Hailing from a new generation of South Korean artists, Kijong Zin Showed his On Air series of works in ”Viewpoints & Viewing Points－ 2009 Asian Art Biennial” two years ago. Using live news sites constructed by toys, he provided interesting and extremely real commentary about the contemporary media. Perhaps this series is still fresh in your memory. However, not satisfied with being a “new media artist,” he will re-apply his knowledge and skill in sculpting for Earth Report, using diorama methods typically found in museums and “analogies” to current events.
His work, “Slaves in the Gulf,” is inspired by the famous painting, “Barge Haulers on the Volga,” by 19th century Russian realist artist, Ilya Repin, and which scenes are comprised of a desert formed from a dried out river. Viewing “Slaves in the Gulf” closer, however, one discovers that the tired and desperate barge haulers in the original painting are now Saddam Hussein, Bush, and Bin Laden. Bin Laden’s eyes are fixated on a computer screen as he watches the latest stock prices of oil. 21st century barge haulers are working hard to haul an oil tanker that is moving in the opposite direction. Utilizing dim lighting and a museum-style display cabinet, the work takes viewers into the next century, and lets them observe this political farce of the “previous century” with a wry smile. This is a work that sounds a wake-up call, connecting the broadcast of “CNN” or “Aljazeera,” 911 attacks or both Gulf Wars…the truth behind them all is purely just a battle for sources of oil.
Whether it is Amazon rain forests being cleared for farming, pollution crises caused by oil tanker ruptures, or the growing influence of global warming, Kijong Zin describes the usually ignored ecological phenomena that occur in our daily lives by four pieces of two-dimensional sculptures. In “Hollywood Island N34 W118,” the Hollywood sign, usually situated on a hill, is now at sea-level and a popular tourist island for the rich. On the other side of the world, mother and son polar bears carry an unknown fate on the floating ice of “The Greenland Sea N78 W15.” Far away in Asia, we indifferently face these environmental worries that influence our lives by stoically viewing these spectacles through television sets or computer monitors.
In Earth Report, Kijong Zin reflects our handling of global issues as a parody. Whether the topic is international politics or environmental pollution, he uses the most familiar objects of models; some are hand-made by himself, while others are ready-made products. With a relatively light approach, he expresses his observations of society. In his work, “Rail Road Series II,” a train fully loaded with oil and charcoal, gradually moving forward. Like a demon, it spits out black smoke which covers the sky. The little people on the train write, “The weak is trapped in the environment, the wise exploits the environment.” However, in the real social events applied by works, the difference between weaker and wiser has become questions worthy of reflection.
Reception: 2011/2/26 (Sat) 19:00
