Prologue

  JE_;/BAAK doubts and interprets modernism’s notion of originality and an absolute value that modern people believe in through videos, photos, and installation works. This virtual exhibition contains his major video works, 'The structure of', 'Clock, Me & Time', and a printed photo called, 'petitio principii', to focus on the artist’s pursuit of artworks, ‘overthrown and re-interpretation of values’.      

  In the first space, 'The structure of' embodies five video-installation works of an endlessly rotating rides of amusement park. Even though a ride is a pleasing and entertaining existence, its structure is formed without an exit, which connotes the modern people’s limited pursuit of an artificial stimulation and an inescapable cycle of life.  

  The second work with seven channels, 'Clock, Me & Time', is a video that embodies performative processes of turning the hands of 120 years-old broken clock with concentration. The turning process of the stopped clock that relies on its feeling is an action of changing the notion of time to subjectivity which overturns a realization that the time is absolute. 

  The last space of the exhibition has 'petito princippii', which is comprised of giclee prints displaying photographs of Mondrin’s Grid paintings from different perspectives and printed out after making a pattern. Distorted grid patterns reset the relationship between the artist and the artworks; furthermore, it deconstructs the value of modernism. 

  His artworks are represented in various types but they have a common basis to overthrown the original value and view objects from new perspective. This exhibition traces the artist’s point of view and helps to find the significance through constrictively looking back the early chapters of his artworks.         

Curated by Seoyoon Jung (Kumho Museum of Art)