CI KIM: Extra Seeing

“If you must see something outside the train running at the speed of 500km/h, you should be able to seek it out. Moreover, you should have the ability to close your eyes and repeat the image internally so that the image can be implanted within yourself.” rained than anyone else’s, and the rule of seeing for that purpose pervades his everyday life and oeuvre. Like an instinct, the trained eye operates by itself without him consciously knowing. This instinctive rule has been operating for more than 25 years of searching for great works to add to his collection. Even when he meets and speaks to someone for business, and even when he seems to be enjoying meaningless passing moments, he captures every expressions, body gesture, and speaking pattern of the person sitting across from him. As cows ruminate, he takes the remaining fragments of afterimages in his mind, meditates on them, puts them together like a puzzle, and uses them as important data when deciding the next path to take.

The title of “Extra Seeing” reflects, firstly, his unique way of seeing. It is especially important that the paradox that exits within the word, “Extra,” is contained in his seeing as it is. This is a word that is familiar to everyone to a degree that it is almost confusing whether this is an English word or a Korean word. When we search for this word in the dictionary, we first come across the meaning of film ‘extras.’ Film extras are speechless actors who participate physically in the film in order to support the main actors and actresses. In this sense, the word ‘extra’ has an codified internal meaning of ‘lower’ and ‘inferior’ class. Also, the word, ‘extra’ means something ‘special’ as in ‘Extra Bargain Sale’ where things can be obtained at an unexpectedly low prices. Furthermore, it also means ‘of the best’ and ‘the extreme.’ Ultimately, the word ‘extra’ has two opposite meanings: worthlessness and the best at the same time. Interestingly enough, this reminds us of CI KIM’s unique way of seeing. It is a paradoxical method where what is considered trivial or ‘extra tasks’ to others are seen as ‘extra strength’ of something to him. Further, although he says that "I have a Dream” both in life and art, instead of becoming a romantic dreamer, he chooses to live his everyday and every moment with extra passion, which goes in tandem with his extra seeing. ***