Extra/Ordinary: Video Art from Asia
Kress GalleryOctober 24, 2009 – February 14, 2010
Behind the Curtain / Jung Yeondoo
For Koreans, the twentieth century will always be remembered as a time of national turmoil, with the end of the long-lived Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), the annexation as a colony by the Empire of Japan (1910-1945), the division into two nation-states by a violent civil war (1950-1953), and the political unrest engendered by the Gwangju Student Protest against the South Korean military regime (1980-1993). The subterfuge of this history runs deep in the stories that Jung restages in Handmade Memories. For this series, Jung collected six anonymous memories from elderly Koreans whom he approached and interviewed in parks around Seoul. Each telling began with the same question: “What was the most memorable event in your life?”
Jung Yeondoo was born in Jinju, Korea, in 1969. In 1994 he graduated with a BFA from Seoul National University. He also earned a diploma in sculpture from the London Institute in 1995 and an MFA from the University of London in 1997. In 2006 he participated in the International Studio and Curatorial Program Artist Residency, New York. In 2007 he was named “Artist of the Year” by the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, at which time he produced the epic, 85-minute-long autobiographical film Documentary Nostalgia (2007). In 2008 the Korean Ministry of Culture named him “Today’s Young Artist.” His films and photography have been featured in scores of exhibitions around the world. For more information check out his website yeondoojung.com/
