작업 소개

김중업 다이얼로그 전시의 협력 기획 및 구성을 진행한 삼삼오오 이성민 총괄 프로듀서의 섭외로 전시에 참여하였다. 김중업 아카이브 자료를 바탕으로 그의 작품 세계를 조망하는 영상 작품과 함께 작업한 동료 건축가, 작가, 평론가 등을 인터뷰한 시리즈 영상을 전시장에 상영하였다. 전시와 동명의 영상 작품 <김중업의 다이얼로그(2018)>에서는 서울, 부산, 제주 등 각지에 있는 김중업의 주요 건축물과 사라진 터를 영상에 담아 건축에 대해 자신만의 소신과 철학을 끊임없이 밝혀온 그의 목소리와 함께 구성하였다.

‘건축가라는 것은 내일에 건 생명이거든요.
그런데 지어 놓고 나면 그 허탈감이라는 것이 보통 큰 것이 아니예요.
역사가 앞으로 판단을 해 줄 겁니다.’

‘An architect’s life is stacked on tomorrow. But once the building’s done, I feel so empty. History will judge in the future.’

김중업 Kim Chung-up

프로젝트 내용

《김중업 다이얼로그》전은 한국 현대 건축의 신화적 인물인 건축가 김중업을 조망한다. 하지만 이 전시는 그동안 김중업에 관한 피상적인 진단과 신화화된 측면과는 거리를 두고, 예술과 건축의 관계를 매개로 그동안 논의되지 않았던 다양한 맥락 속에서 작가와 그가 남긴 유산을 살펴보는 전시다. 김중업의 타계 30주기를 기념하기 위해 마련된 이 전시는 한국 현대 건축 전시를 꾸준히 기획해온 국립현대미술관이 김중업건축박물관과 공동으로 준비했다. 건축가 김중업의 생애 전반을 조망하는 첫 대규모 전시로서, 김중업건축박물관의 소장품과 국립현대미술관의 아카이브, 그리고 건물주로부터 대여한 자료들과 사진 및 영상 신작으로 구성했다.

1922년 평양에서 출생한 김중업은 르코르뷔지에 아틀리에에서 실무를 한 뒤 한국전쟁 이후 초토화된 한국 땅에서 한국적 모더니즘을 구현하고자 한 건축가다. 그는 임시수도 부산에서 만난 예술가들과의 네트워크를 기반으로 한국 문화예술계 중심에서 활동하며 예술가 들을 후원하고, 그들과의 협업을 오랜 기간 진행했다. 한국에서 최초의 건축 전시회를 열기도 한 김중업은 전시라는 문화양식을 일찍부터 이해하고 실천한 사람이다. 그는 건축을 건물로 한정하지 않고 담론의 문제로 보고 예술매체에 대한 깊이 있는 탐구를 진행했다. 그러한 사유의 흔적은 그가 남긴 이미지 아카이브에서 발견할 수 있다.

《김중업 다이얼로그》전은 역순으로 진행되는 김중업의 작품 연대기를 첫 번째 대화의 시작으로 연다. 그리고 ‘세계성과 지역성’, ‘예술적 사유와 실천’, ‘도시와 욕망’, ‘기억과 재생’ 등 4개의 주제로 그간 김중업과 그의 작품에 관해 주변부에 머물렀던 문맥들을 펼쳐보이고자 한다. 특히 이번 전시는 그간 논의가 부족했던 김중업의 후기 작업들과 한국의 중요한 예술가들과의 협업 과정, 도시에 대한 그의 생각들을 살펴보는 기회가 될 것이다. 《김중업 다이얼로그》는 이제 막 촉발되기 시작한 한국 건축가 연구의 출발점으로서 건축, 예술 그리고 우리 사회의 다양한 관계망들과 대화의 장을 여는 단초가 되리라 기대한다.

출처: 국립현대미술관 홈페이지 전시소개글

Kim Chung-up starred in the KBS feature Cultural Leaders of South Korea broadcast in October 1984. He was 62 years old.

Song: It’s hard for us to meet architects. Architects and architecture seem distant from the public, too. What’s the effect of buildings by architects on the public?

Kim: In fact, architecture’s the thing closest to humans. Of course, buildings are built for humans, they must first shield humans. In life, things like the air and water are directly linked to us. It’s the same for architecture. People are born in houses, live in houses, and die in houses. Nevertheless, there seems to be little interest.

Song: If so, what’s a great building to you?

Kim: A great building isn’t something special.In principle, a great building isn’t anything else. Functionally, it must be a proper shelter for humans. It must also be beautiful, giving visual joy.

French Embassy, Seoul (1960) : In 1959, with Ambassador Roger Chambard’s active supportand Le Corbusier’s recommendation, Kim designed the French embassy, which later became his representative work.

Song: What building is this?

Kim: It’s the French embassy.

Song: This was visually striking, too.

Kim: Yes. In fact, it made my name. After making this, I received the National Order of Merit from President De Gaulle and was knighted, too. So it’s a bit known abroad, too. But it’s been worsened a bit since, while I was abroad. So it’s a pity it looks different now.

The most notable motif of the embassy, the roof of the ambassador’s office was torn down in the 1970s due to structural weakness.
In December 2016, a plan to renovate and add to the embassy was announced. It was jointly designed by Mass Studies (South Korea) and Sathy (France).

Minsuk Cho (architect; representative, Mass Studies)

To us, Kim’s original building is a gene, so to say. His original plan is a kind of an ensemble.

In discussing this building aesthetically, of course, the weight and lightness of the two roofs of the two buildings, which form an ensemble, and the dialogue between them, which are also likened to male and female. These are the really crucial, key parts. As for Kim’s original building, you restore easily restorable parts and follow the original ideal, which was to be well-shaded. In intervening in such important, historic buildings in the future, architects must ponder much on such subtle points.

Samil Building (1969) : Though Kim designed the Samil Building, the tallest in Asia then, he was not paid for the design and even had to relinquish his Seongbuk-dong home due to exorbitant taxes.

Song: When we think of your works, out of them, the Samil Building seems more well-known instead. You designed and built it a long ago, right? Looking back, what do you think of it?

Kim: Well, it’s embarrassing. It was 15 years ago. Back then, I tried hard, with all my might, to make something of a black morion, as a foreground of the city. Of course, if I were to build it now, it’d be a bit better. But, as for the Samil Building, many still seem to cherish it. Why? It’s because of the proportion. Then and now, it has a rather pretty proportion. That seems to be why people cherish it. That’s rewarding as an artist. But you’re never satisfied because you grow artistically.

After constructing the building, Kim was exiled to France in 1971.

Before leaving for France, Kim held a farewell solo exhibition at Shinsegae Gallery and unveiled Kim Chung-up, Architect, a documentary jointly created with a French film producer. He narrated the commentary in French.

Kim: My works are clearly arrogant and solitary. But is architecture that doesn’t remain in arrogance and solitude possible in the world? We’re completely apart from the masses, and contracts have debased our art into work for profit. In far-off mountains are small houses by the lake. But the small lakeside houses aren’t for those working in big cities. Then who are they for? This is one of the many questions we architects face. Financiers never ask the opinions of those who’ll live in large housing estates, public rental apartments, new towns. Do you think they want to live in what they build? No, I don’t think so, not at all. Such are architects’ fundamental problems. Really, we no longer make buildings for people at all. What are architects today? Who are we? We’re only large machines for leases. Forcibly created modernization. I really hate forced modernization. People are just like slaves.

After staying in France and the United States, Kim returned to South Korea in 1978. Returning after 7 years, he was vexed to find the nation changed into uniform cities due to indiscriminate development.

Kim: In fact, we must recover hometowns. They’ve all become so uniform, their traditional charm keeps vanishing. And it’s affecting youths today too much. We must first widen areas where people can roam freely.

Song: Adults need things like alleys they freely played in as kids, too.

With many Eastern Bloc nations such as East Germany saying at the IOC session they’ll take part in the ’88 Seoul Olympics, preparations for the Olympics are well underway. With the creation of the Olympic Park in Dunchon-dong…

Song: The ’88 Olympics and the ’86 Asiad are the whole nation’s dreams.

Kim: It means the dreams we pursue in life are changing. They’re getting a bit loftier, too. The role of architects is how to support such changing dreams. Architects can’t work without dreams. So we need artworks that meet those dreams.

Song: So, with the ’88 Olympics, everyone’s an architect.

Kim: Yes, you’re right.

World Peace Gate, Olympic Park (1986) : Though Kim devoted himself to this project in his late years, due to his frail health, Kwak Jae Hwan, then a staff member, led the design, and artist Lee Seung-taek sculpted the masks.

Kwak: That, too, was in a prize design contest in 1985. It was to give wings to Koreans’ wish, to let it soar. Kim always spoke of the vigor of the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo, the most powerful spirit in our history, and the originary power of shamanism. He tried to realize such things in his own way.

Lee: Kim was immersed in modernizing Korean culture. The World Peace Gate and sculptures around it are tied to Korean culture. The idea was to find unique forms in our tradition. That’s why he proposed Korean masks. So I felt that the beauty of tradition, beauty was good to look at even after a long time.

On May 11, 1988, only months before the Olympics, Kim passed away due to complications from diabetes and high blood pressure.

Paul: Kim, you quit architecture once, saying you’d create poetry. And you’ve chosen to discard poetry to return to architecture. Don’t you think you’ve, in fact, gotten the energy to continue with architecture from poetry? Once a poet, now… no, you’re still a poet as well as an architect.

Kim: Paul, as you know, everyone’s a poet. And we’re only instruments for expressing poetry. An art for the masses. Art for art’s sake is insufficient, don’t you think?

Paul: Of course, I do, too.

Kim: So I’ve gone down to the depth of poetry and breathed, to get the energy to resurface and work with architecture. This college building here will be torn down soon to make a runway.

Kim’s most cherished work, the building at Jeju National University was dismantled, and the site is occupied by the university’s middle and high schools.

Jung: Kim’s influence must be grasped from a more multilayered view. It’s especially true of the understanding of space in his buildings. In the past, space only meant interior space. But, now, space is seen as combining the exterior and the interior, or landscape. Seen thus, Kim’s concept of space must be expanded further.That can affect architects today, too.

Seen thus, interpretations of an architect don’t stop in a certain era but are continued in other eras, in new ways. That can enrich that architect and South Korean architecture as well.

Song: We surveyed your works a while ago, but what is it like to stand before one of your buildings after time has passed?

Kim: That’s why it’s embarrassing. It’s embarrassing because even my buildings don’t really satisfy me. So when I say I’m unsatisfied, it ends up meaning history isn’t satisfied. It’s a joy when I’m producing. I try hard to do something. But once the building’s done, I feel so empty. In that respect, an artist’s always embarrassed. An architect’s life is staked on tomorrow. History will judge in the future.