Our
Shin Meekyoung, Translation-vase series,Saatchi Gallery, London
Journey
The Development of the Global Eye Programme and Parallel Contemporary Art
Parallel Contemporary Art was founded by David and Serenella Ciclitira with a clear purpose:
to champion emerging artistic talent and to create meaningful international opportunities for artists and galleries.
From the outset, the organisation focused on contemporary Asian art at a time when international visibility for artists across the region was still developing. What followed was a sustained and ambitious programme of exhibitions, awards and collaborations that introduced a new generation of artists to global audiences.
The journey began in May 2009 with the inaugural Korean Eye exhibition in London, the first major international platform devoted to a new wave of Korean contemporary artists. Later that year it was shown in Seoul, establishing a defining principle of the programme: exhibitions were presented both within Asia and internationally, fostering cultural dialogue between regions. In November 2010, Korean Eye was also exhibited during the G20 Summit in Seoul.
Between 2009 and 2017, PCA staged twenty three Eye exhibitions worldwide:
Korean Eye: Moon Generation presented by Standard Chartered (2009)
Korean Eye: Fantastic Ordinary presented by Standard Chartered (2009–2010)
Korean Eye: Energy and Matter presented by Standard Chartered (2011)
Indonesian Eye: Fantasies and Realities presented by Prudential (2011)
Korean Eye: 2012 presented by Standard Chartered (2012)
Hong Kong Eye: presented by Prudential (2012)
Malaysian Eye: presented by Prudential (2014)
Singapore Eye: presented by Prudential (2015)
Thailand Eye: presented by Prudential (2015)
Vietnam Eye: presented by AIA (2017)
In addition, Korean Eye was shown in Singapore in 2010, New York in 2011, and Abu Dhabi in 2012, extending its influence to new audiences worldwide.
Korean Eye 2020 and the Tenth Anniversary
In celebration of its tenth anniversary, the Eye Programme staged Korean Eye 2020 in collaboration with the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg and the Saatchi Gallery in London. Sponsored by KEB Hana Bank, the exhibition opened at the Hermitage in spring 2020, travelled to the Saatchi Gallery in summer 2020 and concluded in Seoul in autumn 2020. A preview presentation was held at StART from 25 to 29 September 2019, offering an early introduction to the anniversary edition.
“The Korean Eye show at the Saatchi Gallery was a seminal momentthat gave modern Korean art great exposure in the west… Korean Eye 2012 was undoubtedly the largest and attracted the greatest media and collector interest.”
Donna Ing, Winner of Best Installation, StART 2015.
Will to Faith Curator Yan Wang, David Ciclitira, Philip Adams, Director, Saatchi Gallery, Xiaowei Xiang, Chinese Cultural Attaché to London, Serenella Ciclitira, Gallerist & Curator Johnson Chang & Professor Yao, Vice dean of Chinese Academy of Art. Ribbon-cutting Ceremony, Saatchi Gallery, London, 2018.