Pt.2 Art Crawl in Itaewon: Foundry Gallery & Ulrike Theusner

After wrapping up my visit to Pace Seoul, I made my way to Foundry Gallery for the next stop on my Itaewon art crawl. This time, I was met with something that immediately caught my attention—an exhibition by Ulrike Theusner. And let me tell you, this one was a standout.

Gothic Drama with a Twist

Theusner’s work has that gothic, almost eerie quality, but instead of being dark and brooding in the traditional sense, it bursts with color. It’s like she took the intensity of gothic art and injected it with an electric vibrancy, making the emotions in the paintings even more striking. The contrast between the haunting themes and bold colors felt unexpected yet completely intentional—like something unsettling but impossible to look away from.

The Faces That Stare Back

What really pulled me in, though, were the portraits. There’s a raw, almost theatrical quality to them. The faces—stretched, distorted, sometimes almost grotesque—are filled with emotion. You don’t just look at them; they look back at you, and not in a passive way. Some felt melancholic, some anxious, some just downright unhinged. It’s that kind of art that doesn’t need an explanation—you feel it before you even try to understand it.

Final Thoughts

This was easily my favorite stop of the day. Unlike my visit to Pace, where I struggled to connect with the works, Theusner’s art hit immediately. It had mood, it had energy, and it had just the right balance of darkness and vibrancy to make it both unsettling and captivating. If you’re into gothic aesthetics but like a bit of unpredictability, this exhibition is absolutely worth checking out.

With that, it was time for the last stop—Lehmann Maupin. Stay tuned.