‘AM I?’, ‘I AM?’, 2018-2021

Installation, Text, Single Channel Video 1:10sec (Voice by Alice Gale-Feeny)Digital Media, 510*740

The work ‘AM I?’, ‘I AM’, 2018-2021 deals with social views of homosexuality in South Korea, namely by conservative Christian groups that have spoken out against LGBT. The percentage of South Koreans who view homosexuality as morally unacceptable is much higher than in other parts of the world. South Korea is a more conservative country on LGBT issues, to the point that it does not offer legal protection for citizens, who are considered second class. Worse that the lack of legal protection is the rejection and isolation from belonging to a group, such as family, workplace, neighborhood, society and the country at large.Whilst the number of South Koreans who view homosexuality in a negative light continues to decrease, the future of LGBT citizens’ rights in South Korea is still tenouos. This work is a way of dealing with the protests by counter-protesting in my own way. This work involves related themes because the 21 posters (video images) come from the concept of multiplication (3x7=21). The number 3 signifies the concept of the time, which is derived from my interest in Buddhism; Buddhism perceives life, death and rebirth as a 3-part Continuous cycle behind our lives. The number 7 signifies the belief that the human body regenerates itself every 7 years. I define the meaning of the number 21 by combining together the numbers 2 plus 1 (3), which refer to the 3 cycles of time. Time x human body=back through time 3x, so there is that spiritual and mathematical element to this particular work, even though on the surface it mainly deals with social commentary and human rights.