IPO: Time-Place-Trace, 2013

Site-specific performative video & time-lapse digital photograph
Site: Alternative Art Space- Ipo, Seoul, Korea

I first met IPO in May 13, 2013. Right away, I knew there was something special between us. IPO was warm, thoughtful and she had many stories to tell. I hung out with her a lot and learned about her friends and history of the area.

IPO: Time-Place-Trace II
3:56 pm to 5:22 pm
June 27, 2013

Alternative Art Space-Ipo (IPO) is located in Mullae Dong in Seoul.
Mullae Dong is known for a cluster of small independent metal shops.
It is tucked in the less developed area of Seoul. There was a threat of development of this area, which forced a lot of shop owners to relocate.
However, the city plan fell apart and the area became undesirable for the developers. Naturally, lots of artists were drawn to the area as the rent was cheaper due to the recently emptied out shops. They created a small, but very active, self-generated artist-village with studios, craft shops, galleries, etc. IPO is one of the first artist spots in Mullae. It quickly became an artist hang-out and a project space while remaining to be the artist Park, Ji-Won's studio.

Again, in the summer of 2013, IPO (and many other artists' spaces in Mullae Dong) faced the danger of losing the space due to the rising rent, a typical city gentrification case. The building owners in this area caught-on the popularity of the area and started to demand more money from the artists. 

It's now July 8, and I'm about to say goodbye to her. As I was preparing my departure, I wanted to capture the essence and memory of IPO in my work. I decided to sweep  the staircase and capture the light passing through her skin. Coincidentally, I was invited to participate in a group show that Park, Ji-Won organized at IPO. For the exhibition, I projected the video of me sweeping the staircase  back onto the same staircase.

IPO: Time-Place-Trace I, Site-specific, performative video, projection, 8 min. loop
photo credit: Daiyol Ryu