Poster
image of 《YOUNG-HAE
CHANG HEAVY INDUSTIRES vs. HONG JIN-HWON: No Middle Ground》 ©Seoul Museum of ArtThe Buk-Seoul Museum of Art is presenting the 12th edition of
its signature annual exhibition, “Title Match,” 《YOUNG-HAE CHANG HEAVY
INDUSTRIES vs. HONG JIN-HWON: No Middle Ground》, on
view through November 2.
This exhibition begins with a critical awareness of the near
impossibility of forming a seamlessly connected community in which all the
complex interests of its members are reconciled. Through these works by
YOUNG-HAE CHANG HEAVY INDUSTRIES (YHCHI) and Hong Jin-hwon, the exhibition
examines the conditions under which political acts emerge, with both artists
exploring how art can intervene in social phenomena and generate new political
possibilities.
YOUNG-HAE CHANG HEAVY INDUSTIRES, THE
EXPERIMENT IS DEMOCRACY. FASCISM IS THE CONTROL, 2025, trailer ©Seoul Museum of ArtWhereas YHCHI points to the contradictions of contemporary
society and seeks to provoke debate through fictional scenarios and literary
works, Hong Jin-hwon seeks to awaken the reality-driving power inherent in
photographic images as he recontextualizes past events from a present
perspective. The two artists probe the limits of text and image through
processes such as slippage, fragmentation, recombination, delay, and
restoration of text and image, while at the same time experimenting with new
possibilities in terms of text and image.
In this way, they pose the question of whether art truly has the
power to bring about change in the world, with neither artist leading a given
subject toward a single conclusion or answer in their work. Instead, the
artists carefully trace the divisions and conflicts embedded within their
works, and foster the awakening of each individual viewer by deferring any
definitive conclusion so that visitors can form their own judgements through
layered perspectives and interpretations.
Hong Jin-hwon, Can a
Photography Awaken the World Like a Coup Does?, 2025, trailer ©Seoul Museum of ArtThrough their respective practices, YHCHI and Hong Jin-hwon visualize the tensions and conflicts that exist within communities, demonstrating that art can serve as a space for posing questions and provoking debate. Indeed, their works invite visitors to confront tensions and energies that arise from discord within any community, as well as complex interpretations that resist reduction to binary choices, ultimately encouraging reflection on contemporary phenomena from multiple perspectives.
