2017, Rolling on the Ground, Mullae Art Space, Seoul

The title ⟪Dasirak(多侍樂)⟫, comes from the traditional Dasi-raegi funeral ritual. It was a celebratory practice meant to ease the grief of the bereaved. In old customs, mourners would first wail and cry, then during the funeral, a brightly decorated coffin would be accompanied by music and dance to send off the deceased. Dasirak is a communal play that consoles the living, moving beyond sorrow toward new beginnings and the cycle of life. 

 

The sculptural piece of Dasirak in the gallery functions similarly, showing a paradoxical joy in overcoming grief. The artist brings into the work the act of “movement”, reflecting the migration of people who had no choice but to leave for another place. He collects the objects they left behind and transforms them into mobile, combinable forms. These recycled structures, rather than showing traces of loneliness, become the lively subjects of a vibrant celebration. 

 

⟪Rolling on the ground⟫ is a work made by collecting discarded landscape painting frames and transforming them into a kaleidoscope with wheels. The title refers to the way an object rolls on the ground, gradually changing with its surroundings. Through the repeated act of rolling or moving the object, the boundary between “subject” and “object” becomes blurred. By overturning a binary way of seeing things and confronting viewers with unpredictable situations, the artist shows that the two can eventually reach a balance. 

2 Feb 2024