Shamanism, fortune telling meet art
Posted : 2021-04-17 08:51
Updated : 2021-04-19 17:19

Artist Jang Jong-wan's "Animal Skin Painting" series, front, and VideoRose's

 "Moon Garden" (2021) / Courtesy of Ilmin Museum of Art

By Park Han-sol

An official poster for the exhibition "Fortune Telling" held at Ilmin Museum of Art, Seoul / Courtesy of Ilmin Museum of Art

The mystic worldview materialized by fortune telling, astrology and shamanism has existed throughout human history, fueled by both anxiety and a desire to know about the future.

The new exhibition "Fortune Telling" at Ilmin Museum of Art, Seoul, reinterprets such practices, viewed as superstitious in the age of science, as potent artistic tools.

The first exhibition space themed "Fate" represents the idea of fatalism and mythology from the East and West, filled with cosmological symbols as well as the theory of yin-yang and the five elements; fire, earth, metal, water and wood. But its real charm lies in the audio guide containing the interpretations of each work that come from the Korean shaman's own perspective.




Woo Jeong-su's "Calm the Storm" (2017) / Courtesy of Ilmin Museum of Art



Roh Jin-ah's "From Dust You Came, and To Dust You Shall Return" (2019) / Courtesy of Ilmin Museum of Art

Haehwa-am, a shaman, delivers each work dealing with cosmological destiny through the lens of religion and especially, Korean shamanism. In Woo Jeong-su's "Calm the Storm," which was inspired from the biblical scene "Jesus Calms the Storm," the expressionless faces of the crowd on the boat in the face of raging waves and tumultuous storm seem at first, counterintuitive. But Haehwa-am explains their expressions are not so different from those who come to have their fortune read.

"The dry expression we see in these human characters in the middle of atrocities is in fact, similar to the ones who just heard an unexpectedly horrifying news at the fortune telling table. They look lost without making any efforts to mask it."

Looking at Jang Jong-wan's "Animal Skin Painting" series, which ironically depicts the scenes of religious utopia painted on the animal hide, she saw the role of "gut," a ritual performed by Korean shamans, involving offerings to gods and spirits. The ritual exists to appease gods and comfort humans who wish to see the peaceful world after their death, she said.

The motif of multimedia artist duo VideoRose's "Moon Garden" comes from esbat, a coven-like ritual observance centering on moon worship. The shaman explained that although esbat comes from the civilization at the other side of the world, many commonalities with Korea's shamanistic rituals can be found.

"It's because people of different thoughts and backgrounds still share a sense of faith and sacred unconsciousness within them. And Korean shamans, like priestess of the esbat, are also highly influenced by the moon as we are compelled to perform different rituals depending on the phase of the moon."



Song Ji-hyung's "Saju-Fortune Telling" (2021) / Courtesy of Ilmin Museum of Art

After a chance to contemplate the nature of fate, the audience can head to the second exhibition space, where they can explore their inner self and learn to either accept or fight against destiny through a number of interactive counseling programs.

They can have their fortune read based on the Chinese Four Pillars of Destiny inside the red tent, resembling the one commonly seen in the street of Korea, in "Saju ― Fortune Telling." They can also participate in storytelling workshops called "Room of La Loba ― Revival" based on Mother-peace Tarot reading, which is known for its feminist, inclusive characteristics that largely depart from traditional tarot imagery.

In "Ancient Pharmacy 2021," inspired by the pharmacies of the old days with alchemistic qualities, an interesting mix of fortune tellers, psychiatrists and artists study the dreams and luck of visitors to concoct a specialized potion. In "Instinct Beauty Shop," patrons can take part in unique counseling sessions to discover their hidden instincts and meet personalized characters that embody that very instinct.

The exhibition will run until July 11.