Convergence - The Folding of Korean Bojagi Wrapping - Seoul Fort Hill 2F, Fort Hill, 122-1, Dokseodang-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul - South Korea 24 February—16 April 2022 Do we find the spaces an extension of landscape or are these spaces stages of performance that have no engagement with perspectival space? I like to think neither can be denied, only simultaneously considered.  — Jason Martin, 2022 Jason Martin’s new series of works on aluminium mark his return to oil painting with brushes, a method the artist has not used for the past decade. A new phase in his ongoing exploration of painterly possibilities, these recent works are based on repeating inward movements with the brush that converge at a central point. He likens this to a ‘merging of place and time’ or a ‘threshold encounter’, as well as drawing parallels with the Korean tradition of bojagi wrapping. Continuously experimenting with new materials and methods, Jason Martin often develops his own tools, such as the combs used to shape dense striations of pigment in previous works. Created using traditional brushes, his most recent paintings exhibit a lightness of touch and delicacy of tone that set them apart from the thick impasto and highly saturated colours of earlier series. The aluminium pictorial grounds capture and reflect light, lending the paintings their radiant luminosity. The artist creates his own natural pigments and experiments with different combinations of colours, as in Untitled (Caribbean blue / Viridian) or Untitled (Titanium white / Fluorescent orange). The prevalence of white-based tones in these works contributes to their subtlety and clarity of colour, which is further emphasised by the soft feathering of the brushstrokes. Each work is structured by Jason Martin’s controlled, repeated brushstrokes that fold in towards a focal point at the heart of the painting. He describes this meditative act of convergence as bringing ‘outer movements into a suggested singularity’. In Renaissance art, the introduction of linear perspective resulted in compositions where all lines converge at a central vanishing point, creating the illusion of depth in figurative scenes. Jason Martin’s monochrome abstractions are informed by the traditions of figuration, a ‘paradox’ that he considers his ‘place of departure’. As he explains, ‘There is always a tension that I am challenged to identify in each work’, as ‘the spaces are neither imaginary nor depicted’. The square format of Jason Martin’s aluminium grounds, as well as the inward motion of his brushwork, recalls the folding of cloth typical of bojagi. In this traditional Korean textile technique, square pieces of cloth are skilfully constructed from fabric scraps and used as wrappings for gifts, special occasions or rituals. As the artist recalls, his interest in bojagi dates back to his residency in Japan: ‘At least 25 years have passed since I was entrusted with the safekeeping of a Japanese tea master’s kimono. Yamada Sohen from Kamakura left me this bojagi-wrapped kimono in London, but he has not yet retrieved this formal garment and I have never opened it to see what is inside, as I could never repeat the tied bow. There is a mystery to this that I do not want to risk losing if I were to upset this very precise and dignified shelter for a historical garment.’ Structured by complex relationships between the framing edges, colour combinations and brushed lines, these works become a reflection on the act of painting itself. Every detail of the surface texture draws attention to the physicality of the implied gestures that have defined them. The sinuous curves of the artist’s sweeping brushstrokes suggest a sense of flowing, continuous movement that animates the pictorial surface, leading the eye in towards the centre where all lines converge. In this way, Jason Martin’s paintings become an imaginary space, a mental landscape, an abstracted and mesmeric focal point for contemplation. About the artist In Jason Martin’s early works, while still a student at Goldsmiths in the 1990s, he manipulated striations of oil paint or acrylic gel on metal or Plexiglas grounds using a comb-like tool he created – a technique that he has refined throughout his career. This is used to create energetic ridges and furrows of pigment that can be read as extreme close-ups of a painterly brushstroke, drawing attention to the action and materiality of painting itself. His works are structurally varied, ranging from a thin glaze through which the metal ground gleams to sculptural reliefs with overlapping ridges and furrows. Born in Jersey in the Channel Islands in 1970, Jason Martin lives and works between London and Portugal. He first came to prominence through his inclusion in the legendary 1997 exhibition Sensation: Young British Artists from the Saatchi Collection at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, which established the Young British Artists (YBAs). In 2004, his work was included in the Monochrome exhibition at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, followed by major solo exhibitions at the CAC Málaga and Mönchehaus Museum, Goslar, Germany (2008); Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice (2009); and Museum gegenstandsfreier Kunst, Otterndorf, Germany (2016). A retrospective of his work from the past two decades was on view at SCHAUWERK Sindelfingen in 2017.

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Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul will open on 6 October 2021 with an exhibition of new works by Georg Baselitz, whose historic connection with the city dates back to his first institutional solo exhibition in Korea at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in 2007. On view for the first time, the twelve paintings and twelve drawings were created specifically with the opening of the new gallery space in Seoul in mind. One of the most important artists of our time, Baselitz shaped a new identity for German art in the second half of the 20th century and has had a profound influence on international art since 1960. The exhibition will coincide with the opening of the artist’s largest retrospective to date, at the Centre Pompidou, Paris. Despite the wanderings of missionaries, images have remained different in the world. But in Korea and in Germany, people tell each other similar tales. The art here and there are two great monuments. Quite incomparable, but magnificent. Today, pictures are faster than airplanes, and that is very exciting. —Georg Baselitz, 2021 With a unique and distinctive artistic vocabulary, Baselitz has continually renewed his practice through formal developments. In his works, the artist revisits motifs from his own extensive oeuvre, while integrating subtle references to art history that offer a reflection on the significance of painting itself.In his new series of large-scale canvases, Baselitz devotes himself to the motif of his wife Elke, whose image has occupied a prominent position in the development of his practice for over 50 years. The new works show the multipartite figure of Elke, abstracted yet sensuous, suspended in isolation in an undefined space. Baselitz abstracts and defamiliarises his subject, yet the representation preserves the composition’s expressiveness. In order to empty the form of its content, the artist has been inverting his compositions since 1969, thereby revolutionising a medium that was regarded as conventional. Through this novel format, his works navigate between abstraction and figuration. When painting Elke, this gesture also serves to disrupt any harmony or beauty that was likely to seep into the portrayal of a figure so familiar to him. In his choice of the exhibition title Hotel garni – the French name for a low-cost category of hotel – Baselitz references the scene of Pablo Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon through a characteristically humorous chain of associations. He is playful with words while summoning the confrontational composition and unconventional femininity of one of the greatest artistic achievements of his historic forebear. Not for the first time does his choice of title invoke Picasso, who is also referenced in Baselitz’s celebrated Avignon series, shown at the 2015 Venice Biennale. As early as the 1960s, during the course of his visits to Paris, he saw the works of Pablo Picasso, as well as those by Jean Fautrier, Jean Dubuffet, Eugène Leroy and Wols – works imbued with an existentialism that has impacted his own approach. The material aesthetics of these artists have continued to influence Baselitz’s practice ever since. In his most recent works, Elke’s dominating physical presence is presented to the viewer through the transfer of colour, introducing an element of chance into his compositions. This technique evokes associations with Andy Warhol’s series of Rorschach paintings and Blotted Line Drawings, while subtly alluding to German Expressionism, French Art Informel and the freedom of American abstract painting. In recent works that feature Elke, Baselitz introduces existentialist connotations, while engaging in the struggle of representation, the inescapability of subjectivity, and the representation of the self through a significant other. The artist comments: I have always struggled with the fact that something hinders me in my paintings. What has always hindered me – and that has now improved significantly – is the so-called ‘existential’. The fact that there is something within me that occupies me and that I cannot eliminate from the pictures. I’ve been trying to get out of this for a long time. 60 years now. And for the last 20 years, I must say, I’ve been quite successful. Eventually, it all worked out.

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Seoul, Korea – Marriott International today announced the opening of the 199-room Four Points by Sheraton Seoul, Gangnam, the second Four Points hotel to open in the Korean capital city. Located strategically in the heart of Seoul’s upscale Gangnam district, the new Four Points Seoul, Gangnam features uncomplicated yet sophisticated spaces with modern design elements complemented by thoughtful service. “We are very happy to be opening the second Four Points by Sheraton hotel here in the exciting Gangnam district of Seoul, one of the most popular areas in South Korea for locals and visitors alike,” said Mike Fulkerson, Vice President, Brand and Marketing Asia Pacific, Marriott International. “The smart, independent traveler will appreciate the comfortable, relaxed ambience of the hotel and the team’s thoughtful service. Four Points Seoul, Gangnam will surely become a meeting place for locals to bond over craft beers on tap as part of the brand’s signature Best Brews™ program.” The new Four Points Seoul, Gangnam is conveniently located near major subway stations that are within walking distance to the hotel, providing easy access to top attractions throughout the city. K Star Road, which is also nearby, will provide the ultimate immersive experience for fans of K-pop culture. It is also a shopping and nightlife haven, just mere minutes away from the hotel. Gangnam Business District, Cheongdam Luxury Street, Beauty Clinic Street and Garuso-gil, popular for their upscale boutiques, galleries, restaurants and cafes, are all located near the hotel. The Four Points Seoul, Gangnam incorporates the Four Points style ethos – modern and practical, designed for the ultimate in comfort for business and leisure travelers. Each of the hotel’s 199 stylish guest rooms, including two penthouse suites, feature a 49-inch ultra HD TV, complimentary Wi-Fi, egg chair and a comfortable bed for a deep and restful sleep. Evolution, the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant, boasts modern interiors, a lively atmosphere and offers an à-la-carte menu as well as a full buffet prepared with freshly selected local ingredients. The private dining room is for intimate family gatherings or business dinners.  The Lounge & Bar is the perfect place to unwind at the end of the day with a glass of wine, along with a selection of refreshing drinks, snacks and sweet desserts. Best Brews™, the brand’s signature beer program, invites guests to enjoy craft beers and authentic local flavors with fresh ingredients. Committed to improving productivity while on the road, Four Points Seoul, Gangnam offers everything business travelers need. The second floor has 106 square meters of meeting space which can cater to a variety of event sizes and needs. Each function room is equipped with the latest technology for a seamless experience. The hotel also features state-of-the-art fitness equipment for a great workout, as well as sauna facilities to soothe and pamper after a day’s work, sightseeing or shopping. “We are very proud to open a new Four Points by Sheraton hotel in Seoul, one of the most bustling cities in Asia,” said Jennifer Lee, General Manager, Four Points by Sheraton Seoul, Gangnam. “We strive to provide friendly, genuine service so guests can relax for a greater travel experience, whether they’re traveling for business or pleasure.” For more information, please visit http://www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoints/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=4224&language=en_US

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