Mina Cheon

Mina Cheon <Bio> <Resume> <Reviews> <Art Projects> <Writings> <Teaching>

MICA Korea 2004-2007

WHITE 2007

JETLAG 2006

PLASTIC BAG 2005

OPEN LID 2004

GD MFA MICA PUBLICATION by Kim Bentley and Viviana Cordova

MICA Korea was a summer study aboard program in South Korea that was offered through the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) between 2004-2007. The program was in Seoul, one of Asia’s most dynamic cities, and challenged students to create and exhibit artwork based on their experience of place and culture. This interdisciplinary studio arts program was directed by artist/architect team, Mina Cheon and Gabriel Kroiz, with curator George Ciscle as visiting curator, who worked with students to provide a unique opportunity to experience Korea and to work on art projects at a professional and international level. This cultural exchange culminated in the group exhibition that received national and international press attention every year for the vitality of artwork created by the students as well as the dynamic collaboration experience. The last year, we welcomed Eve Andrée Laramée as visiting artist to the program; Eugene Ahn served as director assistant for the last two year; and En Chang was project assistant for year 2005. In Korea our sister schools assisted this program: The Korean National University of Art for 2006-7 and the Hong-Ik University for 2005. Every year, the MICA Korea recevied generous support and sponsorship from the Korean fashion company SSamzie Co., LTD., as the program affiliated with SSamzie Space, alternative art space of Korea; SSamzie Gil and Gallery SSamzie; and the SSamzie Museum in Paju, Korea. Each year, there was also a satellite exhibition at the Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, Maryland which was also very well received by the public.

Mina Cheon, director, a professor at MICA, teaches foundation, interactive media, and cultural theory courses. She has exhibited media-based installations nationally and internationally including solo-exhibitions at the Lance Fung Gallery in New York and Insa Art Space in Seoul, Korea. She is also currently a doctoral candidate at the European Graduate School in philosophy of media and communications. She has an MFA from MICA 's Hoffberger School of Painting, an MFA in imaging and digital arts from University of Maryland, and a BFA from Ewha Woman's University in Seoul, South Korea.

Gabriel Kroiz, director, is the principal of Kroiz Architecture. He studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and the University of Maryland, School of Architecture. His practice has completed award-winning projects in the US and Asia, including the SSamzieGil Shopping Center and residences in Korea's Heyri Art Valley, Paju. In addition, Kroiz has taught at MICA, the University of Maryland, and Duksung University in Seoul. He is known for his pursuits in sustainable green architecture including his highly acclaimed recent project, GreenHAB.

George Ciscle, visiting curator, curator-in-residence at MICA, has mounted groundbreaking exhibitions, created community arts programs, and taught courses in the fine arts and humanities for nearly 30 years. As founder of The Contemporary Museum in Baltimore , he has curated numerous shows since 1989. He acted as the director of the George Ciscle Gallery in Baltimore from 1985 through 1989 and director of the Contemporary Museum until 1996. His Exhibition Development Seminar at MICA offers a multi-semester, hands-on experience planning, curating, designing, and mounting a major exhibition.

Eve Andrée Laramée, visiting artist, is the Chair of Interdisciplinary Sculpture at MICA. She has been exploring the mutable, triadic relationship between art, science and nature for over twenty years. Her work has been exhibited at the Venice Biennale, MassMOCA, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, and the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York to name a few and she has received various awards from Pollock-Krasner Foundation, New York Foundation for the Arts, Guggenheim Museum, Andy Warhol Foundation, and many others.

Eugene Ahn, director assistant, is currently a master's candidate at New York University, Tisch School of Art, Interactive Telecommunication Program (ITP). She studied at Hong- ik University in Seoul , Korea and received BFA in Painting from MICA. Her work is in various media including physical computing, performance and interactive installation.