The Art of Dissonance Part of UK/Korea 2017-18 Creative Futures

Abstract

Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA), in partnership with the British Council, is delighted to present The Art of Dissonance as part of UK/Korea 2017–18, an exhibition drawn mainly from the British Council Collection.
"[The exhibition] is a forum for us to experience the power of art to change the world, change our vision and change our senses." Choi Hyo-jun, Director of SeMA
Himid’s patterns are often employed to create a space between European modernism and non-Western traditions. In this work Himid chooses titles creating impossible choices or utopian scenarios; using phrases which contrast strongly with current political realities. 1792, 1974 and 2015 are an extension of the Lost Election series. In these paintings Himid allows the figure to take more of the centre stage. The word ‘vote’ still often appears in a minimal way, for example on buttons. Both series are underpinned by the idea of political agency: 1792 is the date that Toussaint L’Ouverture became the military leader for the Haitian uprising, the female figure in 1974 is a woman from the feminist era, and 2015 depicts a contemporary black man with ‘vote’ discreetly written into his button.
The work engages with the problem of how to both encourage and promote the right to vote while highlighting that in Britain there are very few people of colour in parliament. It draws on the standard election format for its visual aesthetic and argues that an increased participation in parlimentary activity could shift the balance of power towards a more equal representation of the British population.