Artist Studio Visit with AHL Foundation

The AHL Artist Foundation that Shin is involved in hosts regular studio visits with artists. The next one is coming up this Thursday March 5th at the artist Chong Gon Byun's studio in Brooklyn. For times, directions, and RSVP details please click on the image of the flyer below.

Chong Gon Byun is a Korean artist whose work examines the irony of contemporary culture. The work pictured here is titled I-pod- 2, 2005. Using an old champagne bottle, paint, headphones, and string he mixes a variety of cultural objects to point out the oftentimes surreal mixture of influences that make up our lives. The studio visit should be a great opportunity to observe his process and talk to the artist. His work is in the collections of the Korean National Museum of Contemporary Art (Seoul), the Indianapolis Museum of Art (Indianapolis), the Cleveland Museum of Art (Cleveland) to name a few.

The AHL Foundation is a non profit organization established to support cultural and artistic events with the purpose of building a wider public awareness of the contributions of Korean-American artists to contemporary art.

Book Reading and Signing January 16th, 2009

Happy New Year!

We are pleased to announce a very special event on Friday January 16th at 6:30PM at our store. Janice Y.K. Lee will do a reading from her novel The Piano Teacher. Recently featured in Elle, Janice's debut is creating a buzz among literary circles. The Piano Teacher is a labor of love. Taking place in WW2 Hong Kong, the novel is both a transformative and beguiling journey. Written mostly during two of Janice's pregnancys, after her MFA from Hunter College under the guidance of author Chang-rae Lee, it is truly a labor of love.

"Rarely does one encounter a debut work as beguiling and assured as Janice Lee's The Piano Teacher. Rich with intrigue, romance, and betrayal, this wonderfully written novel dazzles with sharp-eyed renderings of beau monde Hong Kong as it is plunged into the crucible of war. Withits fascinating interplay of East and West and wide cast of effervescent characters, especially the singularly haunting Trudy Liang, this is a truly transporting- and indeed irresistible- work of fiction."
-Chang-Rae Lee, author of Native Speaker

RSVP to hannah_an@hotmail.com

Trunk Show and Brunch!

Theme Magazine Launch for Issue 14

Theme Magazine's Launch Party for their 14th Issue: Travel was held in Soho on Tuesday night. Thank you to this magazine for always keeping refreshing content, showcasing fresh Asian/Asian American talent, and functioning as a unique community of inspiring creative types. Met some great designers, musicians, artists, and filmmakers here.

"New wave" in Chelsea

Attended a fabulous, jam-packed concert of fusion traditional Korean music Haegum Plus at the recently opened Gana Art gallery in Chelsea this past weekend. Set up in the main gallery, this concert was set up amidst the amazing tire sculptures by artist Yong Ho Ji. The group that played there incorporated traditional Korean instruments with western guitar, drums, and bass. Hearing the traditional stringed instrument haegum exchange solos with the jazzy lines of the guitarist was so exciting. The audience seemed to enjoy the back and forth of the sounds of unfamiliarity and familiarity.

The concert was a marker of a true "new wave" of East Asian galleries bringing in a change of scene in Chelsea.

Korean galleries Gana Art, Arario, set up on 25th street earlier in the fall. Arario's debut show with Hyungkoo Lee, an artist who represented Korea in the last Venice Biennale, garnered much interest and acclaim from New York art goers. Chinese galleries such as China Square, 798 Avant Gallery have been relentlessly presenting fine shows with contemporary Chinese artists for a growing market.

As well as giving their artists New York exposure, these galleries are already forming an important place for the Asian and Asian-American art community in New York to convene at events such as this concert, or openings. While the creative work of artists is the center of the art world, this kind of gallery venue is just as crucial to forming networks of support, presentation, and exchange. The sense of excitement and dialogue at the concert was unmistakable. It's going to be exciting to see what these new venues do to change the landscape of the New York art scene.

Here's Haegum Plus' Myspace!

Paul Chan

Was fortunate enough to go see Paul Chan lecture at the New School at their Public Art Fund Talks. Paul Chan, a young and successful artist, now has a show up at the New Museum and recently staged Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot in a recuperating New Orleans. He is known for being extremely vocal about his political stance, while producing art that is not merely political but also existential. Amidst much decadence and complicit stances in contemporary art, Paul Chan stands out as an artist with an extremely social and political agenda.

His lecture was, to say the least, powerful. As any of us reading any kind of news can attest to, the world is experiencing a serious economic recession. Characteristic of his practice of mirroring the contemporary, Paul read an essay he had written titled "The Spirit of Recession". Carefully written and deliberately performed, the essay was pointed and passionate.

He pointed out a few very interesting and important truths of our society. He noted that our political leaders are currently making decisions upon the "spirit of self-preservation", and that this mad dash of our leaders for self-preservation and self-progress at all costs is being payed for by all the rest of us. In the form of a recession. He noted that often "self-preservation" is masked under the word "progress" and warned against the idea of progress as a religion.

In the face of our leaders, what can the rest of us possibly do? What can I contribute? What can I change? He seemed to be battling with this question as an artist. He voiced his own doubts about the extent of the difference he could make in changing the ways of our current leaders. However, his conviction in "the creative act" was the most shaking and stuck with me for a long time. The creative act, he said, is to say what matters when something deathly is stuck in one's throat and stick by it, at all costs.

That is exactly what he did throughout his lecture. That being said, you should definitely check out his show at the New Museum and see what exactly he is saying when he has something deathly stuck in his throat. Click here for his website.

(Image, Paul Chan Lights)

Shin Choi Look of the Week

Springtime brings the possibility of new beginnings. With this, comes the uncomfortable transition period. Hot during the day, cold at night, and a little uncomfortable from the sudden air conditioning? Dating someone new and not sure what to wear on your Saturday evening date?

Throw on our lightweight, classic Toby jacket for a perfect spring time look. A favorite among our customers this season, the piece will dress up a simple jeans outfit or complement your favorite warm weather skirt. The plaid pattern is academic-chic while the short cut and 3/4 sleeve detailing add some flirtatious punch to the ensemble.

Click to buy from online store!