The Host: Seoul City Hall, Artlecture

Support:  Seoul City Hall, HAN RIVER PARK

“I’d like to talk about some of my memories that have been up until now easily overlooked. They come from a place - the Han River - that’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. There is an island that separates people. I want to go to that island.” (From Hyun-Jong Jung’s ‘The Island) The many islands of Korea’s Han River...

● Did you know there are dozens of islands in the Han River? That river that is a mainstay in our everyday lives? When you consider all the many islands that have come and gone from the Han River, what you have is an ongoing process of creation and extinction. The islands of the Han River nestle themselves close to the shores of the river, and we lump them together with the shore in our consciousness. They exist for a few dozen years, growing, shrinking, disappearing. We aren’t nearly as aware of these islands as we are of the river itself. These islands, however, are little pockets of land, floating isolated in the river. They are slices of nature and dens of life. I’ve therefore set out to create in this installation the various forms of the river’s islands, that have long since existed, persisted, and disappeared. I wanted to prepare an experience in which a new consciousness for these islands could be felt.\ The various photographs and installations using the images of the islands of the past and present have been placed on site. I will then take all of those pieces and set them up in a designated location for a final exhibition of the images I’ve taken for this project. I will also lead a performance by local residents. 

Korea embroidery on fabric, cotton cloth, fishnet, mixed media_ dimension variable_2017