A Voyage to Silence : Soyoung Kang
In 2006, on King George Island, Antarctica, I boarded a Zodiac without fear, sparking my interest in sea travel. I decided to visit all the outer islands of the Korean Peninsula. Since my country is surrounded by fences and sea, it felt natural that I would focus on islands in military areas.
My first island trip was in February 2009 to Baengnyeongdo, travelling sequentially to Marado, Dokdo, back to Marado, then Gapado, Kinmen, and back to Baengnyeongdo. When I first went to Baengnyeongdo, I felt some tension, but more than that, it felt calm. I wanted to capture its quiet landscape and daily life which seemed peaceful despite history.
Having completed that first trip without seasickness, I felt confident. On Marado, facing the Pacific, I recorded the sea’s sound live with six microphones and sound engineers. I also visited to Dokdo, circling Dongdo and Seodo to view the whole island.
A year passed; I had not filmed Baengnyeongdo in high definition initially, and planned a return. However, due to significant events in the West Sea, I only revisited in February 2011, two years later.
The project 《Voyage to Silence》 began as a simple wish to leave a busy civilization and go somewhere quiet and less visited. Like a young boatman on her first trip, I tried to observe and record these remote islands without prejudice. However, last September, while holding a solo show in Taipei, I visited Kinmen. What I saw on this island, the long and painful history of Northeast Asia, appeared in 《Voyage to Silence》.
I gathered extensive material, but presented only three island landscape videos, alongside photographs and drawings: the grey northern coast of Baengneyongdo in winter, Kinmen’s sunny late autumn beach, and the deep waters of Dokdo, where shells from a 1948 U.S. air force bombing still remain.
All these places have endured conflict, yet also moments of peace. Encountering Kinmen in 2010 by chance shifted by perception; I realised Baengneyongdo was more than danger and sorrow. Meeting its people and witnessing islands scarred yet resilient fuelled my desire to depict the passage of time and fading landscapes.
《Voyage to Silence》 is merely a beginning. I aim to explore more East Asian sea routes with similar histories. I once expected serene islands and seagulls. Instead, I found shells, sharp anti-landing barriers, and signs of resilient life.
The exhibition 《Voyage to Silence》 presents installations that evoke the sensation of walking along a shoreline.