Art Mediation / Education

In times of singularization, art mediation resp. education can no longer be organized as a pure transfer of knowledge. Infotainment formats make it possible to successfully convey content with the help of entertainment elements

In its “mixed” positioning, infotainment first appeals to emotional needs and then provides information about the extent to which the exhibited artist is able to satisfy these needs.

artlinks organized two infotainment events in galleries for the Korean-American painter Kejoo Park. Both events were about her cycle of pictures, inspired by Gustav Mahler's symphony “The Song of the Earth” (see video).

Mahler's song cycle is based on classical Chinese poems from the 8th century and so the sinologist Prof. Dr. Zhiyi Yang from the Goethe University in Frankfurt, a recognized expert on premodern Chinese literature, started the evening with a lecture on the famous poets Li Bai and Wang Wei and the time of the Tang dynasty. Two movements from Mahler's Symphony were performed by mezzo-soprano Diana Schmid and pianist Seung-Jo Cha. The art historian Dr. Hanneke Heinemann presented Kejoo Park's art.

In addition to customers of the gallery, there were also visitors interested in Chinese culture and Mahler's music. Whatever the motivation of the numerous guests who appeared, they all looked at the artist's pictures and one or the other will certainly be seen again in the gallery.

A second event was organized as a talk show: under the direction of Andreas Clarysse from Hessischer Rundfunk, Prof. Dr. Norbert Abels (chief dramaturg at the Frankfurt Opera), Dr. Stephan Graf von der Schulenburg (curator for Asian art at the Museum of Applied Arts Frankfurt) and Ernst Hübner, owner of the Galerie Hübner & Hübner with the artist Kejoo Park, who is also an architect (student of Harvard professor and Ground Zero landscape architect Peter Walker).

The participants in the discussion shed light on the genesis of the symphony, showed connections between music, literature and painting, explained Asian art as a process and gave interesting insights into modern painting techniques.

The “Gallery Talk” brought the visitors cross-art, intercultural knowledge and inspiration that went far beyond the usual art exhibitions.