Fun sculptures let imaginations run

In Hans Christian Andersen`s fairytale "The Wild Swans," the princess knits clothes with nettles picked from graveyards to free her brothers-turned-swans from their evil stepmother`s curse.

The original story, of course, ends with a happy ending where the princess and her brothers - who all return to human forms except for the last one who retains one swan`s wing instead of an arm - all live happily ever after.

But what if the princess had suddenly decided not to rescue her brothers?

At the exhibition "Funny Sculpture! Funny Painting" underway at Gallery Sejul, visitors can find out what might have happened next.



This is the 8th installment of the exhibition, which the gallery has held every summer to support young and talented artists. Nine Korean sculptors and painters showcase their whimsical works this year.

Among the artists, sculptor Sohn Jung-hee is the one who imagined the twist in Andersen`s story.

She made a sculpture of the princess lying on her stomach with a mischievous smirk, holding eleven leashes.

The princess had not freed her brothers but instead leashed them while they were still in the form of swans. The poor brothers, not knowing what to do, are panicking.

"She decides to keep her brothers as pets. Sohn wanted to tell the story about a girl who knows how to take advantage of others` weaknesses," said curator Lee Soo-kyung.

Kim Min-hyung, another sculptor, added tiny horse legs on women`s shoes instead of heels.

"One day when I saw a woman running in her high heels, the image of a horse crossed my mind. The looks and the noise of the heels resembled a horse`s hoofs," the artist said in a statement.

The shoes are lined up as if they are in a chic boutique but ironically and amusingly, looking from behind, they just look like a bunch of horses lined up in a row.

The exhibition runs through Aug. 14 at Gallery Sejul in Pyeongchang-dong, central Seoul. Admission is 3,000 won for adults and 2,000 won for students. For more information, call (02) 391-9171 or visit www.sejul.com

(claire@heraldm.com)



By Park Min-young