This paper aims to focus specifically on restoring the installation works of Nanjido and Meta-Vox, two small art groups in the 1980s that have only been discussed as an example of post-modernism and as a background for Korean contemporary art since th...
This paper aims to focus specifically on restoring the installation works of Nanjido and Meta-Vox, two small art groups in the 1980s that have only been discussed as an example of post-modernism and as a background for Korean contemporary art since the 1990s. It also aims to examine their characteristics and aspects. In particular, it reconsiders their works by raising questions about their limitations as pointed out by literature, such as “following the search for materiality as before” and “expanding only the formal level.” Their installation art originated from a desire to challenge the rigidity of the Korean art scene, which was divided into Dansaekhwa and Minjung Art. While their works are relevant to the influence of neo-expressionism, an international trend at that time, they also have a distinctive characteristic that sets them apart from overseas art: their method of using the materiality of everyday objects as the main means of expression. This characteristic stems from appropriating the materiality that was a main characteristic of Korean art in the 1970s. Moreover, in terms of content, the works of Nanjido reflect the reality of the time, which was urbanized and industrialized, and the works of Meta-Vox explore various Korean traditions. In this way, Nanjido and Meta-Vox endeavored to overcome the rigidity of Korean art through the “appropriation of materiality” and “reflection of reality and tradition,” in contrast to previous evaluations by literature. Their works were essential in the context of the Korean art scene at the time, demonstrating their attempts to explore new art and transform Korean art from within the inner context, not just through the imitation of overseas art.