▲ Freak , Three generations of ofdinary family, HD video, color, sound, 30min, 2024 ⓒ Gallery2

Contemporary artist Woonghyun Kim's solo exhibition 'CIRKUS' will be held from the 22nd to March 23 at Gallery2, located in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

The exhibition tells the story of a man who runs a circus. Like a kind of 'Freak Show', which was popular in the West in the 17th and 18th centuries, the exhibition revolves around a man who is the head of the circus, a Pierrot, and a commentator.

▲ Freak, a tightrope acrobat wearing Tyvek, HD video, color, sound, 30min, 2024 ⓒ Gallery2

The man walks across eight monitors for about 20 minutes and introduces the different types of Freaks he collected. The main theme of the exhibition is the Freak Show, where people with unique appearances different from ordinary people perform acrobatics or show off the oddities of their bodies.

In the exhibition, a total of eight people are introduced to the audience across eight locations: a pig butcher, a parrot-grateful speaker, a politician, a nitrogen-gas executioner, a strange family, a scribble on cultural assets, a daily weather fairy, and a fall from the sky.

▲ Put on Tyvek, then it looks safe, Acrylic, vinyl, cradle, 70x50x90cm, 2024 ⓒ Gallery2

The tent with repeated red and white stripes takes on a classic form that symbolizes a circus. The pieces in the exhibition hall show the complete form of the tent and other distant pasts, ultimately condensing the stories that are unfolding in the present.

The Freak Show, which disappeared due to various discussions on human rights, has completely disappeared in modern times. However, the exhibition asks whether the concept of sharing the spirit, such as the Freak Show, has completely disappeared.

▲ The installation view of the exhibition ⓒ Gallery2

For example, the incidents of cultural property damage, executions, various protests, and accidents that are constantly taking place in modern times resemble part of the spirit of the Freak Show. In other words, 'CIRKUS' refers to how things like the Freak Show, which faces twisted humanity, are still unfolding in modern times.

The exhibition also suggests that not only the freaks on display but also the audience watching them are among the freaks. The artist wants to say that perfect socialization and ethical correctness are impossible, and situations similar to the Freak Show are unfolding non-stop to create the same situations.

▲ The installation view of the exhibition ⓒ Gallery2

Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com