The Observers: Moohyun Jo, Gus Monday
Moohyun Jo examines the structures and meanings beyond visible surfaces, visualizing his reflections on the hidden aspects. As an observer, he takes a proactive stance, going beyond merely recording the external appearance of the subject to decode the hidden relationships and underlying mechanisms within. Especially, the ‘car’ serves as a central subject in his work. The internal structure of the car, hidden beneath its sleek surface, is not visible, yet its presence can be sensed, and the functional ‘volume’ created within it fosters the user’s trust. In his relationship with the car, he captures its inner essence through and observer’s gaze that penetrates beyond the surface by using collected car images, he delves into the paradoxical relationship between interior and exterior. Gazing the relationship through an ‘observer’s lens’, he reconstructs the volume and depth of the interior in his paintings and sculptures. His work reveals symbolic meaning hidden within everyday objects through a keen observation of qualities that do not immediately appear on the surface. This exploration serves as a medium that reflects his perspective as an observer while simultaneously creating a bridge to the viewer’s own gaze.
Meanwhile, Gus Monday, who grew up between South Africa and United Kingdom, integrates his personal experiences with diverse social, cultural, and historical elements to create visual narratives coded into everyday spaces. As an observer, he unveils the social codes embedded in space with a sharp eye, revealing how individuals interact with their surroundings. By juxtaposing stylistic elements that evoke both modern perspectives and nostalgia for the past in a single frame, he reinterprets the complex relationship between past and present, inviting questions on how the observer perceives and internalizes these contexts.
In this exhibition, Monday presents his Study and Sketch series for the first time in Korea. Far from being merely preliminary works, these pieces are the culmination of constant observation and documentation, captures pivotal moments in his creative process.
The two artists demonstrate that observation is a journey that reaches beyond visual surfaces to explore the multiple layers of meaning beneath. Audiences are invited to synchronize with the artists’ perspectives, shifting from intuitive viewing to more analytic engagement. Through this, viewers are invited to revisit overlooked scenes of everyday life, joining an artistic journey that reconstructs and reinterprets the reality.
