In The Nearest Faraway Place, presented by Pace in Seoul, Frederich Kunath brings romantic vistas into conversation with pop culture signals and felt emotion. He has said he wants his paintings to \u001cfeel like songs,\u001d and a statement for the exhibition frames the mood as one of yearning: \u001cKunath explores themes of distance and (re)location, where a longing emerges between the place you\u0019re in and the place you\u0019re destined to be.\u001d The exhibition continues through October 24.<\/p>\n
Kunath\u0019s compositions nod to the Weltlandschaft<\/em>, or \u001cthe world landscape,\u001d a tradition traced to the Northern Renaissance, and to the Hudson River School with its roots in 19th-century European Romanticism. Many images begin as seemingly classical scenes\u0014glistening light, an idealized absence of structures or people\u0014before he punctures the reverie with sticker-like, cartoonish figures and other absurd interjections. The resulting spaces feel surreal and set-like, vibrant and cinematic, traversing pop culture, irony, and fiction with nostalgic wistfulness and a touch of comedy. \u001cBy bringing together aesthetic contexts and familiar tropes, he materializes his subconscious,\u001d the gallery says. \u001cFeelings arise before we know where they come from.\u001d<\/p>\n References materialize where least expected: the logo for the band Oasis appears in the top corner of Sometimes I\u0019m Almost There<\/strong>, and the ubiquitous \u001cThe End\u001d of theatrical releases haunts other canvases. Phrases land atop uncanny scenarios, as in the eponymous The most beautiful world in the world<\/strong> (2020\u00132026), an acrylic on canvas measuring 203.2 x 292.1 x 5.1 centimeters that depicts an existential aerial advertisement.<\/p>\n Works cited in the exhibition\u0019s coverage underscore the range of formats and moods Kunath employs:<\/p>\n Whether through a wry corner emblem, a cinematic cue, or an uneasy skyborne message, Kunath keeps sightlines open between art history and the present, inviting viewers to stand somewhere between where they are and where they might be headed.<\/p>\nSignals, slogans, and skywriting<\/h2>\n
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