그림 회繪에 그림 화畫

Song of a Failed Country

I have been interested in various aspects of Northeast Asian culture, despite having no religious background and being as ignorant as anyone else when it comes to East Asian classics, including Chinese characters. Some of the things that have caught my attention are flyers on the street advertising ‘Revealing the truth about ghosts,’ strange people preaching on the street, a shaman’s blog promoting the Good Party, Insadong street offering ‘Korean-style’ entertainment, foreigners experiencing hanbok (traditional Korean clothing), ongoing Asian desires for Westernization, a book on levitation, prophecies of a bright future in the East, a book on painting that teaches ‘how to draw,’ a calligraphy textbook, cultural events featuring women dressed in traditional costumes, hairpins and rosaries sold at Dongmyo, poignant films like ‘Chunhyang,’ cliches that appear in such movies, and gothic novels that form the basis of these narratives. Contrary to what people might expect, I didn’t grow up in any religious environment, and I’m just as ignorant about East Asian classics, including Chinese characters, as anyone else. When I reflect on my background and upbringing as a woman born in the mid-1980s who grew up without any aversion to a normal formal education, the question of why I became interested in the East Asian world without any unique environmental conditions remains valid. Pursuing the possibility of approaching the ‘non-rational’ world of the East is often accompanied by a sense of frustration and irrationality, as it forces me to become more aware of the harsh realities of life. In today’s reality, I regard this hobby of reflecting on the world as ‘a failed country.’ However, even if the country fails, I will rewrite and sing the songs that still remain.

그림 회繪에 그림 화畫 from gallery chosun on Vimeo.