Curator tour Kimsooja – (Un)Folding Bottari

The Korean word “bottari” refers to a bundle of belongings wrapped in a traditional cloth, the four corners of which are knotted together. Originally, bottari were used in everyday life to transport personal belongings. Bottari are a characteristic motif and principle in the work of multimedia conceptual artist Kimsooja. The exhibition Kimsooja – (Un)Folding Bottari presents fourteen works and groups of works by the artist in various media and techniques, which unfold new meanings and contexts in the rooms of the Museum für Asiatische Kunst and the Ethnologisches Museum in the Humboldt Forum. In the guided tour, curator Keumhwa Kim shows how – based on the concept of the “Bottari” – Kimsooja’s works connect associatively with the objects in the collections, and how life and art form a complex discourse in her artistic work.