Park

I am a DPhil candidate in History of Art, specialising in Korean contemporary art under the supervision of Professor J.P. Park. My doctoral thesis, “Socially Engaged Art in Contemporary Korea,” examines the novel methods through which contemporary Korean artists, in an urgent response to immense societal transition and increasing government censorship, resisted political oppression, disseminated their work, and fostered fecund avenues of socially engaged dialogue within and beyond their artistic communities. Examining postcolonialism, neoliberalism, globalism, and postmodernism in Korea, I argue that socially engaged art in contemporary Korea should be seen as a distinct, more nuanced movement compared to its predecessor, Minjung art. By providing a comprehensive account of social practice in contemporary Korea, this research delves into the strategies used to defuse military tensions between the South and North, tackle the neoliberal labour system, challenge state and global capitalism, and confront societal and religious taboos. Broadly, my academic interests span socially engaged art, art activism, media studies, museum studies, and Korean studies.

I have been working as an art critic, curator, and translator based in Oxford and Seoul. (www.minjiswriting.xyz) My research and curatorial projects centering on Asian contemporary art have been supported by the Ministries of France, Japan, and Korea, Asia-Europe Foundation, Korea Foundation, Arts Council Korea, Seoul Museum of Art, and Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, among many others. After studying contemporary art history in the interdisciplinary MA programme in art management at Seoul National University, I have worked as a curatorial assistant at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), and a coordinator at the Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS). I graduated summa cum laude from Yonsei University in 2015, double-majoring in French language & literature and digital arts as a valedictorian. My current doctoral research is generously funded by Lotte Foundation.