Message from the Paths We Have Traveled

SEOJUNG ART Senior Curator Yunjung Lee

 

If we had the chance to confront our past selves by retracing memories that have faded and corroded over time, what questions might we ask? From a linear perspective, our past selves might not differ from our present selves, but compared to our current selves, who have navigated countless crossroads, there would likely be a profound sense of disconnection, perceiving them as entirely different beings. Imagining the process of ceaselessly asking questions and obtaining answers beyond the constraints of time and space to yield better outcomes, or pondering over abandoned choices, leaves us with a faint consciousness the more we delve into it. The memories we grasp at are often tinged with emotions, distorted in some way, and some parts vanish, lost forever.

The images of Seongjoon Hong’s works displayed in the two-part exhibition 《Where did it come from? pt.1, 2》, showcased in two separate venues, appear infinitely light and transparent, markedly different from his previous presentations. Following the faintly revealed outlines, various materials seem to float in the air as if moved by the wind, their origins and destinations unknown. Whereas the Layer series in his earlier work accumulated time in overlapping layers, each vividly displaying its color and capturing the impression of the present, the new images in his latest work have stripped away almost all weight, leaving only a delicate tint that changes with the angle of light.

The chiffon and water droplets chosen by the artist to represent lightness are apt symbols, given their inherently light physical properties. The records of the paths we've traveled, things we've experienced, seen, and felt, do not necessarily become more perfectly reproduced the more detailed they are. Sometimes, it is the simple, open spaces that allow imagination to fill in the gaps more effectively than meticulously refined language embellished with rhetoric. Yet, paradoxically, the process of capturing this on canvas involves laborious handcraft. To translate the colors seen and the landscapes remembered into an abstract system of thought, the artist employs visual devices to measure every facet that appears different depending on the angle. The images, completed by gathering fragments of time and space into visible forms, are transformed into his own abstract language, lightly soaring away as if avoiding unnecessary interpretation. This might reflect the artist’s vague imaginings. Just as a scene from a dream vanishes in an instant when grasped for, the experiences of the past, relying solely on memory, can disappear in a fleeting moment. These intangible products are another form of diary, reflecting how one interprets past experiences.

Touch the Sky (2024), seen in the artist's studio, occupies a small corner of the exhibition, the smallest piece yet the only one that emits a subtle glow, asserting its presence. This ‘choice,’ completed in the form of an exhibition, remains as another trace, another record. The unique technique of applying fluorescent paint to make the normally dark backside of the canvas emit its own light offers an intimate glimpse into the reverse side of the work. For someone at a point where self-reflection is necessary, the artist’s ‘present,’ shaped by countless choices, offers a momentary rescue from a vague crossroads. Some may re-evaluate a choice once considered the best, wondering if it caused them to abandon another path, and scrutinize the records of those moments.

As implied by the exhibition title, even if it began as a ‘mid-term review of myself,’ it does not lead to regret over discarded choices or anxiety about the current state. Rather, the artist realizes that all elements constituting the present self are not the result of chosen paths, but of those not chosen. The contemplation of unpredictable circumstances, constantly changing questions, and the varied ends of all the variations crystallize into various light substances that vividly embody lightness. The clear and bright water droplets floating in the air suggest that even if these memories are fleeting, and the discarded choices have vanished, they still hold a beautiful form in memory. Not in a foggy, unclear state, but rather like water droplets floating in a clear, open sky, exuding confidence.

Although we cannot capture every changing thought and question, the substances crafted from our senses remain eternal. The complex emotions intertwined in the creative process will form shapes that, over time, will scatter again like fragments. Thus, the images of creation and annihilation are completed by quietly pioneering unpredictable paths. Just as Theseus, holding Ariadne’s thread, needed to change his perspective to find the end of the labyrinth, the motifs scattered throughout the exhibition space attempt to transcend the artist's senses and entrust themselves entirely to our imagination.