The thin line between my eyebrows: The boundary between love and madness
Review of Jet Lag: Love, a collaborative exhibition by JeongMee Yoon and Okhyun Ahn held in Space 55
Ahn Jae Woo
Upon opening his eyes, Romeo found himself lying in a pasture. As he stood, Romeo saw the Gwanghallu pavilion standing beyond a pond that he was seeing for the first time in his life. He drew near and witnessed someone standing on the pavilion. This person was also surveying the scenery with bleary eyes. Upon closer inspection, Romeo discovered that he stood before Juliet. “Juliet!” Romeo screamed her name as he ran up the pavilion. The star-crossed lovers then kissed passionately.
Whether humans are truly rational creatures is an age old question within academic and artist circles.one of the oldest questions within various fields of scholarly and artistic endeavors. Although philosophers, psychologists, and writers have endlessly pored over this ancient inquiry, the contemplation of the question remains a reliable source of artistic creativity. Artistic ponderings Questioning and re-creating there-creatingon of the tension between the rationality and the emotional selves that happens within among people who are in loveunder the influence of affection has especially been an endless source of inspiration for artists regarding this aspect of human nature. product of the contemplation that offers countless novel insights and knowledge regarding human nature. Brits Shakespeare wrote about this phenomenon during living in the Elizabethan 16th century Elizabethean era shared their in his tale about two star crossed lovers who risked losing everything due to unrealistic family and social expectations that forbade their union. expressed concern that over passionate love that could curtail disrupt the lives of a young couple with an irrational ending while contemplating due to the absurdity of societal barriers that hinder the love and affection of the star-crossed lovers. Similarly, in 17th century Korean during the Joseon dynasty, Citizens of 17th century Joseon internalized the fiery affection shown in in Chunhyangga’s love story the protagonists decry and raged against the the restrictions placed upon them due to class differences, expressing grief and disbelief through verse. absurdity of the contemporary social class divide as they were touched by the verse, cheering and exclaiming out of grief and astonishment.
Sixth edition of Space 55’s Jet Lag series, Love
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On the other hand, On the contrary, contemporary artists Okhyun Ahn and JeongMee Yoon tell a different story. Ahn’s works are juxtaposed against JeongMee Yoon’s Collector series in under the exhibition calledtitle Love. The combination of the two artists’ œuvres presents a contemplative framework that provides the viewer with a deeper insight into the most universal but also most complex emotion–love. When framed as a commentary on love, Yoon’s Collector series provides two major insights into the act of collecting and human nature. First, the interplay of self-identity and collecting is the process of the formulation of self-affection or self-love. through a deductive process. Second, the traditional dichotomy of the world’s population as either collectors and noncollectors is problematic; it is more accurate to separate the world’s population into those who are aware of actively their collecting activities and those who are not.
The characters in Yoon’s works are clearly aware of their identity as collectors. Be it comic books, green workout gear, or pink objects, these individuals are conscious of their decision to collect certain objectsthese things. Yoon chooses to neatly methodically and meticulously present the collector and the collected objects within the same frame. The sense of foundational collected stability withinof the composition is excellently harmonized with the expressions on the collectors’ faces. Unlike the characters of Ahn’s works, Yoon’s characters have peaceful, comfortable expressions on their faces, and most of them are even smiling. Yoon’s subjects are clearly aware of what they love as they incorporateasnd incorporate the objects of their affection into their everyday lives. It is easy to imagine how the saturation of daily lives with objects of desire reality with affection could lead to easy smilesthe contentment expressed in their faces..
But appearances can be deceiving. The consideration of the societal reality that Yoon’s characters face, however, reveals a grim aspect of their affection. The viewer is compelled to ask whether this sort of collecting is actually a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Where is the line being a collector and a hoarder? the collectors can always smile in the face of a hostile society that labels them as hoarders and categorizes them as others. It is easy to imagine the unrelenting criticism these “collectors” have faced from concerned friends and family members questioning their collecting habit. They would say, The collectors have to endure such criticisms from their families, lovers, and colleagues—the people who are supposed to be their “loved ones.” It is tragic to consider how many times the collectors had to endure their friends and family telling them, “This is pathological.; I’m only saying this because I love you.” Such attacks on the everyday lives of the collectors could in fact be considered helpful intervention, but it could simply be unnecessary judgment. make us question whether advice based on the hasty judgment of the precious lives of others may, in fact, be a criticism disguised as helpful intervention. Such These musings naturally contemplation leads to a definitive consideration on the subject of the universal manifestation of love. We need to consider that the words that supposedly come from a place of love may not be an actual expression of love, or that they as they may be based on a faulty understanding of what love is meant to be. In fact, such an action must be an attempt at shrinking the distance between “normal” people, the demographic that the speaker is a part of. The overcritical words directed at to the collectors are therefore a product of “self-confirming bias accommodation” rather than true empathy based on lovethaninstead \of love. Countless personal stories wither in the misattribution of self-accommodation as love. This kind of self affirming rationale can be attributed to many real life situations. Couples going through afacing divorce after continuing down individual paths going down different paths can still believe that the other is wrong. but each believes to be correct instead of creating a married life together is one example, and People who blame others for their misfortune is another form of this kind of flawed logic. people who are left discontent and hollow after submitting to the goals that their railroading peers have forced on them is another. Self contempt after social rejection is tragic yet it is human nature. Self-loss after rejection from the social majority over the uniqueness of a hobby or an interest is also an example of such tragedy. Yoon’s Collector series suggests that it is not possible for a person’s narrative to fulfill the expectations of both society and the self without some sort of loss. true self to fulfill a narrative that sato cultivate both life and love in the absence of self. Her Yoon’s portraits of the collectors are beautiful insanely attractive in how they their reaffirm thereaffirmation of the reaffirm the beauty and celebrate the true nature of the collectors. how lovely being true to oneself can be, as well as in their subsequent broaching of the question of what true love is supposed to be.
We have all heard the expression,Some might say that “there can be no love without pain.” This idiom, however, idea is the product derives from of a form of love some have that is experienced rather than an ideal of love. rather than an exclusive definition of the nature of love. For example, the empirical knowledge The idea that it is dangerous to walk alone at night can serve as a catalyst to make nighttime walks safer rather than affirming this idea thereby perpetuating it. The cycle can be broken. could not be the rationale behind nighttime walks’ perpetual degeneration into dangerous activities. Instead, it could serve as the catalyst behind the attempt to make nighttime walks safer by fostering respect toward fellow humans’ personal integrity. The same logic can be applied to our understanding of love. AD discussion on love must not be limited by biasedthe personal experiences. empirical memory of the feelings that lovers have experienced. We should broaden empathy. Instead, we should strive to broaden the scope of definition into the proactive realization of the integrity of loved ones. This exhibition showcases three types of loving relationships–: interpersonal love, lovethat between people and for objects, and the love between a person and his/her self-identity self love. Unlike material love directed toward objects, interpersonal love must be mutual and reliant on mutual respect. Love between people and objects does not suggest collectors’ superfandom. Rather, it The love of objects is a testimony to the love a person harbors for a specific object and therefore a confirmation of the method behind a way to establishestablishing self-identity which can lead to self love., a manifestation of a crucial act of love. I believe that both Yoon’s Collector series and Ahn’s portraits serve as special catalysts for open discussions on the nature of self love, providing opportunities to learn and grow through art. self-affection and therefore provide an opportunity for us to design and enjoy our love better.
Another day lived is another day’s worth of experience collected. All people men are, therefore, collectors of experiences and formulate their regard for others based on their collections. The categorization of t The narratives that surround marginalized people such as collectors are a product of judgements collected from experiences.narratives of the minority, such as the collectors of specific items, is a product of value judgment based on collected experiences. Ahn’s Gihwang and Jongryeol Within Tall Grass features a scene of two people embracingembrace. The sense of physical distance between the embracing pair and the camera lens serves as a metaphorn allegory for the psychological distance the sexual majority feels between themselves and the love lives of sexual minorities. The psychological distance many viewers feel toward Yoon’s collectors may stem from a similar sourcesimilarthe same source. In other words, but Yoon’s Collector series provides a meaningful opportunity for the viewerus to update the timeless adage that to replace the preconception that “experiences matter” by into with the more informed idea that “collected experience must be based on proactive criticism and constructive interpretations rather than passive accumulation.”
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Love never seeks to saturate its subject and object solely with desire based on emotional impulses. Ask any collectors whether their love for the objects they collect can be diminished by how many such objects they accumulate. As long as their love for objects remains, the act of collecting will never end. The love for each object does not diminish when another object is acquired. Yoon’s works demonstrates that a person’s love fortoward objects does not lead to the quest for saturation. Rather, it will give birth can lead to a long process of building a personal collection which in turn becomes, a journey for establishing self-identity while simultaneously expanding theits boundaries of self love. Interpersonal love islove, as the product of conjoining two loves, is the process of saturating filling the relationship with connections rather than personal desires which leads to a shared history. Such an attempt at fostering a unique identity for the relationship creates a history. I suggest that the viewer think about the generational divide between the elders and children of the Montagues and Capulets as you stand before When the viewer looks at Ahn’s Saeyeong in Her Mother’s Red Dress, .a consideration of generational divides such those in Romeo and Juliette, would greatly enhance the reading of this work. In the same vein, Similarly, contemplating the chronological distance between the purchase of the first pink object and the newest addition to the subject’s collection of pink objects in Yoon’s Cecille and Her Pink Objects provides the opportunity for viewers to look back on their past and present and imagine what the future holds for them as they step out of the exhibition space.
스페이스55에서 열린 윤정미·안옥현 협업전 《Jet Lag: Love》 리뷰
글: 안재우
로미오는 눈을 뜨자 풀밭에 누워 있었다. 일어나 주위를 둘러보니, 생전 처음 보는 연못 너머로 광한루가 서 있는 것이 보였다. 로미오는 그곳으로 다가가 잠옷을 입은 듯한 모습으로 흐릿한 눈으로 풍경을 바라보고 있는 사람을 보았다. 가까이 가서 보니, 그녀는 줄리엇이었다. 로미오는 “줄리엇!” 하고 외치며 누각으로 달려 올라갔다. 그리고 두 연인은 격정적인 키스를 나누었다.
인간이 과연 진정으로 이성적인 존재인가 하는 질문은 오랜 세월 다양한 학문 분야와 예술계에서 반복되어 온 고전적 물음이다. 철학자, 심리학자, 작가들은 이 문제를 끝없이 탐구해 왔으며, 이 질문 자체는 예술적 창작의 풍부한 원천이 되어왔다. 특히 사랑의 감정 아래에서 인간 안의 ‘이성적 자아’와 ‘감정적 자아’ 사이에서 벌어지는 긴장은 끊임없이 예술가들에게 영감의 대상이 되어왔다.
셰익스피어는 16세기 엘리자베스 시대에 이 문제를 ‘불운한 연인들’ 이야기 속에서 표현했다. 가족과 사회의 비현실적 규범 때문에 사랑을 이룰 수 없는 두 인물은, 지나친 감정과 사회적 장벽이 어떻게 개인의 삶을 파국으로 몰아갈 수 있는지를 보여준다. 마찬가지로 17세기 조선 시대의 시민들은 ‘춘향가’의 격정적인 사랑 이야기에 깊이 공감하며, 신분제도의 부조리함을 한탄하고 눈물을 쏟았다.
스페이스55 ‘Jet Lag’ 시리즈의 여섯 번째 전시 — 《Love》
(중략)
한편 동시대 예술가인 안옥현과 윤정미는 또 다른 이야기를 들려준다. 두 작가의 작품은 《Love》라는 제목 아래 병치되어 전시되며, 이들의 오브르가 결합될 때 관객은 사랑이라는 가장 보편적이면서도 가장 복잡한 감정에 대해 더 깊이 생각할 수 있는 사유의 틀을 얻게 된다.
윤정미의 Collector(수집가) 시리즈는 사랑이라는 주제로 읽을 때 두 가지 중요한 통찰을 제공한다.
첫째, 수집과 정체성의 상호작용은 ‘자기애(자기 자신을 향한 애정)’를 구성하는 과정이다.
둘째, 세상을 ‘수집가’와 ‘비수집가’로 구분하는 전통적 구분은 잘못된 것이며, 사실은 ‘자신의 수집 행위에 자각적인 사람’과 ‘자각하지 못한 사람’으로 나누는 것이 더 정확하다.
첫째, 수집과 정체성의 상호작용은 ‘자기애(자기 자신을 향한 애정)’를 구성하는 과정이다.
둘째, 세상을 ‘수집가’와 ‘비수집가’로 구분하는 전통적 구분은 잘못된 것이며, 사실은 ‘자신의 수집 행위에 자각적인 사람’과 ‘자각하지 못한 사람’으로 나누는 것이 더 정확하다.
윤정미의 작품 속 인물들은 자신이 무엇을 수집하는지 잘 알고 있다. 만화책, 녹색 운동복, 혹은 핑크색 물건이든, 이들은 스스로의 선택을 인지하며 수집한다. 작가는 수집가와 그 대상들을 한 프레임 안에 체계적이고 정교하게 배열한다. 화면의 안정적인 구성은 인물들의 표정과 잘 조화를 이룬다. 안옥현의 인물들과는 달리, 윤정미의 피사체들은 편안하고 평화로운 표정을 짓고 있으며 대부분 미소를 머금고 있다. 이들은 자신이 무엇을 사랑하는지 알고 있고, 그 애정을 일상 속에 자연스럽게 들여놓는다. 그들의 얼굴에 번지는 미소는 애정으로 채워진 삶을 반영한다.
그러나 외양은 언제나 진실을 말하지 않는다. 이들이 실제로 마주하는 사회적 현실을 고려하면, 그들의 애정에는 어두운 그림자가 드리워져 있음을 알게 된다. 관객은 어느 순간 ‘이 정도의 수집이 과연 강박장애의 일종은 아닐까?’라는 질문에 맞닥뜨리게 된다. 수집가와 저장강박자의 경계는 어디에 있을까? 가족과 친구들은 그들에게 “이건 병적이야. 널 위해 하는 말이야.”라고 반복해서 충고했을 가능성이 크다. 이러한 ‘충고’는 진심어린 개입일 수도 있지만, 단지 타인의 삶에 대한 불필요한 판단일 수도 있다.
이 지점에서 우리는 사랑이라는 감정의 보편적인 작동 방식에 대해 깊이 헤아려야 한다. 누군가를 ‘위한다’며 건네는 말이 사실은 사랑의 표현이 아닐 수 있으며, 그 말은 오히려 말하는 사람 자신의 ‘정상성’을 확인하려는 욕구에서 비롯된 것일 수도 있다. 타인을 향한 과도한 판단은 결국 ‘자기 확증의 편의’에서 생겨나고, 이는 진정한 공감이나 사랑과는 거리가 멀다.
사람들은 종종 “사랑에는 고통이 따른다”고 말하지만, 이는 사랑이라는 감정을 ‘경험된 형태’로만 이해한 결과일 뿐 사랑의 본질적 정의는 아니다. ‘밤길은 위험하다’는 경험적 사실이 밤길의 위험성을 영원히 고착시키는 것이 아니라, 오히려 더 안전하게 만들기 위한 출발점이 될 수 있듯이, 사랑 또한 경험적 편견에서 벗어나 ‘타인의 온전함을 인정하는 방향’으로 이해를 확장해야 한다.
이 전시는 세 가지 형태의 사랑을 보여준다 —
대인 관계적 사랑, 사물에 대한 사랑, 자기 정체성에 대한 사랑.
대인 관계적 사랑은 상호적이어야 하며, 사물에 대한 사랑은 ‘팬심’이 아니라 자기 정체성 구축의 방식이다. 두 작가의 작품은 모두 자기애를 돌아보게 하는 촉매 역할을 하며, 관객이 사랑을 더 잘 이해하고 실천할 수 있는 기회를 제공한다.
대인 관계적 사랑, 사물에 대한 사랑, 자기 정체성에 대한 사랑.
대인 관계적 사랑은 상호적이어야 하며, 사물에 대한 사랑은 ‘팬심’이 아니라 자기 정체성 구축의 방식이다. 두 작가의 작품은 모두 자기애를 돌아보게 하는 촉매 역할을 하며, 관객이 사랑을 더 잘 이해하고 실천할 수 있는 기회를 제공한다.
하루를 산다는 것은 하루의 경험을 ‘수집’한다는 의미다. 이 점에서 모든 인간은 경험의 수집가다. 그러나 사회적 소수자에 대한 이야기는 종종 편견이 담긴 ‘경험들의 무비판적 축적’의 결과이기도 하다.
안옥현의 **〈키 큰 풀숲 속의 기황과 종렬〉**은 두 인물이 포옹하는 장면을 담고 있다. 인물들과 카메라 사이에 존재하는 거리감은 성적 소수자들의 사랑을 바라보는 다수자의 심리적 거리감을 은유한다. 윤정미의 수집가들이 타인의 시선과 거리감을 견디는 방식도 이와 닮아 있다. 이 시리즈는 “경험이 중요하다”는 오래된 명제를 “경험은 비판적 성찰을 거쳐야만 가치가 있다”는 새로운 이해로 업데이트할 기회를 제공한다.
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사랑은 대상과 주체를 ‘욕망으로 포화시키는 것’이 아니다. 어떤 수집가에게 물어보라. 그들이 사랑하는 사물의 수가 늘어난다고 해서 개별 사물에 대한 애정이 줄어드는지. 애정이 있는 한, 수집은 끝나지 않는다. 윤정미의 작업은 사물에 대한 사랑이 포화의 욕망이 아니라 오히려 자기 정체성을 구축하고 확장하는 여정임을 보여준다.
대인 관계적 사랑은 두 개인의 사랑이 합쳐져 역사와 연결을 만들어내는 과정이다. 관객이 안옥현의 **〈어머니의 빨간 드레스를 입은 세영〉**을 바라볼 때, ‘로미오와 줄리엣’에서 드러나는 세대 간의 간극을 떠올려 본다면 작품 감상이 더욱 깊어질 것이다.
마찬가지로, 윤정미의 **〈세실과 그녀의 핑크색 오브제들〉**에서 첫 번째 핑크 물건을 샀던 순간과 최신 수집품이 더해진 사이의 시간적 거리감을 떠올려 보면, 관객은 과거와 현재를 되돌아보고 전시장을 나서며 자신이 나아갈 미래를 상상해 볼 수 있을 것이다.