Handmade Memories (Legend and Poverty, On the Dividing Line Between Body and Soul, Barley Field, TV Star, 6 x 6 Manor, Jeju Island Camel, Jung Yeondoo

Video is an important medium in contemporary art. Korean artist Jung Yeondoo uses video to convey the political tensions that have dominated Korea over the past century. Jung collected six anonymous memories from elderly Koreans who he approached and interviewed in parks around Seoul. Each narrative begins with the same question: “What was the most memorable event in your life?”

As each memory unfolds, on the adjacent screen a crew wearing orange jumpsuits reconstructs the setting of the memory on a soundstage. A mountain hut in Legends and Poverty, a flower-filled memorial in TV Star, a resort in Jeju Island Camel, a traditional hanok (Korean courtyard house) in 6x6 Manor, a golden path in Barley Field, and a railroad track in On the Dividing Line between Body and Soul. Through cinematic magic, the artist revives the past, animating these powerful memories for a final fleeting moment before our eyes.