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| Seen above is a close-up view of "Become a Butterfly," which is composed of some 2,000 butterfly-shaped drawings produced by children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder around the world. Curated by Korean artist Ahn Yun-mo, the traveling global project is currently on display at the Congress of Guanajuato in Mexico, as part of the 50th edition of the Festival Internacional Cervantino. Yonhap |
By Park Han-sol
More than 2,000 colorful paper butterflies born from the hands of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) around the world have found a temporary new home in the Mexican city of Guanajuato.
Each butterfly perched gently on the surface of the wall of the Congress of Guanajuato is the fruit of Korean artist Ahn Yun-mo's years-long global project called "Become a Butterfly."
The handmade butterfly-shaped drawings are presented as part of the exhibition "The Bridge of the World," which opened last week in the Mexican city in time for the 50th edition of the Festival Internacional Cervantino.
The traveling project was first launched in 2010 at the initiative of the 60-year-old creator to bring to the spotlight the oeuvres of autistic artists whose paintings deserve recognition as a means of personal expression and a result of pure creative endeavors.
While it originally had only Korea as its stage, the project soon began traveling internationally, being invited to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and the Bozar Center for the Arts in Brussels, Belgium, in 2014. Before landing in Mexico this month, the winged creatures had made stops over the years at Hong Kong, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Kenya and Taiwan, among others.
"It is my wish to open up more opportunities [for these creators] so that their beautiful and sincere stories can reach more people," Ahn said in a statement, expressing hope that the fluttering paper butterflies can serve as a carrier of hope beyond the confines of race, language and nationality.
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| From left, Kay In-ho's "Botanic Garden" (2022), Natalia Lucia Fierro Garcia's "Fuente de Vida y Alegria 2" (2022) and Cho Jae-hyun's "Night Cherry Blossom" (2022) / Courtesy of the artists |
In addition to "Become a Butterfly," the show also displays some 30 paintings produced by eight Korean and Mexican artists with ASD: Kay In-ho, Natalia Lucia Fierro Garcia, Kim Se-joong, Gerardo Martinez Burgos, Kim Tae-young, Francisco Miguel Sastre Quintero, Lee Byung-chan and Cho Jae-hyun.
The five Korean creators have been collaborating with Ahn for years, working together on different projects that the artist has led ― including paper cup projects and joint showcases.
Ahn noted that each of their oeuvres has a distinct style: Kay prefers to use bright colors close to ones found in nature, while Lee reinterprets dynamic sports scenes he observes on television and in person with bold strokes. Looking at Kim Tae-young's works is like turning over the pages of a magical fairy tale.
The most noteworthy characteristic that runs through the three Mexican artists' paintings is the spontaneous usage and mixture of color palettes.
Miguel's story of how he found his passion in art is intriguing. His very first canvas was a piece of a kitchen paper towel. The paints were food dyes, and the brush was a small dropper. The experience of watching the color drops expand capriciously on the tissue paper, mingling with different pigments, awakened his desire for further creative exploration.
"The Bridge of the World" runs until Oct. 30 at the Congress of Guanajuato in Mexico.
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