“Life as a Common Language”: Interview with Beak Garam, General Director of “GaRam World Art,” about the international exhibition in Seoul and Russian art.
On September 2, 2026, in Seoul, in the Insadong district, where traditional Korean culture meets contemporary art, an international art exhibition titled “Painting Life” (삶을 그리다) opened at the Insa Art Plaza Gallery. The curator and ideological inspirer of the exhibition is Beak Garam, General Director of the exhibition-organizing agency “GaRam World Art.”
“We wanted to show how artists from different countries depict their life, experience, memories, feelings, and the world around them in their own way,” explains exhibition curator Beak Garam. “We all live at the same time, but every person has their own life path, their own culture, and their own experience. Therefore, the same theme—life—can be expressed in completely different ways. I wanted the works of artists from different countries to meet in one space and allow viewers, through art, to see different cultures and different human stories. For me, ‘Painting Life’ is a process in which people tell about their life through art and, through these stories, find the opportunity to understand and feel each other.”
Holding an international exhibition in Insadong, where traditional Korean culture and contemporary art coexist naturally and organically, allows viewers to become acquainted with different cultures not through a tourist gaze, but through art—a language that does not require translation.
“Insadong is a place where traditional Korean culture and contemporary art naturally coexist. Here people from different countries meet, therefore holding an international exhibition in this very place allows viewers to become acquainted with various cultures through art. This exhibition shows that Korea is not only getting acquainted with foreign art, but also actively connects Korean artists with the international art community,” emphasizes Beak Garam.

Combining the role of exhibition curator and participant in one project is a task that requires particular flexibility. A curator, by definition, thinks in terms of the integrity of the exhibition, the overall impression of the viewer, and the logic of the exhibition sequence. An artist, however, lives in the coordinates of their own concept, personal experience, and intuition.

“Combining these two roles is not easy, but I think that it is precisely this experience that gives me a special advantage. In a typical exhibition, the curator determines the general direction and concept, and the artist works within the framework of this concept. At the same time, the curator primarily thinks about the integrity of the exhibition and the viewer's impression, so sometimes the artist's personal vision may recede into the background. Since I myself am both an artist and a curator, I can understand both sides. As a curator, I think about the exhibition as a whole and how the viewer will perceive it. And as an artist, I try not to forget about the feelings, thoughts, and concept of each author,” says Beak Garam.

As an artist, Beak Garam knows well how much effort an author invests in a single work. Therefore, her approach is built on respect for the voice of each participant and the desire to present each author's concept as honestly as possible.

“I know well how much time, emotion, and reflection an artist invests in a single work. Therefore, it is important for me to respect the voice of each artist and, where possible, to present their concept. My strength lies in the fact that I can look at the exhibition through the eyes of a curator, while at the same time understanding and defending the position of the artist,” she summarizes.

One of the emphases of the exhibition is the participation of Russian artists: Innokenty Koryakin, Semyon Lukansi, Artyom Ulyanov, and Yulia Sotnikova. Their invitation is not accidental and has its own history. As Beak Garam related, cooperation with Russian authors began long before this exhibition.
“My acquaintance and cooperation with Russian artists began not with this exhibition. In 2024, I invited Russian artists to the exhibition ‘Contemporary Art of Russia and Uzbekistan,’ held at the Bongsan Cultural Center in Daegu, and in 2025, to the exhibition ‘Contemporary World Art Today.’ It was thanks to these exhibitions that our relations and artistic exchange continued,” notes Beak Garam.
The curator’s particular interest is aroused by the regional diversity of Russia.
“Russia has a huge territory, therefore its regions differ from one another in their history, culture, and nature. This is also reflected in art: in the works of artists one can feel the particular character and mood of each region. Therefore, I am especially interested in introducing the Korean public not simply to Russian art as a whole, but to the art of specific regions and to artists who carry in their works the characteristics of their culture and environment. This is also very well connected with the theme of our exhibition ‘Painting Life.’ Each artist depicts their life and the surrounding world in their own way, and through their works we can see how different human stories can be,” shares Beak Garam.