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Amie Ann
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Internationally known as Amie Ann, Ann Ae-kyung is a Korean designer and exhibition planner based in Northern Europe. Having moved to Finland in 1994, Ann has held many famed art exhibitions and dance performances, such as "Paper & Meaning" in Scandinavia.
She worked with the national museum of Finland in 2007 and held the "Korealainen Koti: Korean Home" exhibition for a year, and was also an art director for the Public Design Expo held in Seoul in October 2008. She plans to work on an exhibition of Korean contemporary architecture at the Museum of Finnish Architecture next year.
The Korean Home exhibition, which took five years of preparation, was an expression of her love for the homeland. She recreated women's inner quarters in a traditional Korean house, using old furniture and articles created by skilled craftsmen. She also brought soy jars to add a Korean touch to the exhibition. She also held an event whereby Finnish children could make Korean traditional lamps and play with the Korean alphabet. This was deemed a success, as it suited the level of Finnish spectators.
"Many exhibitions on traditional Korea seem straight from a folk museum. Many Koreans think it looks traditional only when there is a fan dance and 'samulnori,' farmers' percussion band. But that would not work on a North European audience at all," said Ann.
Her exhibition on Korea was a huge success. The audience loved Korean products that were functional yet simple and sleek in design. The Scandinavians, who are proud to be a leader in the design field, noted a connection between North European and Korean design styles. "I heard that products made in Scandinavian style are extremely popular in Korea.
"It seems that Koreans search for things that are too far away," said Ann. She plans to continue her endeavor in introducing Korea to Scandinavia, exploring masterpieces found in everyday daily life.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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