Taegukgi: Korean national flag, 2014
I found the Korean National flag in a redevelopment area. There was a white tag on the flag saying: “Korea national flag; Grade: 6th elementary grad, Name: Chean Haebeom mother.” The mother of Hae-bum Chun painted the Korean national flag for her son’s elementary school activities, with traditional painting materials which are made of organic components as animal oil. The painting was hanging on the house wall as an element of pride, but as many other objects, when the family was forced into the street due to redevelopment plans, it has been left behind. The abandoned Korean flag fell into a state of deterioration as the organic painting components became the context for maggots to proliferate. The flag, together with pictures of the empty house, can be seen as an interesting emblem of the conflicts happening in the extreme process of development of which Korea is subjected, where the deterioration of the traditional flags’ materials is also the deterioration of a system of habits and traditions, which do not find anymore a room in the contemporary world.
Korea national flag, “series of Hae beom Chean mother”, 90x90 cm, 2014
“Series of Hae beom Chean mother”, Installation view, Digital C print, 2014
“Series of Hae beom Chean mother” Digital C print, 40x70 cm, 2014
“Series of Hae beom Chean mother” , Digital C print, 40x60 cm, 2014
“Series of Hae beom Chean mother” , Digital C print, 40x70 cm, 2014
“Series of Hae beom Chean mother” , Digital C print, 40x70 cm, 2014
Korea national flag (Inside detail) <maggots>, 2014