이건희 회장의 안목 (CNN)

*주요내용

Museum visitors have been given a first look at some of the 23,000 artworks donated to South Korea from the collection of Samsung's late chairman, Lee Kun hee. The businessman's family announced the donation as it seeks to settle an inheritance tax bill of over 12 trillion won ($10.4 billion). The works are showing at the National Museum of Korea and National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) The acquisition would help the two institutions "compete with famous museums abroad. "Among the items acquired by MMCA are 119 works by Western artists, including Paul Gauguin, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró. But more than 90% of the pieces are by contemporary Korean artists, including over 100 works by painter Lee Jungseop and almost 70 by celebrated craftsman Yoo Kangyul.

 

박물관 방문객들에게 삼성의 전 회장, 고 이건희의 23,000점의 예술품으로 부터 기증된 일부 작품이 처음으로 공개되었다. 이건희의 유족들은 12조에 달하는 상속세를 정리할 방법을 찾던 중 이 같은 결정을 한 것이다. 기증된 작품들은 국립박물관과 국립현대미술관에서 선보여지고 있다. 이런 정산, 즉 기증은 세계유수의 박문관과 경쟁하는데에 큰 도움이 될 것이다. 국립현대미술관에서 기증 받은 119점은 서양화가의 작품으로 폴고갱, 르노와르, 피사로,샤갈, 살바도르달리 그리고 후안미로의 작품들이다. 그러나 90%이상의 작품들은 100여점의 이중섭 및 70점의 유강열의 작품을 포함해 한국 예술가들의 작품이다.  

 

*단어와 표현

centuries-old antiques 수세기의 골동품(고예술품)
"Clearing after Rain on Mount Inwang," 인왕제색도
'loner' culture 외톨이문화
"in terms of both value and scale." 가치와 규모면에서
"an opportunity to expand the horizons of art history research through continuous research." 지속적인 연구를 통해 역사연구의 지평을 넓힐 기회
bodhisattva 보살
currently under consideration 현재 고려 중이다 

 

*짧평

이건희의 컬렉션 가치와 규모는 가히 역대급이다. 그리고 그 내막이 만천하에 공개된 것은 기사에서 언급한 대로 상속세의 문제에서 탈출구를 찾던 중에 일어났으며, 당연히 이미 오래전부터 이 때를 위해 준비된 것이리라. 이런 이유들로 재력이 있는 자들은 예술작품을 사는데 아낌없는 투자를 하는 것이며, 이 투자의 결과로 상속세를 피하는 가족이 좋은 것은 물론이고, 기증받는 국립기관들도 발전하게 될 것이며, 나라의 국격을 높이는데 보템이 되어 국민 개개인에게 득으로 돌아온다고 볼 수 도 있겠다. 단지 한 가지 이런 고가 예술품의 생태계를 보며 안타까운 것은, 예술을 남긴 그 예술가들이 작품을 통해 말하고 있는 혼과 메시지가 경시된다는 사실이다. 무엇보다 이 세계에서 중요한 것은 경매에서 더 높은 몸 값을 가지는 것이 아니겠는가 말이다. 그 수집의 목적이 투자의 용도가 우선이라면 말이다. 본말이 전도되는 것이다. 옛날 가난한 화가들, 그 작품에 자신의 영혼을 담고 죽어가는 작은 것들의 목소리를 담아 그린 수많은 작품들이 결국은 숫자 놀음 속의 앵벌이가 되어 세상을 돌아다닌다는 것을 과연 그 화가는 만족할까? 자본주의 세상에 맞지 않는 , 그러나 또 틀리지는 생각이 머리 한 구석에 또아리를 튼다. 

 

Museum visitors have been given a first look at some of the 23,000 artworks donated to South Korea from the collection of Samsung's late chairman, Lee Kun-hee.

Two exhibitions of the items opened in Seoul on Wednesday, just months after the businessman's family announced the donation as it seeks to settle an inheritance tax bill of over 12 trillion won ($10.4 billion).

The works are showing at the National Museum of Korea and National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), the recipients of Lee's vast collection. Items on display include centuries-old antiques and contemporary Korean artworks, while paintings by Western names like Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet are set to be unveiled next year.

 

 

"Clearing after Rain on Mount Inwang," created by court painter Jeong Seon in 1751. Credit: Courtesy National Museum of Korea

Lee, whose father founded technology conglomerate Samsung in the 1930s, died last October aged 78. In April, his family announced that it was expecting to pay more than half the value of his estate in inheritance tax over a period of five years.

 

Photographers capture the rise of South Korea's 'loner' culture

That same day, South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revealed that the Lee family was donating approximately 23,000 antiques and artworks to public collections. In a press statement at the time, the ministry said the acquisition would help the two institutions "compete with famous museums abroad."

Neither Lee's relatives nor the museums have disclosed the value of the donation or confirmed how, or even whether, it will figure into the family's inheritance tax commitments.

 

 

A painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, "La Lecture," was among the items donated by Lee's family to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA). Credit: Courtesy National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

MMCA received almost 1,500 of the works, in what the museum this week called "the donation of the century." According to senior curator Park Mihwa, the collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures represented the single largest contribution received by the museum "in terms of both value and scale."

"The rare and major artworks of the early 20th century and overseas works have greatly enhanced the quality and quantity of the museum," Park told CNN, describing the acquisition as "an opportunity to expand the horizons of art history research through continuous research."

"We have obtained masterpieces that would have been difficult to purchase with our annual collection budget of 5 billion won ($4.35 million)," she added. "So we expect this collection will help art tourism as well as help South Korea to become a powerhouse of art culture in the future."

Artists 'loved by Koreans'

Among the items acquired by MMCA are 119 works by Western artists, including Paul Gauguin, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró. But more than 90% of the pieces are by contemporary Korean artists, including over 100 works by painter Lee Jungseop and almost 70 by celebrated craftsman Yoo Kangyul.

 

 

"Women and Jars," by Korean painter Kim Whanki. Credit: Courtesy National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

The museum's new exhibition features art created from the 1920s to 1970s, spanning the periods of Japanese occupation, the Korean War and the subsequent military dictatorship. Park said the show highlights work "by 34 artists loved by Koreans," including influential landscape artist Byeon Gwansik, abstract painter Kim Whanki and contemporary sculptor Kwon Jinkyu.

Meet North Korea's art dealer to the West

At the National Museum of Korea, meanwhile, an exhibition of older artifacts from Lee's collection also opened Wednesday. The show features 45 historical items, including Buddhist statues, rare woodblock prints and Bronze Age earthenware.

The museum is also exhibiting a number of items deemed "National Treasures" by the South Korean government, including an ink wash painting by the Joseon dynasty court artist Jeong Seon and a gilt bronze bodhisattva dating back to the 6th century.

 

 

A bodhisattva, cast in bronze in the 6th century, was among the items deemed a "National Treasure" by South Korea's government. Credit: Courtesy National Museum of Korea

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revealed that it is planning to build a new museum dedicated entirely to Lee's collection, with two candidate sites in Seoul currently under consideration.

Top image: "Bull," (c. 1950s) by Korean painter Lee Jungseop.

 

*원문

https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/samsung-lee-art-donation/index.html