Art Sonje Center presents Young In Hong’s Image Unidentified (2008/2014) as its first Banner Project of year 2014. Image Unidentified shows an amalgamation of 18th century European drawings and 16th century Chochungdo (a gentre of grass and insect painting in Korean traditional art) by Shin Saimdang(1504-1551), It was originally created in 2008 as posters that were distributed on the streets of London. The posters are temporarily endowed with life as long as they are posted on the streets and break free of the artist’s control as anyone could either destroy or remove them. Through the project, Hong aims to raise complex questions on the authority of artwork or artist, originality, commercial value of art and cultural uniqueness.

Hong’s practice that deliberately seeks to escape the system of art market could be deemed as a resistance against the system or economic power. However, the artist’s interest lies not in simply opposing a certain phenomenon or system of power, but in finding an unordinary ‘perceptive experience’. Through Image Unidentified, the artist uses the mode of mass production for distributing the image of a gorgeous plant, whose purpose or content cannot be discerned, intervene public spaces all around Seoul and thus makes uncomfortable the pre-given perception (of spaces) while inducing new questions and adventure on behalf of the audience.

The Art Sonje Banner Project Image Unidentified includes both the display of a large banner on the rear façade of Art Sonje Center and the performance of the artist personally putting up the posters on various streets around Seoul. Hong’s banner seeks intervention of art in public spaces and is also the prelude to her ‘Poster Project’ through which anonymous images will be spread throughout unspecified places. The performance will be sporadically carried out, starting on March 7th and will be streamed real-time via an online website. Further details are available on Art Sonjecenter.tumblr.com(http://www.artsonjecenter.tumblr.com).

About the Artist
Young In Hong resides and works in London. She received her PhD in Art from the Goldsmiths College and has carried out various projects in numerous countries including Korea, Taiwan, Japan, India, Thailand, France and England. With interest in sense of place, she utilizes various media and methods including drawing, sound installation, spatial installation, performance, plane and book making. In particular, Hong focuses on the experiences and phenomena related to collective feelings, and seeks to relate theatrical time and space with urban spaces.

+ Art Sonje Banner Project

Art Sonje Banner Project, initiated in November 2013, uses the rear façade of the Art Sonje Center to introduce large art prints. Unlike with formal gallery spaces within the museum, the Banner Project further expands the spatial range of art appreciation and allows for art to intervene the surrounding environment and public places. Here, the artwork that has come out to the space of everyday life meets not only museum visitors but the general public as well. This project makes art an everyday experience for everyone that passes by the neighborhood and offers an opportunity to convey the cultural and artistic prospect of the Samcheongdong district, where Art Sonje Center stands.