Jeong Jeong-ju

Exhibitions

Jeong has held several solo and group exhibitions since 2000. 

Major solo exhibitions include 《Illuminate》 (2021, Gallery Chosun, Seoul), 《Illumination》 (2020, Kunstverein Haus der Kunst Enniger, Münster, Germany), 《Invisible Light》 (2019, Gallery Chosun, Seoul), "Illusion" (2010, Kim Chong Yung Museum, Seoul), 《City of Gaze》 (2007, Plus Gallery, Nagoya, Japan), 《InsideOut》 (2007, Alternative Space Pool, Seoul), "inner brain" (2003, Gallery Brain Factory, Seoul), 《Schauhaus》 (2003, Gallery Sagan, Seoul), and others.

Key group exhibitions include 《The Second Spring》 (2022, Gwangju Museum of Art, Gwangju), 《When the light comes out of the sun》 (2021, Jeonnam Museum of Art, Gwangyang), 《2020 Gwangju Media Art Festival》 (2020, Asia Culture Center, Gwangju), 《Time Reality》 (2019, Coreana Museum of Art, Seoul), 《Post88》 (2018, Seoul Olympic Museum of Art, Seoul), 《Young Vision, New Perspective》 (2017, Busan Museum of Art), 《Discovery of Space》 (2016, Gyeonggi Museum of modern Art, Ansan), 《The Future is Now》 (2013, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Gwacheon), 《Thermocline of Art: New Asian Waves》 (2007, ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany), 《City net Asia 2007》 (2007, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul), 《Art Spectrum 2006》 (2006, Samsung Art Museum LEEUM, Seoul), 《Electro Scape》 (2005, Zendai Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai, China), and more.

Major Works

Works using architectural models and cameras

During his studies in Germany, Jeongju Jeong experimented with light entering through windows. He traced the shapes of light coming indoors as in "Light shape" (1998), reflected light to create different shapes, or turned sunlight coming through a window at a specific time into wooden structures (1998).

Later, in "schauhaus" (1999), He created an architectural model of his living space and used cameras and videos to visualize the gaze toward the architectural space. In "Dormitory" (2000), He made a model of a student dormitory, installed surveillance cameras inside, and showed the audience the video inside the space through monitors. The video shows the empty interior architectural space, and the audience wandering outside or looking inside, reflecting on the act of seeing and being seen. While expanding the meaning of light into a gaze, Jeong does not merely visualize light but draws out reflections on the act of seeing and the seen, subject and object.

Upon returning to Korea, He enlarged the scale of architectural models to visualize not only the interiors and exteriors of private spaces but also the structure and dynamics between surveillance and gaze in urban spaces. "Dukidong Rodeo Street" (2005), "Zenda Plaza" (2005), and "City of Gaze-Nagoya" (2007) represent parts of urban spaces in architectural model scales, while "Building" (2006) enlarges architectural models to human scale.

By focusing on specific places and architecture as subjects, his work extends to evoke the history and memories, past and present, of specific architectural spaces through the dynamics of gaze. 〈Jeonil Building〉 (2018), 〈(Former) Gwangju National Army Hospital〉 (2019), and 〈Sangmu Office〉 (2019) relate to buildings involved in the Gwangju Democratization Movement, and these works reflect on painful history as well as contemplation on history and the present.

Video Works

Jeong's work continues to delve into the psychological space following the dynamics of gaze, surveillance, and issues of history and memory that arise from the interplay between light, gaze, and space.

"Lobby" (2010) combines videos of a person performing in an architectural model. Inside the transparent lobby building, the performer hides within one's interior, creating a subtle complex of vision and psychology.  Jeong's video work sometimes borrows the form of his installation work. The 180cm tall piece "Susaek-ro Villa" (2010) is modeled after a military apartment and made using slate panels that reflect the interior and exterior landscape. Monitors installed in each room of the model building display videos interviewing the artist's acquaintances, filming their stress experiences and reactions.

"27 Rooms" (2017) displays various buildings in Seoul, separated by stainless steel grids into 27 compartments. The camera zooms in and out towards the windows, doors, and holes of the buildings.  The interaction between light and space in concrete spaces extends to abstract spaces. In dealing with abstract spaces than real spaces, He starts to treat light and space as formative elements.

Sculpture Works

Jeong's abstract formative experiments with light and space continue in the 〈Facade2017〉 (2017), 〈Facade2019〉 (2019), and 〈Facade〉 series. The 〈Facade〉 series are sculptures with cubic structures lined up side by side, each bearing various structures and color planes, abstracting the formative relationships between spaces and light.

Immersed in the interaction between light and space, Jeong aims to materialize light itself in the 〈Curved Lights〉 series (2021~), 〈Metaphysical Star〉 series (2021~), and others. His work, which began with an interest in light from his early experiences in Germany, seems to return to light itself.

For Jeong, light is both an 'abstract idea' and 'others.' It is transcendent, eternal, and a strange being that passes by the others around him, the social system, and the interior.

Awards and Selections

Jeongju Jeong has participated in residency programs such as Ssamzie Studio (2003), National Goyang Studio (2006), and Seoul Art Space Geumcheon (2009), won awards such as Jungerwesten 2001 (Kunsthalle Recklinghausen, Germany), the Bergische Kunstausstellung (Museum Baden, Solingen, Germany), 2010 Artist of Today (2010, Kim Chong Yung Museum, Seoul), and was selected as a support artist by CJ Cultural Foundation in 2021.