For this 2017 MMCA Hyundai Motor Series,
I am Im Heung-soon. This exhibition
is based on the stories and experiences of four grandmothers.
Recently, seeing how Korean society
has become extremely divided,
I wondered how it was in the past.
Why have we become so extremely divided?
I thought there must be some fundamental issue.
While creating the work, I realized it was about division.
So, the era before and after liberation - the Japanese colonial period,
then the U.S. military government period, the Korean War, and even
extending to the Vietnam War.
I started with the stories of grandmothers
who experienced these times.
The graph shows a layout of
the personal records of the four grandmothers,
and this graph itself is, in a way,
the scenario for the 3-channel work. One side is bright
and made of beads, while the back is dark and composed of images
summarizing their stories. Actually,
showing the objects they used is also quite different Here's the English VTT translation:
It would be meaningful, and this time too
I wanted to recreate the feelings I had at my grandmother's house
in the exhibition space. I wanted people
to experience with their bodies, as I did at my grandmother's house,
brushing against clothes, smelling and touching things, not just
looking at them, but actually experiencing them.
That was my idea.
Rather than showing the audience a completed work,
I wanted to present multiple
fragmented images. Whether it's audience participation, side
events, special performances, installations,
or videos, they're all in pieces.
It's up to the audience to put these pieces
together. However,
I think this opportunity is
really significant for me. It's a chance to expand on what I've
done so far, and to express
things I've imagined. So,
it's been a good experience.
Through the lives and stories of grandmothers,
at a point where Korean society is divided,
we can explore what individuals can do.
I hope this can serve as an opportunity for reflection.