LOST___ (___찾습니다), 2021

I AM MILK café, Gyodong, Suwon, Korea

For the occasion of Public Art Project 도시충;동/예술충;동 in Gyodong, Suwon, Korea, I researched the history of Gyodong’s printing house district by collecting stories of the area. The old printing houses are in slow decline and I wanted to bring our attention to what is becoming invisible from our minds and history.

While working on the history of Gyodoong that I’ve never been to, I thought it was appropriate to share stories of my neighbourhood with the people of Gyodoong. From collections of street signs that I’ve been documenting since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, I’m sharing the daily lives of people in my surroundings: wanting to find their lost items (skates, dogs, cats, etc.), looking for owners of found pets, looking for the sense of lost community by posting neighbourhood gatherings, sharing their beliefs on political views, etc.

Various stories of lost items, memories, desires of personal and collective, from memory and reality are visualized through posters, videos and text in <___찾습니다/LOST ___>.  Local café I AM Milk in Gyodong was the “headquarter” where people can come and view/read our stories, and share theirs. Here are a few posters that visitors left behind.   

LOST Dog Carrie: Carrie was my first dog and my first friend. She was always with me. You will always with me in my memory.

Looking for Honda Tsunehiro who saved my life. They used to work at Panasonic in Shikoku 30 years ago. I really need to find them.

LOST Conscience: Heroes who fought for our independence 100 years ago. Intellectuals who gave up their lives to save our country and our conscience. How about us now in 2021? ... I keep silent while watching all these injustices around us. I am ashamed.

LOST Pikachu Donkatsu: My favourite snake from my childhood. It's particularly yummy when you eat your friend's.