Kim Kulim (b. 1936, South Korea), known as Korea’s first avant-garde artist, has worked in film, music, performance, land art, often stretching the limits of a given medium. In Korea, he held his first solo exhibition in 1958 and soon expanded his artistic practice beyond painting. For his artistic “deconstructions” he often used burned plastics, vinyl, and metal bits alongside oil paint. He incorporated ready-made objects in his painted canvases, created installation art, and staged performances. He played a leading part in several artist collectives (Painting 68, A.G. Group, The Fourth Group) and brought many firsts to the Korean art world. He filmed Korea’s first experimental movies Munmyeong, Yeoja, Don (Civilization, Woman, Money, 1969); and 1/24 (Cho) ui Uimi (The Meaning of 1/24 Second, 1969), staged the nation’s first body painting performance, initiated the first Korean mail art Maeseu Midieo ui Yumul (The Relics of Mass Media, 1969), and was responsible for Korea’s first examples of land art Chujeog e Hyeonsang Eseo (From Phenomenon to Traces, 1970).
