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ART & CULTURE
Philippe Geluck's Le Cat Solo Exhibition
July 6, 2022
Philippe Geluck, born in Brussels, Belgium in 1954, is a cartoonist, humorist, writer, illustrator, actor, comedian, and radio and TV broadcaster. Since the publish of his first cartoon at age 15, his works have been showcased in several cities worldwide. Now, the adventure continues through showcasing his work to the Korean public. Gallery AHIT holds Belgian Artist Philippe Geluck’s solo exhibition for the first time in Korea. The main character of his work 'Le Cat' was introduced for the first time in 2021 during the Belgium Festival in Jongro.
Philippe Geluck's Le Cat Solo Exhibition in Seongsu-dong, Seoul
Currently, this well-respected artist is broadening the range of his art-making activities based on the popularity of webtoons and illustrations. Thus, this exhibition of Philippe Geluck who is loved by many countries is meaningful. Philippe tells his audience “I hope my Cat will make you laugh, touch you and make you dream.”
The ECCK staff visited Gallery AHIT that exhibits his artwork and interviewed Ms. Jihye Ha, the owner of Gallery AHIT.
Please give us a brief introduction of Philip Geluck's exhibition
Philippe was born in Brussels, Belgium in 1954, and is a cartoonist, humorist, writer, illustrator, actor, comedian, and radio and television broadcaster. He has continuously created pieces since he first published comics at the age of 15, and his works have been exhibited in Brussels, Paris, London, Milan, Copenhagen, Dallas, and New York.
He first introduced the comic series ‘Le Cat’ in the Belgian daily ‘Le Soir’ in March 1983, and since then it has exploded in popularity and has been introduced to the media in France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Greece, Chile, the Netherlands, the United States, and Iran. The Les albums du Chat series, published by Casterman since 1986, has sold more than 14 million copies. In October 2003, the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris held a monumental exhibition to honor his success, attracting more than 350,000 visitors in Brussels, Rennes and Bordeaux. Since then, his paintings and sculptures have been exhibited at various art galleries and contemporary art bienniales.
In 2021, 20 bronze 'Le chat' monumental statues were exposed on the Champs-Elysees, in Bordeaux, and Saint-Tropez quickly gaining a lot of popularity throughout Europe. Philippe Geluck is currently preparing for "Le Musée du Chat et du dessin d'humour," which is scheduled to open in central Brussels in 2023. In our gallery, you can see three original paintings, 27 prints, and two sculptures by Philippe Geluck.
(Courtesy: Gallery AHIT)
Could you tell us about how you came to plan the first solo exhibition of Philippe Geluck’s work in Korea?
Our gallery is still unfamiliar in Korea, but it is an honor to introduce Philippe's work, which has been recognized for its popularity and workability through exhibitions at art galleries in Europe and around the world. Currently, rising artists, who are drawing attention in Korea, are expanding the scope of their work based on the popularity shown in webtoons and illustrations. Works that combine popularity are constantly loved. For this reason, Philippe's exhibition, which is loved in many countries, is meaningful and I planned this exhibition in hopes his wit and humor will also be loved in Korea beyond Europe.
Please introduce how the audience can enjoy Philippe Geluck's works, which may seem somewhat unfamiliar to the Korean public.
First, Philippe Geluck's Le Cat character is simple and friendly. Although the culture and language are different, you can easily feel his humor, especially in the three-cut cartoon prints. This shows that the writer's message can be delivered in Korea without verbal communication. I think it would be good to look at Philippe Geluck's works and find the meaning of them naturally.
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If there is a specific artwork from the exhibition that the audience should focus on, please introduce it.
Philippe displayed monumental bronze statues of his character, Le Cat, each measuring 2M high and weighting 2,5T (ton) on the Champs-Elysees, in Bordeaux, and Saint-Tropez. The exhibition was very popular with nearly 6 million visitors from all over Europe. So, we're going to have two smaller sculptures in the gallery that symbolize this.
Ms. Jihye Ha, the owner of Gallery AHIT.
Anything you would like to say to the readers of the ECCK digital magazine?
Thank you for your interest in our gallery and Philippe Geluck. We will continue to greet you with good artists and artworks.
The ECCK staff were also lucky enough to have the chance to speak with H.E. François Bontemps, Ambassador of Belgium to the Republic of Korea and Julian Quintart well known from the “Abnormal Summit”, who were also taking a look around the exhibition that same day.
H.E. François Bontemps, Ambassador of Belgium to the Republic of Korea, speaks of the exhibition
H.E. François Bontemps
“I very much appreciate this exhibition because it really reveals the Belgian spirit. As you know, Belgians like comics. After TINTIN the famous adventurer, here is the CAT, the curious philosopher. We have one personage, who is put in different daily life situations and cultural contexts, like well-known works of art, and reflects on those. So, this is a kind of moralist with a philosophical touch, it creates a sentiment which you could call surrealism. Surrealism surprises us and deepens our relationship with reality and plays with logic to the extreme. I like this kind of questioning that makes us happy and laugh but also helps us reflecting on reality, society and our relationships with other people, art and culture in general. This critical but kind curiosity is very Belgian, but also goes beyond the frontiers to relate to the world. It is very important for the Embassy to promote Belgian culture, character and soul because it helps to build bridges, deepen and strengthen our ties between Korean and Belgian people, and enrich our political and economic relations.”
Julian Quintart, a Belgian TV Personality, speaks of the exhibition
Julian Quintart
No matter how much one explains about Belgium, it doesn’t have an impact on ordinary people. But to truly understand the country, the humor of the country is very important. Le Cat is not just a comical artwork that ends with a simple laugh, but also has a depth of philosophy. Belgium is a very surreal country, because we live with a variety of people who are not close to each other, and people say that just being in Belgium is surreal. You can easily understand the identity of Belgium and why it exists through this cartoon, I think it’s an important tool to understanding Belgium.”
The Philippe Geluck's Le Cat Solo Exhibition is open to public until Thursday, July 28, 2022 in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. Come visit this great exhibition which showcases art works of Philippe Geluck, who will make you laugh and touch with his wit and humor!
PHILIPPE GELUCK's LE CAT SOLO EXHIBITION
Duration: May 18, 2022 ~ July 28, 2022
(Wed - Sun / 10:30 - 18:30)
Location: B1F, A-Building, 49, Achasan-ro 17-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Fee: Free of charge
Webpage: www.ahitseoul.com
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