본 논문에서는 한국미술이론학회의 지난 20여 년간의 학술적인 성과를 학술대회 및 학술지 『미술이론과 현장』에 수록된 논문을 중심으 로 살펴본다. 2003년 출범한 한국미술이론학회는 2023년 창립 20주년을 맞이하며 명실상부 견실한 학회로 자리매김하였다. 학회지 『미술이 론과 현장』은 최근의 국내외 새로운 연구를 적극적으로 수용하고 다양한 주제의 연구들을 포괄하여 미술에 대한 전문적이면서도 폭넓은 논의 를 아우르는 장이 되어왔다. 본 논문에서는 학술대회의 주제 변화에 따라 4 시기로 구분하여 검토하였다. 학회 출범 초기 방향성 모색 (2003-2004년), 이념적, 현실적 맥락과 연관된 미술 이슈들(2005-1013년), 뉴미디어, 과학, 기술과 미술의 관계(2014-2015년), 미술현장의 주체, 매체, 실천(2016-2023년)이 학회가 시기별로 이끌어온 주제였다. 이와 더불어 자유투고 논문의 경향을 살펴보고, 인용 빈도가 높은 논문을 통해 시의성 있는 연구가 무엇이었는지 파악한다.

In Korea, nation and nationalism are undeniable justice, absolute virtue andmoreover system of desire. From the late Chosun Dynasty when the Korean Peninsula hadto survive from the critical situation of being the arena of competition, and through thecolonial period under Japanese imperialism, nationalism became stronger as a logic ofsurvival. The policy of seclusion under closed and exclusive nationalism that didn’trecognize the world situation well enough, eventually gave more pain to the nation.Nationalism in colonial Korea which was as reformed nationalism and on the other hand,as intransigent, resisting nationalism. Since the purpose of this writing is not for clarifyingthe argument raised on Korean nationalism, there is no use mentioning how it went withthe change of time. But we have to focus on the fact that the word‘nation’whichappeared under the influence of popular revolution and capitalism meaning‘a group ofpeople’, was translated and understood as a racial concept for strengthening the unity of‘single-race nation with five thousand years’history. First of all, there is nationalism used to fortify the system. ‘The Charter of NationalEducation’and‘The Pledge of Allegiance’were ornaments to intensify the ruling ideologyand dictatorship to militarize entire South Korea for‘settling Korean democracy’professednationalism. Also, another ruling ideology armed with‘self-reliance’put North Korea intothe state of hypnosis called nationalism. Nationalism, claiming‘nation’outwardly, but inreality, being an illuminating, instructing ideology isolating each other was indeed a bodywith two faces. This made‘nation’in Korea mysterious and objective through work suchas. The statue commemorating patriotic forefathers’and picture of national records’inSouth Korea art. Nationalism used to strengthening the system encountered the magical‘single-race’and made‘ghost’being an extreme exclusion to other nations. We can findpedigreed pureness not allowing any mixed breeds from the attitude accepting western art-via Japan or directly- and making it vague by using the word Korean and Asia. There’s nationalism as a resistant ideology to solidify the system on the other side. Itcame out as a way of survival among the Great Power and grew with the task of nationalliberation to became as a powerful force facing against the dictatorship dominating SouthKorea after the liberation. This discussion of nationalism as a resistance ideology was activein 1980s. In 1980, democracy movement against the dictatorship of 5th Republic originatedfrom military power which came out suppressing the democratic movement in Gwangju,spread out from the intellects and the students to the labors, farmers and the civilians. It is well known that the‘Nation-People(Minjoong)’s Art Movement could come out under thissocial condition. Our attitude toward nationalism is still dual in this opening part of 21st century. Onone hand, they are opposing to the ultra-nationalism but are not able to separate it fromnationalism, and on the other, they have much confusion using it. In fact, in a single-racenation like Korea, the situation of being nationalism and jus sanguinis together can causedual nationalism. Though nationalism is included in the globalization order, it is evidence that it’seffective in Korea where there are still modern fetters like division and separation. Inparticular, in the world where Japan makes East Asia Coalition but exposed in front ofnationalism, and China not being free from Sinocentrism, and American nationalism takingthe world order, and Russia fortifying nationalism suppressing the minority race after thedissolution of socialism, Korean nationalism is at the point to find an alternative plansuperior to the ruling and resisting ideology.