BOO Jihyun: The Home: Solo Exhibition
BOO Jihyun (b. 1979) seeks to visually realize a space that encompasses the meaning of the origin of life, the ultimate place of rest, and the destination to be reached, through her large-scale installation work, The Home, created specifically for this exhibition. By combining discarded fishing lamps, metal structures, and mirrors, which are materials she has consistently used in her work, the installation captures and reflects the movement of light, creating a mystical landscape within the space. Light and darkness, form and void, strike an unfamiliar yet comforting balance, prompting a fresh sensory experience of everyday space and time.
The concept of movement is a central theme in BOO’s work. The experience of moving between places is expressed through the movement of light, space, and time. The large oval mirror which fills the entrance of the exhibition hall, connects the space where the work is installed to the world beyond, breaking down the boundaries between inside and outside. This allows viewers to experience an expansion of space and a connection to other places. The large structure, made of combined metal pieces, evokes the engine of a spaceship, functioning not as a static object but as a symbolic form dynamically changing within the time and space. From the outside to the inside, the flickering lights continue like signals, suggesting a journey to the next planet. Discarded fishing lamps are gathered at the center of the structure, which are objects rooted from the artist’s childhood memories from Jeju and central to her artistic world. The moment the blue light in the fishing lamps turns on, the surrounding space becomes suffused like the ocean, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. It is a light that heals and consoles the longing to reclaim a forgotten homeland and a lost refuge.
The horizontal signals of light, traveling across the metallic body, pass through the domain of the discarded fishing lamps and eventually reach the prism installed at the farthest point of the structure. Light reaching the small prism lenses is projected onto the walls, forming shapes reminiscent of the moon, the sun, and the unknown cosmos. The intersecting patterns of light and shadow evoke interplanetary interactions and the cyclical movements of the universe, while also alluding to the principles of birth and extinction. The light scattered through the prism expands into various colors and forms. The patterns of lights turning on and off visually express the flow of time, transcending the simple concept of place to reflect the sensations experienced when moving between places and the memories and emotional connections formed during that process. Through this work, viewers are prompted to reflect on their identity and memories, contemplating where they come from, where they are headed, and how they understand their existence in that journey.
BOO Jihyun graduated from the Department of Western Painting at Jeju National University and earned her master’s degree from the Media Print Department at Sungshin Women’s University. She has held solo exhibitions at the Lighting Museum (Yangju, 2022), Yeoncheon Art House (Yeoncheon, 2021), Whanki Museum (Seoul, 2021), UNESCO HQ (Paris, 2018), Oil Tank Culture Park (Seoul, 2018), ARARIO MUSEUM in SPACE (Seoul, 2018) and Songeun Art Cube (Seoul, 2012). She has participated in Jeju Biennale (Jeju, 2024, 2017), Gwangju Design Biennale (Gwangju, 2021), Galeria Salihara (Jakarta, 2021), Vladivostok Biennale (Vladivostok, 2017), and Kuandu Biennale (Taipei, 2012), and her works have been showcased in group exhibitions at the National Asia Culture Center (Gwangju, 2022), Total Museum of Contemporary Art (Seoul, 2022, 2020, 2013), Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art (Jeju, 2021, 2019, 2016), Jeju Museum of Art (Jeju, 2017, 2012, 2011), Amorepacific Museum of Art (Jeju, 2017, 2014), and ARARIO MUSEUM Tapdong Bike Shop (Jeju, 2016). Her works are part of institutional collections in Korea, such as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Art Bank, Jeju Museum of Art, Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art, and ARARIO MUSEUM.
