Yeonwoo Chang is an artist based in Dresden, Vienna, and Seoul. Her artistic practice explores physical and spiritual themes that transcend history, craft, culture, and nature. Recently, her work has focused on the political implications of craft, particularly through ceramics. For Chang, ceramics serves as a medium to reflect on issues related to natural resources, post-colonialism, and craft, contributing to a discourse on local and contemporary art within a non-Western context.
During her residency, Yeonwoo Chang presented the Moon Jar project, inspired by the desire to give a literal interpretation to the name of a specific type of Korean ceramic vessel from the late 17th century Joseon dynasty. The Moon Jar is composed of two symmetrical hemispheres seamlessly joined at the centre, creating a shape reminiscent of a levitating moon. During the period of Japanese colonialism, these ceramics were exported abroad, influencing the shape of European ceramics. What makes Chang's object unique is that the glaze contains synthetically produced moon dust. The exhibition explored various aspects of the moon as a natural satellite of Earth, a potential site for territorial expansion, and a powerful cultural symbol.
The utopian vision of colonising the lunar surface stands in stark contrast to the symbolic and economic value of art artefacts housed in international museums and the postcolonial debates that surround them. Beyond these discourses, the ceramic vessel's material – clay – retains its fundamental role, highlighting its significance in discussions on climate issues.
During Yeonwoo Chang's residency, she presented her work to students from the High School and College of Traditional Crafts (Střední škola a Vyšší odborná škola tradičních řemesel) on June 24 at 10:00 a.m. Additionally, she led a performative workshop titled "Semiotics of Kimchi Making" on June 27 at 6:00 p.m. in the courtyard of Galerie TIC. Throughout her residency, Yeonwoo also collaborated with mineralogists from the Moravian Museum, who lent rock samples from their collections for the Moon Jar exhibition.
Yeonwoo Chang – Semiotics of Kimchi Making
Thursday 27. 6. 2024 / 18:00
Backyard of Galerie TIC
Galerie TIC
Fermentation—the controlled breakdown of food by microorganisms—is an ancient and fundamental culinary practice. Fermentation is an art of time and a best example of how microorganisms act as collaborators with humans through the food. Through the fermentation, we experience the magic of time and learn about the waiting.
Making Kimchi-a Korean fermented vegetable- has been a woman's work to support the family in Korean history. It was a care duty of nourishing the society with the plan for the whole year in an accuracy. Female bodies were production machines, weathercasters, accountants, managers, and hosts and also artists. Their roles, contributions, and results were obscured, just like the microorganisms in our food history. Whose labor and time is kimchi being supported by in 2024? And where is this leading us?
