Korean modern art landscape unfolds in Jinju's former train depot, marked by bullet holes

The former Jinju train maintenance depot, a building bearing the scars of the Korean War, has been transformed into a venue for a modern Korean art exhibition. The exhibition, titled 'Memories of the Plaza,' opened on June 15 and features works from prominent contemporary Korean artists, creating a dialogue between historical trauma and artistic expression.

The depot, built in 1925, is a historical witness to the Korean War. Its exterior red brick walls are still marked with countless bullet holes from machine-gun fire during the intense street battles around Jinju Station in September 1950. The building, which once housed steam locomotives, now stands as a cultural space, designated as a registered cultural heritage site in 2005.

Inside the 602-square-meter (182-pyeong) space with a 10-meter ceiling, the exhibition presents a 'topography' of Korean modern art. It uniquely brings together works from both veteran and emerging artists, showcasing their creations side-by-side. For instance, a large-scale painting from the 1960s by senior artist Shin Hak-cheol is displayed alongside a contemporary piece by Lee Woo-sung, a young artist who gained prominence in the 2020s.

The exhibition is part of a larger project, 'Futures of Images, Narrating Memory, Beyond Colored Painting,' organized by Jinju City. 'Memories of the Plaza' is one of three accompanying exhibitions, aiming to shed new light on Jinju's tradition of colored painting and extend it into contemporary art. The juxtaposition of art within a space marked by conflict aims to offer a unique perspective on Korean history and its artistic evolution.