GATHERING

What art language can be possible after disasters like the Fukushima tsunami, nuclear power plant explosion or Sewol ferry disaster? In the era of “Mind-bending” the purpose and functions of religion and art, at least, are to defend certain(or groundless) hopes themselves within the circle of the “evil world,” either real or virtual, and this is distinct from the law and politics that only establish the measure of justice outside the evil world. Likewise, “Agape” or “mercy” is, in fact, hardly attainable in the real world.  On the other hand, these are the absolute virtues of religion. Therefore, religion explores the value of these virtues despite its constant failure to bring them to fruition; paradoxically, however, the very reality of those recurring failure could represent those values. Art, in some sense, seems to echo that paradoxical structure. For this, I use the diverse lexicon of paradoxes and ironies, including the redemption through mechanical instruments (Belated Bosal), the ritual that turns out to be comical (Belated Bosal, Gathering), the sublime within the naïve faith in our blessings (Gathering, Folding Screen), and the natural beauty transcending disaster (Fukushima,Autoradiography, Water Mark). (Park Chan-kyong)