The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) and Culture House (CH) proudly present two joint exhibitions collectively featuring six digital video works by three Korean artists and one large-scale outdoor mural by a Korean-American artist that explore themes of pandemic recovery and symbols of longevity, respectively. Together, these two exhibitions occupy nearly the entire art space at Culture House, a vibrant and unique arts venue located in Southwest Washington, D.C. dedicated to creativity and community.

The Day After, on display in Culture House’s gallery, examines the spatial, emotional, and physical effects of the unexpected changes to life and environment brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Korean media artists Ivetta Sunyoung Kang, Su Hyun Nam, and Jayoung Yoon explore several key themes of this globally shared experience: relief from anxiety through the connection of body and mind, preciousness of the mundane and ordinary life, and the relationship between the mind and matter. The Day After seeks to provide an opportunity to heal trauma caused by the pandemic and to discover new perspectives on life in its wake.

Ivetta Sunyoung Kang attempts to alleviate anxiety and uncertainty through physical and emotional sense activities that harmonize body and mind. ‘Tenderhands’ is a visual record of this effort, incorporating 40 performances of daily writing as a poetic means of exploring how notions of the human hand have changed during a time of social distancing. ‘Proposition 1: Hands’ is a single-channel video work inspired by a Korean children’s game, the name of which approximately translates to “making electricity with hands.” It reminds us of the significance of tactile, manual communion in our daily lives, as found in the sensation of warmth when touching one another’s hands.

Su Hyun Nam creates digital landscapes by restructuring and pixelating the diverse and complex moments of life that are inherently shared in a city. The composition of intertwined and segmented scenes embodies the intersecting and overlapping of space and time, evoking a familiar yet strange tension. The collective urban images in ‘Metamorphosis’ and ‘Woven Milieu’, both single-channel video works, speak to the beauty and meaning of our mundane lives that often goes overlooked.

Jayoung Yoon investigates memory, perception, and bodily sensation by utilizing human hair as a primary medium. By visualizing cleansing thoughts and negative emotions through materiality and process, her works ask us to reconsider our perceptions of life and death during the COVID-19 global pandemic. The skull sculpture in ‘Dreaming of life’, a single-channel video work, is hand-knotted with the artist’s own hair, reflecting on the temporal nature of life. Yoon positions her body as a subject of perception in the center of her work ‘Reflections in Mindfulness’, a performance-based video, allowing nature to flow around her and inviting the viewer into a ritual meditation that awakens the inner self.

Crane Dancers, on display in the Avant Garden, features a single 120-foot-long site-specific mural installation by Julia Chon, known also by the artist’s name Kimchi Juice. Chon’s sweeping outdoor mural is a new reinterpretation of the traditional Korean symbols of longevity infused with a colorful pop art twist. Incorporating a prominent Korean aesthetic in much of her work, Chon merges her ancestry and traditions with contemporary sensibilities to convey the nuances of the Korean diaspora.

The Day After remains on display from September 18 through November 20, 2021 (walk-in hours are 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturdays only) and Crane Dancers remains on display from September 4 through January 30, 2022 (viewable 24/7). 

Ivetta Sunyoung Kang

Proposition 1: Hands

Single-channel video installation, 4’32’’

Performed by Ivetta Sunyoung Kang and Eric You, 2020

Su Hyun Nam

Metamorphosis

Single channel video (loop), 19’40”, 2009

Jayoung Yoon

Reflections in Mindfulness

Single-channel high-definition video, 16:9 format,

original running time of 63 minutes (excerpt: 10 minutes), 2013

Julia Chon

Crane Dancers

2021

[The Day After]

WHAT: Media art exhibition

WHO: Ivetta Sunyoung Kang, Su Hyun Nam, and Jayoung Yoon

WHEN: September 18 – November 20, 2021 / Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

(no reservations required, masks are required of all individuals inside the building.)

WHERE: Culture House Gallery (700 Delaware Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. 20024)

[Crane Dancers]

WHAT: Large-scale outdoor mural exhibition

WHO: Julia Chon

WHEN: September 4, 2021 – January 30, 2022 / On view 24/7 (no reservations required)

WHERE: The Avant Garden at Culture House (700 Delaware Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. 20024)

[About the Artists]

Ivetta Sunyoung Kang (b. 1986) is an interdisciplinary conceptual artist and writer currently based in Canada. She works across moving-image-based media, text, participatory, and performative work. She has presented her work internationally at film festivals and galleries including Jeon-Ju International Film Festival, Leonard Bina Ellen Gallery, M.A.I, SomoS Art House, and Arlington Arts Center, among others. In 2016, She received her BFA in Film Production from Sang Myung University in Korea and her MFA from Concordia University in Canada.

Su Hyun Nam (b. 1985) is an interdisciplinary media artist and researcher working at the intersection of art, technology, science, and philosophy, based in New York. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally in Spain, UAE, Greece, Singapore, and South Korea. She received her MFA in art and technology studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her Ph.D. in media studies from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Transmedia and director of the computer gaming program at Syracuse University.

Jayoung Yoon (b. 1979) is an interdisciplinary artist working with across a variety of materials and media based in New York. Her work has been exhibited in numerous museums and galleries, including The Bronx Museum of the Arts, San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, New Bedford Art Museum, Ohio Craft Museum, Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art, and Seoul Olympic Museum of Art. She received her MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan and her BFA from Hongik University in Korea.

Julia Chon (b. 2000), also known by her artist’s name Kimchi Juice, is a Washington, D.C.-based artist and muralist. Through portraiture highlighting Asian women, her work explores the relationship between cultural tradition and its effects on generational identity and the decisions Asian Americans make in forming their identities. Her murals can be found internationally and her work has been exhibited in solo and group shows in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Miami. She has collaborated with NASA, ‘47, and Apple, among others.

[About Culture House]

Founded on the principle that art is a catalyst for change in the community, Culture House is dedicated to providing inspiration and motivation for those who encounter its power, either through experiences or events. The mission of Culture House is to provide a functional art space for all to enjoy and learn more about the arts culture through exhibitions, events, live performances, and artist workshops. The venue embraces all things creative with all its being. Culture House is a 501(c)3 dedicated to the arts and community and relies on donations and volunteers to keep its programming fresh, helping to drive Washington, D.C.’s exceptional creative scene forward. For more information, visit the Culture House website at www.culturehousedc.org.