Woonhae Yea, Village, 2024, Installation view of “Cherishing
the blinking” (Buk-Seoul Museum of Art, 2024) ©SeMAThe Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) is hosting
the BEYOND exhibition titled “Cherishing the Blinking” at Buk-Seoul Museum of
Art's unused spaces until August 17. This exhibition features large-scale new
works by Woonhae Yea (b. 1989), an artist who humorously reexamines discarded
or overlooked elements of urban life as part of her unique practice.
Since 2019, Yea has collected aluminum cans
over five years, transforming them into the central material of her work.
Through this exhibition, she invites visitors to the Buk-Seoul Museum of Art to
reflect on "practices of the present." Drawing from her recently
published essay collection, Secret Love (November 2023), the
artist highlights "blinking"—fleeting moments of brilliance that can
only be discovered through a gaze of affection—and reconsiders the connections
between individuals.
Woonhae Yea, Shooting Star, 2024, Installation view
of “Cherishing the blinking” (Buk-Seoul Museum of Art, 2024) ©SeMAThe accompanying performance series, L-OVE LE-TTE-R, began on Christmas Day (December 25, 2024), with participants sharing warm canned drinks and linking the pull tabs into a chain while exchanging messages. The series continues with scheduled events in February, May, and August, offering visitors a chance to witness the evolving artwork, making repeat visits to the museum a unique experience.
Woonhae Yea, Forgotten Letters, 2024, Installation
view of “Cherishing the blinking” (Buk-Seoul Museum of Art, 2024) ©SeMAThe BEYOND Project, launched in 2017,
transforms entryways, pathways, and rest areas in and around Buk-Seoul Museum
of Art into creative spaces for contemporary artists. By showcasing artworks
that encourage barrier-free participation, the project creates moments of fresh
sensory engagement.
This year's BEYOND Project continues its
mission to foster coexistence with all beings in our surroundings, aiming to
connect the in-between spaces and resonate as a call for harmony.
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.
