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In October of 2024, the Stephanie Kim Gallery in New York hosted an exhibition titled “Storied: The Legacy of the Cold War” which resonated deeply with both critics and collectors — not only for its outstanding artistic merit but also because it addressed sensitive socio-political issues relevant to the moment. The featured artworks explored societal issues such as war, immigration, abortion laws, and gun control — topics that were sources of deep polarization among American voters during the 2024 U.S. election.

There was consensus among attendees that ideological divides between parties and political factions could be viewed as a legacy of the Cold War. The artists and audience members, despite their diverse backgrounds, found similarities in their experiences of media, advertising, propaganda, art and culture. Tracy Weissman’s piece Untitled featured enlarged illustrations from 1950s Cold War-era air raid posters. One Korean attendee remarked that the work evoked thoughts of nuclear provocations on the Korean peninsula, while a 70-year-old collector, who grew up during the Cold War, expressed that he found the active shooter drills now held in American elementary schools heartbreaking as they reminded him of the existential dread of his youth. One critic noted that the absurdity of curling up to hide from nuclear attacks mirrored their sense of helplessness in the face of misinformation and social media manipulation during the election cycle.

As the 2024 election approached, artists across the U.S. became more vocal. Shepard Fairey, for example, painted large-scale murals in five swing states, aiming to influence voter sentiment. More than100 artists participated in fundraising campaigns, such as “Artists for Kamala,” raising in excess of $1.5 million through auctions. Influential figures like Jeff Koons, Kara Walker, Jasper Johns, and Jenny Holzer contributed to these efforts, underscoring how art can generate public engagement and value around voting and elections.

Jenny Holzer,a consistent critic of former President Donald Trump, was particularly pointed. Her 2022 exhibition at Hauser & Wirth, titled “Cursed,” was powerfully influenced by ancient Roman practices in which curses were inscribed on plates and thrown into wells or buried with waste. In 2024 Holzer engraved Trump’s tweets onto metal plates, which she then corroded, burned, and treated to make them appear like ancient relics. Among the 300 pieces in the series were infamous tweets such as, “See you in Washington, D.C., on January 6!” and “I discussed forming an impenetrable Cyber Security unit with Putin.” The project was a withering commentary on Trump. Some of the works are now featured in Holzer’s retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum, which has elevated both the artistic and market value of her work, further cementing her legacy.

Periods of conflict and controversy often shine a spotlight on previously overlooked artists. Georgia’s contested elections have also drawn attention to the country’s artists on the international stage. When Russia invaded Ukraine, it sought to suppress artistic expression, but the war brought Ukrainian artists to the forefront of major biennales. Similarly, Georgia, deeply affected by the war in Ukraine, has seen its artistic community rise in response to a recent pro-Russian government victory in its election.

This year, Georgia’s Artbeat Gallery became the first Georgian gallery to participate in Frieze London, showcasing the nation’s spirit of resistance. In the fair’s section dedicated to emerging artists, Artbeat introduced the work of 60-year-old Keti Kapanadze, a pioneering female artist in the predominantly male-dominated Georgian art scene of the 1980s. A gallery spokesperson emphasized, “Since Georgia lacks art institutions, art fairs are the only way for our artists to gain international recognition. We chose her to ensure she receives the global attention she deserves.”

Amid these turbulent times, there is a common thread uniting artists, curators, and collectors: the creation of art that resonates with the present. Such works, artists, and exhibitions become powerful engines for generating cultural and societal value, particularly when they reflect the spirit of the era.

Original article in Hankook Ilbo [Kim Seung Min’s Art, Money, Market]