Strange Neighbor

"From the perspective of Korea, the artists of this exhibition look like strange people who come from various countries. On the other hand, from the perspective of us, the artists, Korea looks like a strange country that is located right next to Japan. In this exhibition, we will focus on those two specific situations.   In 1945, Arthur C. Clarke foretold that, one day, we can finally build a Global Village and erase national borders. However, in this current reality, we can say that a "village" has already been formed through the rise of new technology, such as smartphones, social networks, and the like. As such, information that crosses borders can now easily be shared and accessed through the internet. And, in addition, due to globalism, there are now commonalities in the appearances of cities around the world.  

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But, on the other hand, even if we live in an "information and network society," we have to face differences as well--language, the way of thinking, culture, and lifestyle. Of course, we should not define people from other countries as strangers. But, in that case, what is our existence? If we think about it, we go back and forth between being a stranger and being a neighbor. It would be impossible for us, the artists, to have the exact same perspectives, as we all hail from different backgrounds. So, this exhibition is a process of attempting to find intersections of those different points of view manifested in the form of art, such as installation, video work, painting, and performance." Curator, Sanghae Kwon.

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The link.