Wanderness: Ok Jeong-ho
Gallery Chosun will present Ok Jeong-ho’s exhibition 《Wanderness 미망한 세계》 from September 28 to November 7. Ok mainly works in performance, using photography and video to document his actions. His focus is on the acts and the events themselves, while images and videos serve as records of his performances. The strange landscapes and humorous figures he presents are not digitally altered or edited. They capture real events that occurred during his performances.
The exhibition title, 미망한 세계 (Mimanghan Segye) reflects two meanings of the Korean word Mi-mang: 1) being lost and confused, and 2) looking far and widely. This dual meaning reflects Ok’s playful irony and reinterpretation of modern life. All his photographic works are titled 미망인 (The Bewildered), exploring both aspects of mi-mang across seven series. Figures separated in black boxes reflect individuals who cannot fully engage with social issues yet cannot entirely ignore them; wandering, powerless humans.
The spaces in his work; parks, bathhouses, karaoke rooms, living rooms, are closely tied to his personal life but also familiar from our everyday experiences. By placing strange interventions in these familiar spaces, Ok invites viewers to reflect on how they are bewildered socially and personally, exploring the tension between engagement and detachment.
In his video work 국민 교육헌장 (National Education Charter), Ok Jeong-ho stands on a small box in the middle of an empty bamboo forest and speaks words deeply hidden in his heart. Watching him shout with all his strength, one might see two things at once: he seems to struggle to keep the words from escaping, and at the same time, he seems unable to hold back words that desperately want to come out. In both cases, personal will and the reality around him are in conflict. Amid this struggle, he recites the content of the National Education Charter, an icon of nationalist ideology.
Though expressed through different media, Ok’s message is clear and direct. His work resonates because it is not limited to a particular generation or community; it speaks to the universal experiences of human life and suffering. This exhibition invites viewers to reflect once again on the bittersweet, often absurd nature of our lives.