G Gallery is proud to present WATER TURNS INTO DIET COKE from 22 May to 15 June. The work of conceptual artist Micah Prado, originally from Lisbon, Portugal, presents experiences of altered perception by juxtaposing seemingly mundane situations with reality, offering highly plausible yet impossible or unpredictable outcomes.
WATER TURNS INTO DIET COKE
On the flimsy plastic lids of the beverage cups at fast food joints, one can find small circles, or buttons, used to indicate the contents within. When receiving a cup with a lid marked 'DIET', would it then contain Diet Coke? If we were to pour water into a cup, cover it with a lid, and press the button labeled 'DIET', what would the contents be? Would the cup hold water or Diet Coke?
LIME IS LEMON IS LIME IS LEMON
When ordering a 'Diet Coke with Lima' in a South American border town, some receive a glass of Diet Coke with lemon while others are served Diet Coke with lime. Does Micah Prado's Coke have lime? Or lemon? And how can we be certain that it was not water that was instantaneously transformed into Diet Coke?
THERE IS A LEMON BEHIND THE CURTAIN
The question that arises in relation to each situation presented by Micah Prado is the blurring of the signifier and the signified. The supposedly tightly bound relationship between the two loses its universality and becomes fragmented and individualised depending on where, how, and by whom the signifier, which is both letter and sound, is used. In this structurally imperfect relationship between the signifier and signified, my 'lime' is your 'lemon'. And the lemon/lime behind the curtain might have a yellow peel, a green surface, or could perhaps be a round orange thing. Or it may not be round, or solid, or yellow, or green, or orange, or any of those things at all. We shall never know.
YOU ARE MICAH PRADO
Born in Lisbon, Portugal, and active in the 1950s, conceptual artist, photographer, poet, and graphic designer Micah Prado's work has been recreated by Korean artist Pyo Minhong. By questioning what we take for granted as self-evident and obvious, Micah Prado casually stirs the magical imagination that takes place within them. As a result, we are allowed to slip away from our perceptions of what we believe to be universal and encounter the signified at odds with the signifier. From small questions subtly embedded in realistic circumstances, he challenges the conventional language and notions of reality that we often internalise in day-to-day life, and draws creative variations. So who is Micah Prado? When we call out his name, is it possible that the person who appears in front of us has a name other than Micah Prado?
Since opening in 2013, G Gallery has established itself as one of Korea's leading contemporary galleries by discovering talented young Korean and international artists and presenting a wide range of curated exhibitions. Based on active communication with artists and a deep interest in sculptural discovery, G Gallery has been organizing a unique program that introduces art from various fields such as painting, video, and installation. In addition, by presenting their work at art fairs both domestically and abroad, the gallery provides young artists with a foundation for forming diverse connections.
