Modena, December 2004

On the occasion of the meeting, scheduled for December 18th 2004, Transmec group proposes in its Campogalliano headquarters the videos of artist Kimsooja. Originally coming from Korea, Kimsooja has been living and working in New York for several years, her works have been shown in the main international museums and she is one of the undisputed protagonist of our century art.
Kimsooja works represent a poetic and contemplative voice able to compete with the most conflictual aspects of contemporary culture: time, location and human condition of the globalized world are synthesized in one of the most significant theme of her work, the journey, considered at the same time as a migratory process and a vehicle for experiences. Time becomes the discrime between stillness and instability during a constant and necessary journey, trying to interface West and Asiatic cultures.
In Cities on the Move – 2727 km Bottari Truck video Kimsooja documents her journey through Korea on a truck of bottari – traditional Korean object, “bundles” composed by a traditional Korean bedcover and clothes no longer used – cases for all men’s properties. The bundles, already full of significance, passing through different locations, gain a further symbolic volume thanks to the memories of the journey, summarizing in the migratory process the idea of transitory as a tool to transmit tales and traditions. Once the journey ends, the trucks are shown in the museums and in the main contemporary art exhibitions (as 1999 Biennal Exhibition of Modern Art in Venice), symbolizing the idea of a territorial tie loss. As a still spectator, “needle woman”, Kimsooja embodies the complexity of contemporary world relationships: the presence of the artist, always caught with her back turned both in A Needle Woman – Kitakyushu (1999) and A Laundry Woman-Yamuna River, India (2000) videos, her lying on a rock or gazing a river, suggest a presence but not a personality, trying to conciliate the perfect stillness of her figure with the elements always on the move: roads, the water of a river or the clouds in the sky.
The videos showing that Transmec proposes within its own spaces, usually destined to the goods and transportation vehicles transit and storage, will take place in a non-space above all others, where the work of the Korean artist can weave a new woof, a new relation to gather and to transport, a new occasion to become the connecting element of local and global aspects, represented by the use of truck as “social sculpture”.
This event is part of a communication project that Transmec Group, international company specialized in land transportation, air and sea freights, supports since several times: last year Marcello Maloberti performance and the related publication, marked the opening of the new branch in Truccazzano, Milan. With this event Transmec reconfirms its commitment in sustaining and valuing contemporary art, showing its bent in communicating through the most innovative elements of international culture, as well as its will in reaching the objective of a constant development and care of the most dynamic aspects of society.
The event has been conceived by Mariangela Montecchi, in charge of Transmec group external relations, in collaboration with Raffaella Cortese Gallery of Milan.