The first overseas solo exhibition of Korean artist Keem Jiyoung (b. 1987), “Breath of the Month”, is holding at the PHILIPPZOLLINGER in Zürich, Switzerland, until January 18 next year.

Since the Sewol ferry tragedy in 2014, Keem has been delving into socio-political defects of the current world that contemporary disasters bring to light. As an attempt to perceive the contemporary era in a historical sense, Keem’s work focuses on social incidents and evokes a sense of connection between individuals and society.

The title of the exhibition Breath of the Month alludes to the calendar year with all its recorded dates that we mustn’t forget. In this way, they allow us to contemplate the interconnectedness of both death and birth, loss and gain.
 
This exhibition centers on Keem’s recent Glowing Hour series, consisting of 18 works. The artist meditated on and observed burning candles over an extended period, capturing their diverse shapes, colors, and the warmth they emanate on the canvas. Each canvas depicts the flickering flame of a candle, portraying the fragility and warmth of life while connecting individual experiences with the collective resilience required in the face of human-made disasters.

In addition, the exhibition features Keem's candle sculpture series, Look at This Unbearable Darkness, comprising 10 works shaped like hands clasped in prayer. Bearing traces of burnt wicks, these sculptures metaphorically evoke the darkness that follows extinguished flames while simultaneously inviting viewers to imagine the red glow of the candles when they were alight. Through the theme of light and darkness, the artist explores collective empathy and understanding of life after disasters.
 
Keem Jiyoung is an artist based in Seoul whose practice spans a diverse media including installation, painting, text, video, and sound. Keem has held solo exhibitions at P21; WESS; Sansumunhwa; O’newWall E’Juheon, and participated in group exhibitions at various institutions including SONGEUN; DOOSAN Gallery; Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art; National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Gwacheon, and others. Keem’s works are included in the collection of PARK SEO-BO Foundation, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, and National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea.

References

• 필립졸링어 갤러리 (PHILIPPZOLLINGER)
• P21, 김지영 (P21, Keem Jiyoung)
• 김지영, Keem Jiyoung (Artist Website)

Ji Yeon Lee has been working as an editor for the media art and culture channel AliceOn since 2021 and worked as an exhibition coordinator at samuso (now Space for Contemporary Art) from 2021 to 2023.