| Introduction |
Founded in 1983, Gana Art has organized over 600 exhibitions of modern and contemporary art such as painting, sculpture, video art, installation, and contemporary photography. Its continuous participation in international art fairs and exhibitions has globalized the Korean art community with an advanced international status. Gana Art has been also committed to provide the public with many contemporary artists from abroad, such as Pierre Alechinsky, Antoni Tapies, Sam Francis, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Joan Miró, Georg Baselitz, Tom Wesselmann, Robert Longo, Jean Dubuffet, Georges Braque, Joel Shapiro, etc. Since 2001, the annual ‘International Photo Festival’ introduces a main stream of contemporary artists as they are being discovered and developed on the international scene: Andreas Gursky, Keith Tyson, Thomas Ruff, Andres Serrano, Vanessa Beecroft, Elger Esser, Candida Höfer, Vik Muniz, Thomas Struth, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Miao Xiaochun, etc.
For the past two decades, Gana Art has established itself as a multi-cultural institution which enhanced the artistic environment in Korea: Gana Print Studio (1987), Gana Art Publication (1988), Galerie Gana-Beaubourg Paris (1995), Gana Art Institute (1996), Cité internationale des arts Membership (1996), Gana Ceramic Studio (1997), Ansung Atelier (1997), Gana Academy (1998), Gana Atelier (2001), Ecole de Gana (2002), JangHeung Art Park and JangHeung Atelier (2006), Gana Atelier New York (2007) and Gana Art New York (2008).
Gana Art has led to expand Korean art globally by presenting contemporary artists into the international art market. Gana Art New York, opened in Chelsea, March 2008, plans to guide Korean art to become more influential in the American art market. Since the late 1990s, the gallery has supported promising young artists by providing them work spaces and creative environments in various ateliers. The JangHeung Atelier, opened in 2006, consists of two buildings with 50 residing artists. The artists can therefore discuss among themselves, share their passion for art, and fully immerse into such environment for more creative matters. We wish for future development, that living with artists from abroad will exhibit a more international environment for artists. We also hold a public invitation for new artists every two years for the “Gana Now Art” to encourage talented young artists. |
