Artist discovers interstices of city

“Seochon — Stone Wall” (2016) by Kim Ji-hea / Courtesy of the artist

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Artist Kim Ji-hea sees the city through different eyes. She has been rediscovering the cityscape by taking pictures and distorting the photos in an attempt to find hidden colors in the urban environment.

At her latest exhibition held at Artside Gallery in Seochon, central Seoul, Kim broadens her perspective to people who live in the city, more specifically Seochon, one of Seoul’s oldest neighborhoods located next to Gyeongbok Palace.

The title of the exhibit "Earnestly and Gently ... Blossom" comes from the name of two neighborhoods in Seochon: Tongeui-dong and Tongin-dong, which mean communicating earnestly and communicating gently, respectively.

The exhibit features 16 new works by Kim, who majored in print but now works with photography.

"Though I studied print from the undergraduate to doctoral level, I always had this painterly sensitivity. So I often made a collage on top of copperplate prints, and photos were good sources for the collage work," Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times.

"I always carried a small digital camera with me when I travel or attend a workshop. I liked the traces of reality in the photos, but that was just not enough for me. When I accidentally stretched a part of a photo and discovered hidden space-time in there, I was literally thrilled from top to toe," Kim said. "That was the beginning of this series, based on the realistic traces."

“Seochon — Blue Sky” (2016) by Kim Ji-hea / Courtesy of the artist

Her previous works centered on observing foreign elements of the city from afar and analyzing them as creative dynamics. Kim's interest shifted to individuals living in the city in her latest works.

Seochon is a neighborhood where time passes slowly. Slick contemporary buildings stand next to "hanok" or traditional Korean houses, creating a unique atmosphere.

Kim said she has frequented the area for a few years and was fascinated by the old-fashioned neighbourhood in the heart of the metropolis. "I felt a sense of separation from the town and people living in it. The simple yet characteristic individuality of Seochon people inspired me to take my series to a new dimension," she said.

"Personally, I hoped to present a modern interpretation of the traditional, old cities of Korea in order to bring multilayered significance to tradition in our world. I also wished to change the awareness and perspective of center and periphery," Kim said.

The exhibit runs until Sept. 2. Admission is free. For more information, visit artside.org or call 02-725-1020.