Located in historic Bukchon Hanok Village, Hakgojae is a birthplace of art. In the exhibition spaces of Hakgojae, the antique beauty of a traditional Korean house and refined beauty of a modern building are in great harmony. The motto of Hakgojae, “Creation of the new by understanding the old,” is clearly manifested by the exterior of its buildings. In the front is a building which reminds us of the teachings of our ancestors, and in the rear is a building searching for things today. These two buildings, one old and the other new, side by side, let us to grasp what tomorrow should be like, the future we are to create.

Twenty years have passed since Hakgojae was founded in 1988 in Insa-dong, Seoul. On its twentieth anniversary, Hakgojae moved to Bukchon Hanok Village. Its new gallery was created by adding a modern building to an old Korean house, seeking coexistence of tradition and modernity. The identity of Hakgojae emerges by bringing together the old and the new, and contemporary art must embrace both if it is to thrive in the future. The special exhibition arranged in commemoration of its twentieth anniversary clearly bespeaks of the paradigm of the new Hakgojae. The special exhibition, ‘Sensitive Systems,’ curated by Lóránd Hegyi, Director of the Musée d’Art Moderne de Saint-Etienne, France, reminds us where creativity originates from. It also so convincingly anticipates the vision of the future, which artists with creative minds should depict by all the means at their disposal. The special exhibition presents four great artists: Lee U fan, Roman Opalka, Giuseppe Penone and Günther Uecker. Masterpieces by these artists reveal artistic power in their fullness.

In preparing exhibitions, Hakgojae has never deviated from the spirit of “creation of the new by understanding the old.” Among the exhibitions were ‘Calligraphies and Paintings by Literati of the Nineteenth Century’, ‘Paintings without the Painter’s Signature and Seal’, ‘Paintings from the Great Han Empire’, ‘Calligraphies of the Mid Joseon’, ‘Aesthetics of Meeting and Parting’, ‘Literati Scholars Immersed in Art, and Energy and Power of the Paintings of Late Joseon’. Reflecting values of traditional art anew, they were widely publicized and acclaimed in the press and attracted art enthusiasts far and wide for their extraordinary subjects and compositions. Contemporary art exhibitions of Hakgojae have also covered a huge spectrum. The contemporary artists presented by Hakgojae include Kang Kyung-Koo, Kang Mi-Sun, Kang Yo-Bae, Kang Ik-Joong, Kim Ho-Deuk, Moon Bong-Sun, Min Joung-ki, Park Sung-Sil, Suk Chul-Joo, Song Phil-Yong, Song Hyun-Sook, Shin Hak-Chul, Shim Hyun- Hee, Ahn Kyu-Chul, Oh Yun, Yoon Suk-Nam, Lee Bae, Lee Jong-Gu, Lee Hyo-Sung, Chung Sang-Hwa and Han Ki-Chang. Their works are wide-ranging in nearly every respect. They are deeply involved in formative arts both at home and abroad, and exhibitions of their works have provided opportunities to see the vision of contemporary art.

Hakgojae has also actively introduced progressive works by foreign artists. Works by Frank Stella, Donald Judd, Robert Mangold, Richard Tuttle, Agnes Martin, and Robert Ryman were featured at ‘Minimalism as Landscape’. Le Corbusier, Jene Highstein, Tim Lowly, Julian Opie, Michael Craig-Martin, and Ian Davenport were also presented to Korean viewers through Hakgojae.

Emerging Chinese artists have joined hands with Hakgojae as well. Among them are Jia Youfu, who is considered the national painter of China, Chen Wenji, an established artist, and very talented young artists such as Xiong Yu, and Wang Fenghua. Exhibitions featuring world famous artists whose works are rarely seen in Korea including Richard Serra, Jean-Pierre Raynaud, and Liu Xiaodong are also planned at Hakgojae. 

In its efforts to introduce talented Korean artists overseas and talented foreign artists to Korea, Hakgojae has actively participated in art fairs overseas, operating a booth at prestigious art fairs including ARCO in Spain, CIGE and SH Contemporary in China, and ACAF and Art Chicago in the U.S.

Hakgojae is looking for artists who will long be remembered for their tremendous contributions to art and culture, and it arranges exhibitions that it believes will be spotlighted in the history of art. It is committed to becoming a place that is loved and appreciated by the art community.