Solo Exhibitions (Brief)

Since 2002, Jinah Roh has held approximately 15 solo exhibitions. Notable solo exhibitions include 《Algorithm of Evolutionary time》(2024, Oil Tank Culture Park T2, Seoul), 《Scaffording: AI Dialogue》(2024, Sanggye Art Garden, Seoul), 《Incomplete Model》(2023, Oil Tank Culture Park T1, Seoul), 《Unstructured Data》(2022, Alterside, Seoul), 《Burdensome Skin》(2021, Hoard Gallery, Seoul), 《InterFacial ExTension》(2019, Post-Territory Ujeongguk, Seoul), 《Je Suis L’hommelette!》(2005, Alternative Space Loop, Seoul), 《Envious Cyborgs》(2004, Ilju Art House, Seoul), 《Cybernetic Organism》(2002, Gallery 2, Chicago, IL, U.S.A), among others.

Group Exhibitions (Brief)

Jinah Rho has participated in various group exhibitions such as 《Art after AI》(2025, CyArt Center, Seoul), 《Art and Artificial Intelligence》(2024, Ulsan Art Museum, Ulsan), 《Speed of Hyperion》(2024, The Hyundai, Daegu), 《The Friendliest》(2024, Incheon Art Platform, Incheon), 《ZIP》(2024, Arko Art Center, Seoul), 《Ho-Gok-Jang》(2024, Savina Museum, Seoul), 《Anxious Boundaries》(2023, CAN Foundation, Seoul), 《Cabinet of the Ephemeral》(2023, Art Center Nabi, Seoul), 《On Collecting Time》(2023, Nam June Paik Art Center, Yongin), 《The Uncanny World》(2022, Museum of Contemporary Art Busan, Busan), 《Fortune Telling》(2021, Ilmin Museum of Art, Seoul), 《Our Bright Future - Cybernetic Fantasy》(2017, Nam June Paik Art Center, Yongin), 《2012 SeMA Archive: Back and Forth》(2012, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul), 《Seoul International Media Art Biennale - Merz’s Room》(2006, Seoul Museum of Art Namseoul Annex, Seoul), and 《Foooday》(2002, B.Y.O group, Chicago, USA).

Residencies (Selected)

Roh was an artist-in-residence at the Nanji Art Studio in 2009.

Collections (Selected)

Jinah Noh's works are part of the collections of the Nam June Paik Art Center, G.Map Gwangju Media Art Platform, and the Iron Museum. 

Originality & Identity

Jinah Rho’s artistic practice focuses on exploring the relationship between humans and non-humans (machines). Her early works investigate the humanization of machines and the mechanization of humans through human-machine interactions, visualizing the emotional and philosophical issues that emerge from these encounters.

In her early work, You Type, I’ll Talk(2004), humans and machines attempt to connect through dialogue, but the process paradoxically emphasizes how humans become mechanized and machines become humanized. This reversal of roles poignantly highlights the impact of technological civilization on human existence.

As her practice evolved, Rho’s interest expanded to the mechanical simulation of human emotions. In Geppetto’s Dream(2010), the story of a wooden puppet longing to become human poses questions about how far technology can replace human identity. The piece critically addresses the desire to create human-like beings, reflecting on the evolution of technological mimicry.

Mater Ex Machina(2019) uses deep learning to teach a robot how to mimic human facial expressions, particularly those associated with maternal emotions. By presenting a robot modeled after her own mother, Rho questions whether even maternal emotions can be learned and explores the possibility of an emotional connection between robots and humans through affective mimicry.

Rho actively explores the metaphor of human-machine coevolution. In An Evolving GAIA(2017), she visualizes the evolutionary process of machines becoming human through an interactive robot, suggesting the possibility of humans and machines as mutually complementary beings. The machine doll GAIA raises the question of whether machines can think like humans, blurring the boundary between human and non-human by generating philosophical and nuanced answers.

Her recent work, Evolutionary Chimera-GAIA (2024), proposes a metaphor of humans and machines coevolving into a single ecosystem. In this piece, GAIA symbolizes the Earth as a self-regulating, interacting organism while also evolving into a hybrid entity that integrates human and non-human elements. The work suggests the possibility of coevolution beyond mere humanization of machines, addressing the broader theme of the coevolution of AI and human existence.

Style & Contents

Jinah Rho’s artistic style has evolved by integrating traditional sculpture with new media, developing into interactive robotic forms that communicate directly with the audience. The early work You Type, I’ll Talk(2004) features a life-sized female cyborg that moves its eyes and mouth while interacting with the audience. Connected via a cord resembling an umbilical cord, the cyborg recognizes questions typed by the audience and responds verbally. This setup paradoxically illustrates the communication modes between machines and humans, highlighting how humans become mechanized while machines strive to become human.

As Rho’s practice evolved, she focused on machines’ ability to learn and express human emotions. In Mater Ex Machina(2019), a robotic piece modeled after Rho’s mother, the machine learns expressions through deep learning, mimicking the audience’s facial expressions and conveying emotions. The work critically questions whether even the concept of motherhood can be learned, experimentally examining the potential for emotional bonding between robots and humans.

Since 2017, voice recognition-based dialogue has become a central element in her work. An Evolving GAIA(2017) features a machine that responds to human speech with philosophical answers, challenging the notion that machines are mere tools. The transition from text-based to voice-based dialogue reflects how technological advancements have influenced the form and content of Rho’s interactive works.

In recent works like Transcoded Shell(2019) and The Velocity of Hyperion (2022), Rho critically reflects on the limitations of AI learning. These pieces feature large bust robots that communicate with one another, highlighting how distorted data can lead to communication errors. The works metaphorically address the issues of data bias and error inherent in technological development, presenting these challenges as artistic devices.

Topography & Continuity

Jinah Rho’s practice has evolved from simple human-machine dialogues to exploring hybrid entities that merge human and non-human characteristics. Her works transcend merely showcasing technological advancements in AI, instead examining the complexities and possibilities of blending mechanical thinking with human emotion. By doing so, her works encourage contemplation about the future of human-machine coexistence, critically reflecting on the evolving relationship between technology and humanity.

Rho’s formal approach, rooted in human-machine interaction, has evolved to deepen dialogues and express the autonomy of machines with increasing sophistication. This progression experiments with the potential of autonomous machine thinking while visualizing the emergence of hybrid beings that combine human and non-human traits.

Jinah Rho holds a significant position in contemporary art by consistently addressing the boundaries between humans and machines. Her practice probes how artificial intelligence and machine learning influence human nature and identity, pondering how humans and machines might coexist in the future. Looking ahead, Rho is expected to continue examining the dissolution of human-machine boundaries, proposing new possibilities for coexistence through her exploration of human-machine coevolution.