Totem From Barcarès to Seoul Olympiads, 1988, 1971
Moon Shin

This drawing for ‘TOTEM’, from Barcares, 1970, in wood, to Seoul Olympiads, 1988, in metal, is part of his series on the Moon Shin Olympics Sculpture we find in the MMCA Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art de Seoul. His 25 meters monumental sculpture Olympics is erected in 1988 for the Seoul Olympiads and is still nowadays in the SOMA Open Air Museum of Seoul.

In her book "The Art of Post-War Ecole de Paris", Lise Cormery writes on Moon Shin since she organized his Solo Show of drawings, paintings and sculptures, during Paris ART Olympiads in 1991 and 1992;
"With this drawing, Moon Shin (1923-1995) explains his sculptural work:
"Before creating my sculptures, I make a lot of drawings composed only of circles, ovals or semicircles and of lines connected together, fundamental source of my sculptural work.
My lines research is developed for a very long time, it is only once my drawings are duly accomplished on paper that I finally attack the sculpture itself.
These volumes, however, have no precise meaning, they are not based on any real "image",
I only want to give birth to life in the course of my work, that they ultimately mean "Life". Once my sculpture is finished, one says it looks like this or that, for example a stylized Ant, I worked a lot on the subject of Ants, indeed. And it is for this reason that then I will call such of my sculptures "Ant", such other "birds", “Lady”, “Family”, “Museum”, etc. "
PARIS ART OLYMPIADS 1991 1992
These drawings will be the subject of a retrospective exhibition during the PARIS ART OLYMPIADS in 1991 and 1992, during international events with inauguration by President Mitterrand and the Mayor of Paris, Jacques Chirac, Moon Shin was selected to represent South Korea. A Solo Show of his work was presented on this occasion, with his symmetrical research and abstract drawings, fundamental for his sculptures and his work, paintings, sculptures, entirely created in Paris, where they will be cast in bronze or sculpted in wood.
This takes place during the Arts Olympics organized by the Lise Cormery Gallery, for the CNOSF, the French National Olympic and Sports Committee, on the occasion of the 1992 Olympic Games in France.
This international event followed the 1988 Seoul Arts Olympics where Seoul founded for this competition a Museum of International Paintings and SOMA, a Museum of Monumental Outdoor Sculptures, with guest artists from around the world exhibiting and representing art. of the XXth century.
MOON SHIN “Totem” 25-meter-high metal sculpture at the 1988 Seoul Olympics was erected on this occasion in the SOMA Sculpture Museum where it remains. It marks the end of Moon Shin's sculptural research which begins and ends in France in Paris in the Latin Quarter when he turns to abstraction and the presentation of his first monumental wood sculpture “Totem” at the Musée des Sables de Le Barcarès. His research will thus end with the 1988 Olympics when he will be dedicated to the construction of his Museum in Masan which will be inaugurated before his death." Lise Cormery, Michelangelo Publications, Paris, 2021.

"With this drawing, Moon Shin (1923-1995) explains his sculptural work:
"Before creating my sculptures, I make a lot of drawings composed only of circles, ovals or semicircles and of lines connecting them together, they thus make up the fundamental matrix of my sculptural work.
After impregnating myself with these ideas developed for a very long time on paper, it is only once my drawings are declined and succeeded that I finally attack in direct size a block of hard materials in order to give these circles and lines volumes.
These volumes, however, have no precise meaning, they are not based on any real "image".
I only want these forms to come to life in the course of my work, that they ultimately mean "Life".
In almost all cases, it is after the work is finished that those looking at it tell me that it looks like this or that, for example a stylized ant. And it is for this reason that then I will call such and such of my sculptures "Ant", such other "birds", "Gypsies", etc. "
PARIS ART OLYMPIADS
These drawings will be the subject of a retrospective exhibition during the Olympics of the Arts. In 1991 and 1992, during international events under the aegis of President Mitterrand and the Mayor of Paris, Jacques Chirac, Moon Shin was selected to represent South Korea. A Solo Show of his work is presented on this occasion, presenting his symmetrical research and abstract drawings, fundamental matrices of his sculptures and his work entirely created in Paris, where they will be melted or sculpted in wood. This takes place during the Arts Olympics organized by the Lise Cormery Gallery, for the CNOSF, the French National Olympic and Sports Committee, on the occasion of the 1992 Olympic Games in France.
This international event followed the 1988 Seoul Arts Olympics where the city founded for this competition a Museum of International Paintings and a Museum of Monumental Outdoor Sculptures, with guest artists from around the world to exhibit and represent art. of the XXth century. Her 25-meter-high sculpture at the 1988 Olympics was erected on this occasion in the SOMA Sculpture Museum, where she has lived ever since. It constitutes the end of Moon Shin's sculptural research which begins and ends in France in Paris in the Latin Quarter when he turns to abstraction and the presentation of his first monumental sculpture at the Musée des Sables de Barcarès. His research will end with the 1988 Olympics when he will be dedicated to the construction of his Museum in Masan which will be inaugurated before his death." Lise Cormery