Today we’d like to introduce you to Seoyoung Kim
Hi Seoyoung, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I had just finished my second year at the Rhode Island School of Design when the pandemic hit. I went back home to Seoul, and I rented out a basement of an old residential building for a studio for my gap year for basically nothing. It was a huge space – so I taped the floors and rented it out to other artists who were looking for temporary studio relief. Halfway through the one year lease, I saw a community form through artists coming and going including my studio mates. I decided to put my work clothes on, paint the moldy walls, and install some track lighting. I installed curtains to divide the space, and that was my very first art space.
‘Projectspace WIP’ was a self-directed curatorial project drawing from my experiences visiting art spaces in Seoul. Resonating with artists in my community, I gathered a few peers who shared the same concerns and fears yet hopeful ambitions about collective and individual practices to throw a group show.
I returned to school and moved to Brooklyn after graduation. Being present in all sorts of art event all around the city, I quickly understood the struggle that young artists at the beginning of their careers might face to get into that world. Coming out of a tight-knit community of a small art school, I immediately felt lacking in opportunities to talk about our own works and celebrate our practices. The site started with the idea that there should be more opportunities for creatives to share their visions and narratives and connect to build community.
That is how ‘Site’ came to life.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It was not easy – starting something from scratch. I had no idea how to set up logistics, business documents, effective communications. But I had my passion for starting ‘Site’ for quite a while, that I knew exactly who to reach out to for each tasks when I required help. I am very grateful to everyone who’s showed their love and fruitful support on the way. I could have never done it alone.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
‘Site’ is an artist run variable experience + curation service based in Brooklyn and Seoul. We evolve around contemporary visual narratives focusing on the relationship between artist, viewer, and space. Our programming is dedicated to connecting the arts and creative experiences through a space of confluence among artist practices and viewership.
‘Site’ is committed to building cultural partnerships and activating new and ongoing conversations in creative communities. Our programming supports the community to foster and magnify their voices into a collective experience. We approach to bring together contexts, collaborations, ideas, and issues; Bridging the gap between ideas and issues, our collaborative solutions strive to contextualize the best of the artists and their practices.
‘Site’ provides experiences and exhibitions through discourse. These human and creative experiences, emphasized by its plurality and diversity, and further elaborated, complicated, are deterritorialized into expansive environments.
Without a permanent venue, we go beyond the traditional white-cube space, reimagining what we hope to achieve as young creatives in the city, and building significant relationships – and simply enjoying and celebrating our creative practices.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://site-service.org/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/site_____
Image Credits
all photography credits to Hokyeong Jang.
