COVID-19 has completely changed our way of living as civilization reorganizes for survival. When the position of the sun changes, the position of light and shadow changes as well. As a result of the pandemic, we have experienced a long forced pause in the modern society as we focus on what has been lost and what is actually valuable.

Mankind has created a distance of survival in which it is not possible to approach another person without the consent of said person. Now, the sight of people wearing masks across the world has become natural. Even after the pandemic ends, there will never be a return to the previous way of living now that society has progressed with such a system already in use.

As Aristotle once said, "Man is a social animal”, and the art world is no exception as it attempts to adapt to the situation. To make matters worse, in this difficult time, the art world has been experiencing a transitional period in which offline and online channels must be operated at the same time. During this period in which face-to-face contact is not possible, opening exhibitions online has become a necessity, rather than a trend, completely changing the landscape of the cultural world.

Last year, art galleries and galleries around the world were closed. In daily life, working from home has become normal, and meetings can be held via Zoom to overcome the lack of interpersonal communication.

In the art world also, as a result of the outbreak and direction of the pandemic, exhibitions have been postponed or reduced to events by appointment only. It had become natural to ensure distance between people, and the time spent in a single space has also become regulated.

Art fairs are no exception. The form of art fairs, which has the advantage allowing communication with many people at the same time in a convention hall, has been replaced by online exhibitions to avoid face-to-face contact. A new year has come with no one providing a positive response regarding when an end will come to this cautious situation.

The reality is that works are already being sold online. However, the demands of collectors who view paintings offline have become normal and it is likely that the two channels will be adhered to for the time being, both inside and outside the art world. As virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are being utilized in the online exhibitions of art museums and galleries, the classic cultural environment is staggering to keep up with the pace of rapid transformation into the future society.

The situation in the art world is that the works of artists who respond sensitively to the times also seem to have opened up the environment of digital art. This is natural. It is a fact that the direction of culture depends on the organic return of society and economy. Even if humans are vaccinated and can cope with COVID-19, the risk of new strains is lurking across the world.

'Freedom', which introduces the world of Korean artists each year, has already published its fourth report. From this year onwards, online channels will also be opened, allowing faster and closer communication with Korean authors.

'Freedom', which introduces deep and powerful Korean artists who sublimate their works based on humanistic thinking, provides a chance to encounter various projects such as art books, online channels, and art museums around the world.

The vision of Korean authors is at the blue-chip level.

While concerns remain regarding the change into a society lacking face-to-face contact, artists continue to invest their time to focus on their craft despite the fluctuating environment in which daily isolation has become the new normal as the artists create their own inner world. It is an age in which there is excitement regarding the creations of artists, who have diversely fused elements and expanded and reorganized civilization.

At the base of the advanced science equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), only the creativity of art is the seed to move forward. As always, the role of an artist is to be an enchanting bridge.



Kim, Eun Sook (Company Director of Celsius/artcelsi)