Bae, Bien-U, who has made a name for himself with his arboreal landscape photographs, has been working with his main subject, trees - especially Korean pines - for more than two decades, creating his own unique language of photographic landscape. Rather than following the Western methodology of photography, which views nature as a passive object to be captured by the viewer, Bae has interpreted nature as an autonomous being. Instead of being stared at, Bae's trees look back at us with a noble presence. Bae's pines are rarely seen as a whole, but rather as parts of the trunks, highlighting our finite lives compared to the infinite existence of time and nature.
The artist's approach to the Korean country, which has suffered much through wars, colonisation, and dictatorship, clearly has a nostalgic, contemplative character. Although the artist uses the camera as a tool, he visits the motifs in a more painterly way. His photography revives the philosophy of Korean calligraphy: Humility before nature and time.
Bae, Bien-U is a key figure in Korean photographic art and has influenced a whole generation of photographers during his many years of teaching. He has exhibited in many important museums, including the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, the Thyssen Museum, Madrid, Bozar - Center for Fine Arts, Brussels and the Samsung Museum of Art LEEUM, Seoul. His works are also in the collections of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Texas, to name a few.
Education
since 1981
Professor in Photography, Seoul Institute of the Arts, Seoul, South Korea
1988-1989
Department of Photography Design / University of Applied Sciences, Bielefeld, Germany
Invited by Prof. G. Jaeger for one year of research Graduate School of Hong-ik University, Seoul, South Korea
1978
Graduated from the Department of Industrial Arts Design
1974
College of Arts / Hong-ik University, Seoul, South Korea
Graduated from the Department of Applied Arts
Selected solo exhibitions
2021
"Works 1995-2015", Slag Gallery, New York, USA
2020
"Orum", Galerie RX, Paris, France
"Bae Bien-U, Memories of Wandering – Small-format works from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s", Axel Vervoordt Gallery, Hong Kong
2018
"Cycle", Axel Vervoordt Gallery, Belgium
2016
„Bae Bien-U -分合 Part:Meet", Axel Vervoordt Gallery, Hong Kong, China
„Bae Bien-U – L'Esprit du Lieu", Musée de la Mer, Cannes, France
2015
„Dans un forêt l'autre", Château de Chambord, Domain national de Chambord, France
2014
„Counterbalance", Axel Vervoordt Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
2012
„Sailing the seas" GS Yeulmaru, Yeosu, Korea
„Windscape" Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
„Windscape" Aando Fine Art, Berlin, Germany
„Windscape" Galerie PX, Paris, Ivry sur Seine, France
2011
„BAE, BIEN-U" Art Sonje Museum, Gyeongju, Korea
Ferme de Villefavard en Limousin, France
„ConvexConcave" Axel Vervoordt Gallery, Antwerpen, Netherlands
2010
„Where God and Man Collide" The House for Mozart, Salzburg Festival, Salzburg, Austria
„Bae Bien-U" II Woo Space, Seoul, South Korea
2009
„Soul Garden" National Museum Of Contemporary Art Korea - Deoksugung, Seoul, South Korea
„Soul Garden" Palacio de Carlos V. La Alhambra, Museo de Bellas Artes de Granada, Spain
„Sacred Wood" Galerie zur Stockeregg, Zurich, Switzerland
„Sacred Wood" Aando Fine Art, Berlin, Germany
2008
„Sacred Wood" BOZAR - Palais des Beaux-Arts / Paleis voor Schone Kunsten, Brussels, Belgium
„Sonamu (Pine Trees)" Gana Art New York, New York, United States
2006
„Bae, Bien-U" Galería Álvaro Alcázar, Madrid, Spain
„Bae Bien-U" Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, Spain
„The 6th Photo Festival Bae Bien-U & Elger Esser" Gana Art Center, Seoul, South Korea
2005
Rollo Gallery, London, United Kingdom
Pollar Gallery, Frankfurt, Germany
Insa Art Center, Seoul, South Korea
2004
„Tahiti" Gana-Beaubourg, Paris, France
„Bae Bien-U" Kukje Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
„Wind of Tahiti" Galerie Gana-Beaubourg, Paris, France
Gana Art Center, Seoul, South Korea
2003
„Tahiti Festival de la Photographie" Tahiti Festival de la Photographie, Tahiti, French Polynesia
2002
„Photographies" Gana-Beaubourg, Paris, France
„Bae Bien-U" Art Sonje Center, Seoul, South Korea
2001
ISE Gallery, New York, United States
2000
Galerie Bhak, Seoul, South Korea
Sigong Gallery, Daegue, South Korea
1998
OZ Galerie, Paris, France
„Bae Bien-U, Photographies du Kyungju" Galerie Jean-Luc & Takako Richard, Paris, France
1993
Seoul Art Center, Seoul, South Korea
1989
Hochschule Gallery, Bielefeld, Germany
1988
Raiffeisen Bank Gallery, Bamberg, Germany
1985
Hanmadang Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
1982
Kwan Hoon Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
Selected Group Exhibitions
| 2019 | |
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| 2018 | |
| 2017 | |
| 2017 | |
| 2016 | |
| 2015 | Proportio, Palazzo Fortuny, Venice |
2019
"CHAUMONT-PHOTO-SUR-LOIRE: ORUMS", France
2018
"Time Frames: Contemporary East Asian Photography", Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, USA
2017
"Photo London Public Commission Project", Somerset House, London, United Kingdom
"Into the Woods: Trees in Photography", Victoria and Albert Museum, London, United Kingdom
2016
"Public to Private: Korean Contemporary Photography since 1989", National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, South Korea
2015
"Proportio", Palazzo Fortuny, Venice, Italy
2013
„L’Arbre qui ne meurt pas" Théâtre des Sablon, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
2011
„TRA - EDGE OF BECOMING" Palazzo Fortuny, Venice, Italy
„38°N SNOW SOUTH: KOREAN CONTEMPORARY ART" Galleri Charlotte Lund, Stockholm, Sweden
2010
„The Wind in the Pines: 5000 Years of Korean Art" Hermitage Art Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
„Free Style: A Dialogue between Art and Design" Hongik University Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea
„Eternal Blinking" University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii, United States
2009
„Art in Busan" Busan Museum of Art, Busan, South Korea
„2009 International Photography Festival" Ulsan, South Korea
„Korean Contemporary Photographers: 2009 Odyssey" Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul, South Korea
„A Look at Contemporary Art" Artsonje Museum, Gyeongju Bomun, South Korea
„In-finitum" Palazzo Fortuny, Venice, Italy
2008
„Oasis" Gana Art Busan, Busan, South Korea
„Sol LeWitt x2" Austin Museum of Art - AMOA, Austin, United States
2007
„Void in Korean Art" Leeum - Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea
„Five Contemporary Photographers - Landscapes in Black and White" National Museum of Contemporary Art Korea, Gwacheon, South Korea
„I Encuentro entre dos Mares Bienal" São Paulo - Valencia, Spain
„ARCO Art Fair" Gana Art Gallery, Madrid, Spain
2006
CentrePasquArt, Biel, Switzerland
„Simply Beautiful" Kunsthaus CentrePasquArt - Centre d'Art, Biel, Switzerland
„Photo España 06" Photo España, Madrid, Spain
„ARCO Art Fair" Gana Art Gallery, Madrid, Spain
„The Modern Photography" Gwangju Museum of Art, Gwangju, South Korea
2005
„Kim Jung-Man - Bae Bien-U - Ryu Ho-Yeol - Photographies" Gana-Beaubourg, Paris, France
„Bae Bien-U & Kim Atta - exposition de photographie" Gana-Beaubourg, Paris, France
„Art Paris" Paris, France
„Photo London" Royal Academy of Art, London, United Kingdom
„Milano Art Fair" Milano, Italy
„Frankfurt Book Fair" Frankfurt, Germany
2004
„Real Reality" Kukje Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
„Bae Bien-U, KU Bon Chang, and Min Byung Hun" White Wall Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2003
„Time of Nature Time of Human" Daejeon Municipal Museum of Art, Daejeon, South Korea
„People Walking on the Water" Cheonggyecheon Project, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea
„Korea International Art Fair 2003" COEX, Seoul, South Korea
„REAL - SCAPE Revisited" National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, South Korea
2002
„Botanique" PKM Gallery - Seoul, Seoul, South Korea
„Now, What is photo" Gana Art Center, Seoul, South Korea
„15 Photographes Coréens" Galerie Photo, Montpellier, France
„Festival de la Photographie" Tahiti, French Polynesia
2001
„Bae Bien-U, Jacqueline HASSIK - Photographies" Galerie Jean-Luc & Takako Richard, Paris, France
Central Connecticut State University, Connecticut, United States
„Internationale Fototage in Herten" Herten, Germany
2000
„Slowness of Speed" Artsonje Museum, Gyeongju Bomun, South Korea
„FotoFest 2000 - The Eighth International Month of Photography" FotoFest Biennial Houston, United States
„Slowness of Speed" Artsonje Center, Seoul, South Korea
„Bae Bien-U, CHOI Jeong Hwa, Corée - entre tradition et modernité" Galerie Jean Luc & Takako Richard, Paris, France
„Odense Foto Triennale" Odense, Denmark
1999
„Figure and Landscape in Korea" Hanlim Museum, Daejeon, South Korea
„Commemorative Photograph Exhibition" The Korean Culture and Arts Foundation Art Museum, Seoul, South Korea
„Contemporary Asian Art Work from The Lewitt Collection" Montserrat College of Art Gallery, Massachusetts, United States
1998
„Alienation and Assimilation" The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, United States
„Contemporary Art from Korea" Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany
„Slowness of Speed" National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
1997
„The Vibrant Art Scene of the Republic of Korea" The Power Plant, Toronto, Canada
„Inside Out" ICA, Philadelphia (PA), USA
1996
„Photography-New Vision" National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, South Korea
„An Aspect of Korean Art in 1990's" The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan
1995
„Photography Today" Art Sonje Museum, Kyungju, South Korea
„Territory of Mind" Mito Art Tower, Ibaraki, Japan
1994
„Visions from the Land of Morning Calm" PIMA Community College Art Gallery, Arizona, United States
„Contemporary Photography of Korea" Seoul Art Center, Seoul, South Korea
1993
„Contemporary Photography in Seoul" Seoul Art Center, Seoul, South Korea
1992
„Horizon of Korean Photography" Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea
1991
„Horizon of Korean Photography" Total Museum of Art, Jang Heung, South Korea
1989
„The 150th Anniversary of Photography Show" Bamberg Neue Residenz, Bamberg, Germany
Collections
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan
The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, USA
The Museum of Contemporary Photography Chicago, USA
21C Museum, Kentucky, USA
LEEUM Sam Sung Museum, Seoul, Korea
The Sol Le Witt Collection, USA
Elton John Collection, UK
Afinsa Collection, Germany
Isac Andic Ermay, MANGO Collection, Spain
SISLEY Collection, Italy
Calder Foundation, USA
