Seoul was swept up in a frenzy in the third week of March as BTS performed their comeback concert. But a smaller, yet also significant cultural moment was happening just a few streets away from the stage at Gwanghwamun Square.
“Spectrosynthesis Seoul”, a large exhibition of 74 artists and artist groups, opened on March 20 at Art Sonje Centre. Dedicated to exploring LGBTQ themes and celebrating queer artists, it is the first large-scale exhibition of its kind in South Korea.
Patrick Sun, the Hong Kong-born founder of the Sunpride Foundation and the collector who initiated the “Spectrosynthesis” project, says this edition stands apart from previous shows in Taipei, Bangkok and Hong Kong. He explains that the immense energy and backing from South Korea’s younger queer artists feels particularly powerful given the country’s comparatively traditional and rigid social landscape.
