Installation
view of “Between Us” ©Space Willing N DealingSpace
Willing N Dealing presents a solo exhibition “Between Us” by Seo Jaewoong, as
its final exhibition of 2024, on view through February 19.
Seo
Jaewoong (b. 1985) is an artist who contemplates the principles of the world,
the cycles of ecosystems, and the relationships between the environment,
humans, and non-human entities. He expresses the cyclical dynamics of mutual
generation and mutual opposition, symbolized by the Five Elements (Wood, Fire,
Earth, Metal, Water), through sculpture and painting. He actively addresses
contemporary ecological and climate issues by incorporating practices such as
material sourcing through upcycling.
Installation view of “Between Us” ©Space Willing N DealingIn “Between
Us,” the artist takes a step further, examining human existence not as an
isolated entity but as an interconnected element in the broader flow of
life—spanning organisms, nature, and the temporal rhythms of Earth.
In this
exhibition, Seo presents wooden sculptures of animals, which represent life
forms that have evolved over time. These forms, a fusion of animals and humans,
symbolize the interconnectedness of the human and non-human worlds.
Installation view of “Between Us” ©Space Willing N Dealing
Additionally,
Seo incorporates single-crystal silicon (99.99% purity), a material derived
from fossils or semiconductor technology, as the eyes of these creatures. As
the "windows to the soul," these eyes, made of a material embodying
Earth's geological history, symbolize the cyclical nature of ecosystems and the
passage of time.
At the
same time, the ultra-modern single-crystal silicon highlights the continuum
between past and present, bridging ancient existence with today’s technological
civilization.
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.
