Occupied Vacancy
Occupied Vacancy 2
- Museum Series
The Paradox of the Forgotten Time and the Stuffed Space
Time is actually not divided into present, past andfuture in a sequence of time but coexists in lasting space. A coexistence ofpast and future, it means a continuum that all the times are randomlyaccumulated in the space of present. To memorize something also doesn't mean togo back to the past in a horizontal line of time but means a phenomenon thatprotrudes over the surface of consciousness in a space of past randomlyaccumulated.
This lasting spacecan be compared with a storage room which is somewhere in a house because abasement warehouse or a loft is not a commonly-used space and they have paststuffs(memory-objet) stored in disorder whereas a living room or a bedroom is adaily-used space in the present time. Warehouses or lofts as a past space whichis not concerned with time is almost forgotten at 'ordinary times', but all thestuffs are revealed as memory-objet in the moment the door is opened on onespecial day.
A museum is arepresentative of the daily-unused space. The relics which we can see in museumare not ordinary stuffs but monuments expressing traces of time and memory. Amuseum actually means "a permanent institution to keep and exhibit themfor the purpose of study, teaching and community after collecting materialswhich have a important cultural or academic significance". For example, itincludes public library, permanent exhibitions, ruins and historic sites beingopened to ordinary people, or botanical gardens, zoological gardens andaquariums where living things are exhibited.
Like this, asmemory-space to awaken the past, museum is represented as a facet of acontinuum and coexistence of time. And at that moment visitors are at boundaryof present and past, memory and oblivion, trace and imagnation as they exactlysee the stuffs stored in their storage room. But the boundary of memory-spacebrings us clues to understand the present and present conditions to forecastthe future, in other words, brings us a sequence of collective or personalhistory and future-oriented view.
However, thephotographs of museum by an artist, Sung-hoon Kim express a rather differentmuseum not expected, isolated from lively museums filled with people. Thescenes of these photographs were purposely planned and calculated but shows atleast a singular actuality "something distorted" which can beexpressed only by photographic media. Frontality and simplicity of image, rigidity of a stiffed scene,perfectly fantastic space seen in science fiction films, silence and immovablestatement making us uneasy offer a visual dilemma to visitors between actualityand fantasy.
In fact, the concept of exhibition such as museums,expositions, zoological gardens, botanical gardens for a group is related tothe wrong belief of human chauvinism originated from rationalism. The conceptof museum or exposition has been deteriorated as a vehicle of propaganda tomaintain a system or a kind of perfunctory administration to show power by thephilosophy on the world that man is the lord of all creation. For example, thefoundation of museum and large-sized community center, organized festivals andexpositions, and unilateral cultural events are only the administrations forinstitutional achievements and results, and there are no spontaneousparticipation of citizen and passion of exhibition.
Above all, the museumsbeing established in the same form in whole country are regarded as a symbol ofpower and system. But the fact we have to be cautious about is not a buildingof museum itself but a greatly exaggerated demonstration effect and adistortion or fabrication of history which have been enforced methodically.Accordingly, the photographer takes the photographs of exhibition space,purposely visiting various museums in the unfrequented small cities ofGangwon-do, not in famous museums from big cities. As a result, the images ofmuseum are almost unrealistic like an apartment model house built only forexhibition.
Nonetheless, thisphotographic gesture by the photographer is not simply an accusation orexposure. It is another false image of mass society as the photographer says,"The photographs make us experience an emptiness that a plenty of time isconcentrated and disappeared for an instant just as importing today's masssociety into the square". The unspoken massage seen in his photographs isnot only an endless wants and ostentation of power created by human chauvinismand authority but also our situational dilemma that we admit all thedistortions but we can't help tolerating it.
In conclusion, the space of museum showed by thephotographer is only a kind of perfunctory exhibition or a false image of theTower of Babel by human pursuing a perfection. But as a false image built,museum's utopia especially showed in photographs is expressed more realisticthan any other actuality. This is just an photographic act to track theforgotten time and the stuffed space as an history for history, a system forsystem and an exhibition for exhibition.
Lee, Kyung-Ryul
Photography Critic / Professor/ Dept. of photography Chung-Ang University
Give Meaning Preject
Kim, Sung-Hoon
Education
2009 Soongsil University, Department of Digital Media, completed in Ph. D. program (Media Art)
2004 Kyungil University, Graduate School of Photography & Video, M.F.A
2000 Kyungil University, Photography & Video, B.F.A
Solo Exhibition
2010 Invitation Exhibition of Young Artists - Give Meaning Project, Daegu Culture and Arts Center, Daegu
2010 Space - grasping space, Gallery Tyche, Changwon
2009 White Wall & Black Pannel, RM Gallery, Seoul
2008 Occupied Vacancy Ⅱ- Museum Series, Gallery Cube C, Daegu
2007 Kim, Sung-hoon Photo Exhibition, Leehyun-Seoul Gallery, Seoul
2004 The Third Landscape, Greenphoto Gallery, Seoul
2003 Occupied Vacancy, Hwan Gallery, Daegu
Group Exhibition
2010 Swaying Thoughts, YFO Gallery, Daegu
2010 Urbanscape, Geukjae Art Gallery, Daegu
2010 Encore 2009 Exhibition, Donggu Culture & Athletic Center, Daegu
2010 Photo Speaks - International Festival for Photography and Video, Gallery Iang, Seoul
2009 The Landscape of Modern Photography, Daegu Culture and Arts Center, Daegu
2008 Human and Environment, Bongsan Cultural Center, Daegu
2007 Special Exhibition of Donggang Museum of Photography, Donggang Museum of Photography, Yeongwol
Gangwondo
2007 29 Artist-My Working Note, Suseong Artpia, Daegu
2007 The Meaning and Reappearance of Photography, Donggu Culture & Athletic Center, Daegu
2007 Picturing Yeongwol-Street Exhibition(Donggang Photo Festival), Donggang Museum of Photography,
Yeongwol Gangwondo
2007 New Vision in Gwangju & Daegu, Debek Plaza Gallery and Gwangju Shinsegae Gallery, Daegu and Gwangju
2006 The Middle of Photography, Donggu Culture & Athletic Center, Daegu
2005 Trial and Advance, National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, Seoul
2005 Then and Now of Korean Photos, Sejong Center, Seoul
2005 The Expansion of Photography, Bongsan Cultural Center, Daegu
2005 DUSAN NEW ARTIST FESTIVAL, Doosan Art Center, Seoul
2004 Document, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul
2004 Time and Space of Photography, Daegu Culture and Arts Center, Daegu
2004 At first sight..., Donggu Culture & Athletic Center, Daegu
2004 The Study of Geography, Donggu Culture & Athletic Center, Daegu
2002 Landscape 2002, Hwan Gallery, Daegu
2002 The Young Photographer's Group Exhibition 2002, Daegu Culture and Arts Center, Daegu
2002 Photography as a Transmitter, Daegu Culture and Arts Center, Daegu
2001 The Young Photographer's Group Exhibition, Daegu Culture and Arts Center, Daegu
2001 Family 2001, Hwan Gallery, Daegu
2000 Change of Recognition, Dong-A Gallery, Daegu
2000 The Chosun Race of Today, Daegu Culture and Arts Center, Daegu
1999 Perception·Contemplation...Yearning, Daedok Culture and Arts Center, Daegu
1997 The Young Photographer's Group Exhibition, Daegu Culture and Arts Center, Daegu
1996 Wind of Change, Daegu Culture and Arts Center, Daegu
Grant
2010 Award of Young Artists, Daegu(Culture and Arts Center)
2008 Selected as a Support Project of Culture & Arts Foundation,
Young Artists' Creative Works Support, Daegu
Career
2010- Chief of Exhibition Supporting Team, Daegu Photo Biennale 2010
2009-2010 Director/Chairman of Steering Committee of International Young Photographer Exhibition 2010
2008- Part-time Professor of Department of Visual Arts & Design, Gyeongju University
2009 Lecturer of Graduate School of Photography, Kyungsung University
2006-2007 Lecturer of School of Photography & Video, Kyungil University Lecturer of Division of Visual
Communication, Dongseo University
2004-2006 Lecturer of Department of Photography, Kyungsung University
2010 Curator of ‘Hidden Sense', Bongsan Cultural Center
2008 Curator of 'A Day in the Life of Daegu', Daegu Photo Biennale 2008
2008 Member of Steering Committee, Members of Young Photographer Exhibition
2007- Secretary-general of 'The Society of Modern Photography & Video'
2004-2006 Manager of 'The Society of Modern Photography & Video'
2005- Member of 'The Society of Korean Photography'
2003 Freelancer of North Korea's Cheering Group(Daegu Universiade), Daegu
2001 Manager of 'Our Turning World(Magnum Photo's 50th Anniversary), Daegu Culture and Arts Center
