The Korean Cultural Service NY is pleased to present “TheArtConspiracy” from December 3, 2008 to January 2, 2009. The exhibition features works by Yejin Jun, Seong-eun Hong, Susan C. Dessel, Desi Minchillo, and Priscilla Proudwoman Stadler, and is curated by Yejin Jun. The opening reception will be held at Gallery Korea (6th Floor, 460 Park Ave. at 57th St.) from 6:00 to 8:00p.m on Wednesday, December 3, 2008.

The work of these five emerging artists questions life in mainstream society. Through their art they express lives lived in the complexity of society and culture, navigating between order and disorder. This group of five artists represents a range of ethnicities, gender and generational perspectives, and cultural experiences, working with different art forms and materials. The goal of TheArtConspiracy is to encourage viewers to bridge the gaps between the art world, contemporary society and global culture to better fathom their own identity.

The mixed media work of Yejin Jun references her belief that all entities existing in space are constantly changing and that these changes represent an unstable reality that impacts the human psyche and causes people to lose their egos. Her work is an expression of the squeezed and strained human psyche as the backdrop to contemporary society. The transformation that she strives to achieve in her work is self-identity and ego.

Using digital processes Seong-eun Hong creates photos of people purchasing art pieces in a grocery store. Through his work Hong explores the relationships that exist between art and consumers in our society and the artist’s role in a world marked by consumption. Ultimately he returns to the question “what is art” as he struggles to define himself as an artist and to find meaning in his art making.

New York-based artist, Susan C. Dessel left a corporate career in 1998 to begin undergrad studies in studio art and completed her MFA in 2006. Her work is conceptual, driven by her commitment to public discourse about difficult societal issues. The artist creates a dialog with prevailing icons, addressing how our increasingly networked world continues to redefine our understanding of time, space, and distance. Dessel’s art reveals her interest in individuals’ ability to effect social change and encourages viewers to imagine the world differently. Her installation INFINITY is seen here for the first time.

The work of Desi Minchillo consists of a modular three-dimensional mural composed of found materials: specifically, commercially produced paint chip samples. It’s inspiration is derived by the artist’s and other immigrant families’ experiences of migration: the belief that better opportunities exist in distant lands, and the human condition to pursue the unknown and to have the courage to endeavor in spite of the hardships so that the next generation might flourish. The work draws an abstract connection between this human condition and the inherent properties and imagery of the universe.

The simple, intriguing question “Why do we believe what we believe?” is at the heart of Priscilla Proudwoman Stadler’s art, as she explores human consciousness using diverse media including stone, plastic, paper, plaster, drawing, video, and human interaction. ORQ [The Oracle of Random Quotes]TM, Stadler’s new project, is composed of interactive consultations, video, and drawings. Part serious, part playful, ORQ readings offer the opportunity to gain insight into life’s dilemmas by opening texts at random. ORQ provides a chance to explore the nature of meaning, randomness, art, and free association – often with a dose of humor thrown in.