Yoon Jeewon, Untitled
(Hyundai | photo), 2022, Single-channel video, color, sound, 13min. ©Seoul Museum of ArtThe Art Archives Seoul Museum of Art is
hosting the group exhibition 《Into Other Rivers》 until July 27, in connection with the Seoul Museum of Art’s
institutional agenda of “Action.”
Over the past two decades, manuscript
collections and archive-based artistic practices have played a key role in
recovering marginalized histories and shaping a shared terrain of collective
memory. This exhibition, featuring eight artists, reflects on the very meaning
of archives by exploring the processes of reconstructing and reinterpreting
records from the past and present.
The exhibition title 《Into Other Rivers》 draws inspiration from
the famous saying by the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus (BCE 535–475),
‘one never steps into the same river twice.’ It underscores the point that
records are not permanent—rather, they represent a process of interacting with today’s
awareness as we read and perceive them.
Imoogi Project,
A-Map-to-Trans-Times, 2025, Mixed media, Dimension variable ©Seoul Museum of ArtThe exhibition consists of three sections,
based on a detailed approach to incidents and objects and their
multi-dimensional relationships. “Deferred Memory” presents artwork that turns
a contemporary perspective on Korea’s modern and contemporary history and the
suppressed community histories within. In connection with this, it displays
archival materials associated with the Korea Democracy Foundation and the Korea
Queer Archive Queerarch.
“Witnessed Record” presents archival
materials from the Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation and the Art Archives, Seoul Museum
of Art (SeMA AA) which concern the history of the Jeju 4·3 and the Japanese
military “comfort women.” The section also features artwork that creates a
space of affect based on meticulous documentation of these histories.
“Projected Narrative” presents work that is rooted in real-world issues and
archives while constructing new narratives in those spaces of absence. In the
process, it liberates realms that have hitherto been obscured by prevailing
social ideas, boundaries, and fragmented discourse.
IM Heung-soon,
The Seas, 2023, 3-channel video, ©Seoul Museum of Art《Into Other Rivers》
highlights how records of the past and present are continuously reshaped and
reinterpreted, prompting a renewed awareness of memory, emotion, and perception
while exploring the multifaceted nature of archival activism in driving future
action.
Participating Artists: Kwon Eunbi, Kim Ayoung, Na Hyun, Moon Sanghoon, Yoon Jeewon, Imoogi
Project, IM Heung-soon, Takahashi Kentaro
