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Art+_Art Insight The Age of Reification: The Crisis of Capitalism and Fine Art (8) - How Semiotic Capitalism Has Neutralized Fine Art In the 21st century, late capitalism has evolved beyond an economy of production and consumption into a system where symbols and signs dominate value. Jean Baudrillard called this the “political economy of the sign,” where the symbolic meaning of things supersedes their material substance. In such a system, commodities are no longer just physical objects—they are bundles of signs, socially coded and ideologically charged.
2025.07.15

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Art Voice

Critical discourse and voices on key issues in the Korean contemporary art scene.
Museum_Art Voice Ron Mueck Exhibition and the Blockbuster Phenomenon of Museums : The Role and Value of Public Art Museums

The solo exhibition of Australian hyperrealist sculptor Ron Mueck, currently being held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul, is drawing more than 5,000 visitors per day and is expected to surpass 500,000 visitors within two months.

2025.07.08
Museum_Art Voice On the Opening of the Seoul Museum of Photography

On May 29, 2025, the Seoul Museum of Photography (Photography Seoul Museum of Art) opens its doors in Chang-dong, Dobong-gu, Seoul. As the first public art museum in Korea dedicated entirely to the photographic medium, this institution is not merely another museum opening—it is a historic milestone.

2025.05.27
Art Fair_Art Voice Review: Art Busan 2025, An art fair aspiring to become a platform — What was gained, and what was left behind?

Art Busan 2025 concluded its four-day run on May 11 at BEXCO in Haeundae, Busan. Now in its 14th edition, the fair brought together 109 galleries from 17 countries in an effort to reinforce Busan’s position as a hub of contemporary art in East Asia. However, the outcome reflected more of the current art market realities than a major shift.

2025.05.13
Art+_Art Voice Arts Policy Regret: The Ministry of Culture's "Art in the Age of AI"

On April 24, 2025, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism hosted "Art Policy Talk at 3PM" at Art Korea Lab in Seoul under the theme of "Art in the Age of AI." Despite its promising topic, the event ultimately fell short of presenting a deep critical engagement or offering concrete alternatives.

2025.04.29
Art+_Art Voice "Culture Korea 2035" Policy - The "Subjects" Neglected by "Organizations": Who Is This Policy For, and What Purpose Does It Serve?

According to the recently released 2024 Artist Status Survey, 75.7% of artists earn less than 12 million KRW annually, while 31% report having no income at all. The average household income of artists is over 20 million KRW lower than the national average, with severe income disparities particularly evident in photography, literature, and fine arts.

2025.03.11
Art+_Art Voice The Blockbuster Boom: The Illusion of Art Exhibitions as Imported Commercial Events

The Korean art scene is experiencing what can truly be called a "blockbuster boom." One after another, exhibitions of internationally renowned artists—Van Gogh, Hopper, Munch, Basquiat—are being held in Korea, resembling the global tours of pop stars.

2025.02.25
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Providing insightful perspectives and in-depth analysis of Korean contemporary art.
Art+_Art Insight The Age of Reification: The Crisis of Capitalism and Fine Art (8) - How Semiotic Capitalism Has Neutralized Fine Art

In the 21st century, late capitalism has evolved beyond an economy of production and consumption into a system where symbols and signs dominate value. Jean Baudrillard called this the “political economy of the sign,” where the symbolic meaning of things supersedes their material substance. In such a system, commodities are no longer just physical objects—they are bundles of signs, socially coded and ideologically charged.

2025.07.15
Art+_Art Insight The Age of Reification: The Crisis of Capitalism and Fine Art (7) - How Must Fine Art Exist in the Age of AI?

Fine art has always touched the deepest strata of the human spirit. It is not simply the skill of creating aesthetic objects, but the act of a living human being attempting to understand themselves. While humans have evolved by using tools, it is in writing poetry and painting images that they crossed from utility into the realm of the mind. Art was born at this very threshold, and it has defined civilization ever since.

2025.07.01
Art+_Art Insight The Age of Reification: The Crisis of Fine Art and Capitalism (6) - Who Is Public Arts Funding Really For?

Public support was once the final bastion of art. It served as the only mechanism through which art could defend itself from the logic of the market—a space where the essence of artistic creation could be protected from the accelerating demands of capital.

2025.06.17
Art Market_Art Insight The Age of Reification: Capitalism and the Crisis of Fine Art (5) - Are Auctions and Art Fairs Destroyers or Creators of Pure Art?

In today’s global art market, auctions and art fairs are no longer simply distribution channels or temporary festivities. Auctions reduce art to quantifiable numbers, while art fairs promote the rapid reproduction and immediate consumption of market-friendly works. Empowered by capital, these two forces now dictate not only the market’s direction but also the survival conditions of artists themselves.

2025.06.03
Art Theory_Art Insight The Age of Reification: Capitalism and the Crisis of Fine Art (4) – Why Has Korean Contemporary Art Criticism Collapsed?

The Korean contemporary art scene today is enveloped in a profound silence—the absence of art criticism. Exhibitions abound, artworks circulate rapidly through the market, and artists are consumed at speed, but there is scarcely a voice that interprets, questions, or inscribes meaning into these movements.

2025.05.20
Art Theory_Art Insight The Age of Reification: The Crisis of Capitalism and Fine Art (3) - Art as a Money Game

At some point, the phrase “good artwork” quietly disappeared from the art market’s vocabulary. In its place came expressions like “rising artist,” “sold-out exhibition,” and “best-selling series.” The value of an artwork is no longer judged by the emotions it evokes or the meaning it holds.

2025.04.29

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