The exhibition a sunlit site, humid and warm has its origins in the South Korean village of Yangji-ri, one of the 112 Minbuk-settlements built under government control near the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. There, artist Chan Sook Choi explored the biographies and stories of the residents and crossed past and present focusing on memories and personal narratives in the Yangji-ri Archive. The result is a comprehensive picture of the local community.

In her artistic research, Chan explores the relationship of people to the places they inhabit and how ownership of land is defined. In the work qbit to adam, she researched the world’s largest copper mine in the Chilean Andes to investigate how land is occupied and appropriated by states, corporations and individuals. These global dynamics can be traced back to the local and show how places and individual realities are influenced by the forces that unfold around them.

The title of the exhibition is composed of the translation of the word Yangji-ri, is a combination of the word Yangji-ri, which translates as “sunlit site” and the regional climatic characteristics. The descriptions “humid and warm” open up a physical dimension linked to intimacy and fragility. The title underlines that it is hardly possible to describe a place without taking into account its multi-layered historical, social and (socio-)political issues.

Curated by Vincent Schier

The Workshops “Can art convey art?” are sponsored by the VGH Stiftung.

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