새로운 매체미술

_꽃피는 기술의 그늘에서

요즘 테크놀로지 아트를 포함한 매체미술의 영역에 무슨 일이 일어나고 있는가는 개인적으로도 새삼스럽게 흥미로운 주제다. 마치 그것은 한때 관심을 쏟았던 첫사랑처럼 여겨지기 때문이다. 최근에 이러한 경계를 의식하고 전시를 바라본 기억이 스스로도 가물가물하다. 90년대 초 미술비평에 입문했을 때, 매체미술은 분명히 현대미술의 장래처럼 보였다. 마르셀 뒤샹이나 백남준처럼 확실한 선구자가 있었으며 무엇보다 주위에 잠재적 재능들이 넘실거리고 있었다. ‘타라’, ‘메타복스’, ‘난지도’ 등은 일종의 예고편이었다. 92년, ‘가설의 정원’은 세련된 시사회였고, ‘뮤지엄’, ‘선데이 서울’, ‘황금사과’, ‘설거지’ 등은 이미 특유한 하위문화와의 내통가능성을 시위하고 있었다. 매체미술은 80년대 한국 모더니즘 미술의 제도권을 둘러싼 편집증적 대립구도-환원주의와 현실주의로 대표되는-의 숨통을 틔우는 다양한 환기장치처럼 보였다. 그것은 탈영역화의 사회문화적 흐름과 맞물려 있었으나 결과적으로 문제는 훨씬 실제적인 생존방식의 모색과 관련되어 있다.

여기서 테크놀로지 아트가 후기산업사회 미술의 필연적인 표현양식이라고 말하는 것은 거의 의미가 없다. 하나의 현장으로서의 한국미술계에서 그것은 이 경향의 실천적 영역에 대해 별로 해명해 주는 바가 없다. 제도적으로 한국미술계는 물론 한정된 인원의 생활공간일 뿐이다. 이곳역시 다른 사회영역처럼 생활터전으로서 경쟁과 도태가 이루어진다. 이런 관점에서 보면 매체미술은 결코 제도적 생존에 유리한 생산수단은 아니다. 일단 그것은 갤러리가 수용하기 어려운 표현형식이며 제도적으로 다수의 분과나 연구기관이 조직되어 있는 것도 아니다.

이러한 여건에서 그동안 활발하게 이루어진 매체미술의 성과는 돌이켜보면 실로 놀라울 정도다. 언뜻 김영진, 이용백의 전자기매체를 다루는 심도나 김명혜, 김소라, 김수자, 김홍석, 박이소, 서도호, 육근병, 이상현, 이불, 장영혜, 최재은 등 다양한 컨셉의 멀티미디어와 설치작업이 상기된다. 90년대 이후, 이들은 수많은 전시에 참여했고 세계화와 첨단에의 열망이라는 시대조류와 맞물린 국제간 전시에 마치 일종의 국가대표처럼 활약해 왔다. 이들 외에도 젊은 신예들은 끊임없이 전시공간에 새로운 매체를 배치하고 있는 것으로 보인다.

그러나 전시는 매체미술의 한 양상일 뿐이다. 이 영역의 진화는 단순히 제도권 내에서 전시를 조직하는 것만으로 성립되지는 않을 것이다. 그것은 본질적으로 여타영역과의 접선을 통한 혼성지대에서 그 면모가 제대로 파악될 수 있다. 어쩌면 그것은 낡은 제도권의 탈선에 성공한 소수의 박해받은 재능들에 의존하고 있는 것이 현실이다. 가령, 김형태의 그룹사운드, 이상윤의 웹, 최정화의 인테리어, 박명천의 커머셜, 주재환의 텍스트, 별이나 양아치의 혼성적 디자인 등이 그렇다. 이 경우 매체미술은 장르의 일탈 현장에서 발생한 돌연변이들이다. 이것은 정체불명의 음악, 이상한 무대, 엉뚱한 광고, 별난 카페와 주막, 낯선 비디오와 영화, 색다른 의상과 텍스처, 독특한 웹 사이트 등의 언저리에서 솟아오른 초과분이다. 이를 통해 우리는 주류문화의 제한적 영역에서 비껴나 오히려 상대적으로 자유로운 예술적 시야를 확보할 수 있다.

최근에는 서로 다른 경계에 자리 잡은 몇몇 대안적 제도-예컨대 인사미술공간, 아트센터 나비, 연세대 미디어아트연구소와 몇몇 대안공간-들이 나름대로 매개적인 역할을 수행하는 것으로 보인다. 그러나 그 접속신호들은 아직 참고 가능한 형태로 선명하게 포착되고 있지는 않다. 기대컨대 훨씬 다양한 영역의 접점이 생성되고 무엇보다 다중적인 수용자들이 창출되어야 한다. 그렇다면 이 접촉지점들은 오늘날 꽃피는 산업기술-IT, BT-의 헤게모니를 조율하는 일련의 그림자처럼 작용할 수 있을 것이다. 그리고 퇴행적이거나 우울한 분위기만은 아닌 이 그늘 속에서 우리는 제법 자율적으로 문화의 진수를 교환할 수도 있을 것이다.

In the Shadow of Advanced Technologies in Flower

An exhibition reflects only a part of aspects of media art. The evolutionary history of media art is not fully explained simply by organizing an ordinary exhibition. It can be effectively experienced and understood through the mediation of interdisciplinary areas of studies. Born out of genres deviant from their original fields, media art is a new hybrid, the mixture of unidentifiable music, strange stages, extravagant commercials, unacquainted films and videos, unique costumes and their texture, and peculiar web-sites. Through it we can overcome the boundaries of mainstream art only to secure a relatively free vision on art.

Recently we witness such alternative spaces as Insa Art Space, Art Center Nabis, and the Institute of Media Art at Yonsei University respectively contribute to mediate among different disciplines. Their connecting signals, however, are not clear enough for us to apprehend. With more participation of both various disciplines and audience, clearer interdisciplinary points of contact will be formed and they will lead the future of now blooming IT and BT industry, in whose shadow, that is not recessing nor gloomy, we can exchange the essence of our culture autonomously.

- Kim, hyun-Do

- 김현도(1957- ) 홍익대 서양화과 석사. 동아일보 신춘문예 미술평론부문(1991) 수상. 월간 문학정신 편집위원 역임.