VIㆍSIC
Lee Jinmyung / Art critic, Doctor of Philosophy
Where might the value of art lie? Humanity has been engaging in art since prehistoric times. People have been inspired by the vivid colors of autumn leaves, and found meaning in the songs of birds searching for their mates. Art transforms these elements of nature into tangible forms. This encapsulation of beauty, or rather beauty itself, has evolved into abstract concepts like the proportions in figuration, the rhythm in music, and the harmony of colors. The fact that concrete sensations formed through external matters become abstract was the first momentum that made humans great. Before developing this capacity for abstraction, humans were no different from animals. We owe a debt of gratitude to artists, as their work enabled us to transcend our primitive state, akin to that of chimpanzees. The transformation of concrete sensations into abstract concepts can be seen as achieving truth through beauty. Assuming that truth is the ultimate pursuit for humans, it inevitably stems from beauty. When truth is devoid of beauty, it is merely a fact or reality, not genuine truth. This is sometimes called the “actual state.” However, the purpose of our lives is not to simply observe these bare realities. We live to encounter truth. For this reason, in his later years, Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) referred to truth as poetry (die Poesie).
Poetry is not a mere amusement or form of culture but a force that opens up the realm of truth and brings man to the measure of his being and his world. 1)
Whereas science is about an ontic perspective, poetry is about an ontological one. Poetry is a bright drop that encapsulates the communication and love shared between humans and nature (or the divine). Fearing that this luminous drop might be scattered by the wind and evaporate, people have strived to preserve it in enduring forms. This is known as visual art. Similarly, people wanted their descendants to perpetuate rhythms by transcribing them into musical scores, which we call music. Hence, both visual art and music are regarded as “fingerprints of God” filling the void. On the other hand, classical art has assured its own existence through contemplation.
Silent contemplation originates in empty spaces, free from any mental distractions, and occurs only when daily tasks are momentarily set aside. In these moments, a small awakening happens, quietly reflecting on various phenomena as if they existed in a mirror. The light is brilliant and pure so that all things should be in their appropriate place, faithful to themselves both internally and freely revealed. Thus, it is said, "All things in contemplation are attained by oneself.” In this way, life radiates light within the tranquil silence, as free entities as a result of self-attainment. 2)
However, such tranquil contemplation no longer occurs in our era. This is because modernity has reached its peak and is now in decline, giving rise to a new phenomenon known as digitality. Our era is caught at the intersection of these two phenomena. The central theme of modernity is purity, while that of digitality is absurdity. Modernity evokes a sense of deep penetration, whereas digitality is characterized by vertical and horizontal lines, resembling a grid-like pattern. For this reason, modernity is vertical, while digitality is horizontal. Modernity aligns with the conservative ethics of agriculture, whereas digitality embraces the transcendent ethics of nomadism. Combining the best aspects of both modernity and digitality would lead to a pursuit of pure transcendence. Conversely, an unfavorable combination of these elements would result in rigid deviation.
Lee Yongbaek (1966-), Kim Hyunsik (1965-), Im Hyunhee (1980-), and Park Inseong (1984-) strive for pure transcendence. They persistently pursue a path of horizontal self-transcendence in harmony with the purity of modernity. The artists involved in ＜VIㆍSIC＞ view a discerning spirit of the current era as the foundation of their artistic expression. Therefore, they embark on bold journeys instead of remaining confined to the vertical penetration of modernity. They recognize that truth is something that unfolds historically over time. Consequently, they are not easily swayed by the illusion of digitality. In baseball, the term for an intentional base on balls is "keien shikyu (敬遠四球)” in Japanese, which translates to “showing respect while keeping one's distance.” This phrase originally appears in the <Yong Ye (雍也)> chapter of the Analects.
The disciple Fan Chi asked about the nature of knowledge. Confucius replied, “Dedicate yourself to what is considered righteous by people, and show respect to spirits while keeping your distance from them. That is true knowledge.” This time the disciple asked about the nature of love. Confucius responded, "A person of love is the first to offer help in difficult situations and does not talk about rewards. That is true love.” 3)
“Dedicate yourself to what is considered righteous by people, and show respect to spirits while keeping your distance from them.” In this context, the righteous deed represents a discerning spirit, whereas the world of spirits symbolizes the illusion of digitality. Digitality was initially developed to facilitate the execution of righteous deeds in a rational and efficient manner. The core of digitality is based on the binary system of 0s and 1s, which is seen as the epitome of simplicity and elegant rationality. However, this elegant rationality has been overshadowed by vague sensibilities and has ultimately become a scapegoat in the domains of commerce and strategy. However, we shouldn't dismiss commerce and strategy simply because we disapprove of them. I encourage you to appreciate the eloquence of Cao Cao (155-220) for a moment and then return to reality.
A king should understand his subjects, and the subjects should understand their king. Despite my efforts to emulate the virtues of King Wen, I'm likely unable to become that kind of person. 4)
In the 24th year of Jian'an (219), while Cao Cao was in Chang'an making preparations to personally launch an attack on Liu Bei (161-223) of Shu, Liu Yi (180-221), in charge of Five Literatures Official, intervened and halted the attack. During this encounter, Cao Cao briefly conveyed the message mentioned above to Liu Yi. When encountering the phrase, “I’m likely unable to become that kind of person.” (恐非其人也),” it evokes a profound and awe-inspiring sensation. There is no room for persuasion, doubt, or hesitation; one is irresistibly drawn in and compelled to acknowledge it. Liu Xie (465-521) characterized Cao Cao as “zhi shi zao shi (指事造實).” In other words, he depicts Cao Cao as someone who adopts a straightforward approach, focusing solely on the facts. It's a description marked by precision.
“I’m likely unable to become that kind of person.” There was a moment when Lee Yongbaek echoed those words. His remark would send shivers down everyone's spine. The artist holds the distinction of being the initial artist to highlight modernity and digitality as pivotal terms for delineating the core of contemporary art in the 20th and 21st centuries. The sculpture of modernity has evolved from questioning the essence of material in monumental, that is, materiality to the conceptual installation of everyday objects. In essence, there lies the central proposition of sculptors in the journey from monumental to non-monumental characteristics. Let’s observe the work titled <Blue Screen of Death> that can easily overwhelm the viewer. Lee Yongbaek states, "I am likely unable to become that kind of (pretentious) person.” He follows the vision of “zhi shi zao shi (指事造實).” 5) In other words, he adopts a straightforward approach, focusing solely on the facts. After viewing the artist's work, there is no room for persuasion, doubt, or hesitation. Lee Yongbaek exhibits mastery in handling materials akin to Cao Cao's proficiency in wielding military power. The term “Blue Screen of Death” denotes a scenario where a computer is infected with malicious viruses or experiences a system crash. Typically, blue represents hope, sublimity, purity, loftiness, and transparency. However, in the digital realm, it conveys death. Lee Yongbaek successfully manifests the amalgamation of the binary system's 0s and 1s into tangible form. In the same way that the binary system of yin and yang shaped the core of Eastern philosophy, he is laying the groundwork for visual thinking in the 21st century using the contemporary binary system of 0s and 1s. He's confronting invisible adversaries like influential factions that control individuals by instilling images of segregation, discord, monopolization of information, distortion, isolation, obstruction, illness, suffering, and mortality in their psyche. These adversaries wield manipulative power rooted in 21st-century capital and knowledge, along with the relationships driven by interest and greed. In this context, his masterpiece reminds us of the opening verse of the 32nd poem in <Songs of My Heart> by Ruan Ji (210-263), a poet from the Wei Dynasty of the 3rd century.
Morning sun will never be at its peak again. The day grows suddenly dark in the West. 6)
The <Book of Changes>, or <I Ching>, contains a saying: “When the sun reaches its zenith, it will soon decline.” This excerpt is from the “Feng Gua Tuan” section. Following this, it states, “When the moon is full, it will soon wane.” 7) This suggests that as the sun and moon reach their peak, they will begin to decline, symbolizing the inevitable decrease of abundance. Another phrase states: “Yi yin yi yang zhi wei dao (一陰一陽之謂道),” which translates to “The Way (Tao 道) is the harmonious interplay of darkness (陰) and light (陽).” Lee Yongbaek has revealed his series <Blue Screen of Death> to the world after a decade of continuous artistic exploration.
Between 1998 and 2012, Lee Yongbaek was like a mantis in the global art scene, much like a mantis hunting its prey. However, a formidable opponent lurked in the shadows, a situation akin to the Chinese saying “Tanglan buchan Huang que zai hou (螳螂捕蟬 黃雀在後),” which translates to "the mantis catches the cicada, unaware of the siskin behind.” 8) The artist felt tightly bound by three significant pressures: the loss of his father, the tax as overwhelming burdens of life, and his declining health.
Vilém Flusser (1920-1991) remarked: “Humans are unique among animals in their awareness of death.” “This awareness is the source of human loneliness.” “To cope with this profound abyss, humans developed culture.” Although I cannot remember the precise source of these lines, they have profoundly influenced me as a touchstone. Lee Yongbaek has faced the depths of death through experiences like the pandemic, information imbalance, growing inequality, surge of desires, and the games of mutual slander. These experiences ultimately enabled him to finalize the concept of his work, <Blue Screen of Death>, in 2021. According to renowned East Asian philosophers Xu Fuguan (1903-1982) and Mou Zongsan (1909-1995), the fundamental distinction between Western intellectuals and East Asian literati hinges on the concept of "Suffering Consciousness." <Blue Screen of Death> manifests the concept of “Suffering Consciousness,” addressing the spatial and temporal challenges humanity encounters. It embodies the spirit known as “不忍人之心” or the compassionate heart that cannot tolerate witnessing others' suffering. Undoubtedly, this is the work of a literati, demonstrating a distinct qualitative difference from Western contemporary art bound by its own game rules. The East Asian literati, like Lee Yongbaek, engage with the world through a sense of suffering, while Western scholars, such as Anselm Kiefer, experience instability and confront objects with fear. Suffering and fear are fundamentally different.
For more than a decade, the artist endured sleepless nights. Rather than taking sleeping pills like zolpidem, he chose to listen to music, reflect on art, and converse with the moon on moonlit nights. He often wept while feeling the scent of plum blossoms, much like Ruan Ji did 1800 years ago.
In the middle of the night, unable to sleep, I just got up and started playing the geomungo (harp). Moonlight filtered through a thin silk curtain, and a cool breeze gently brushed against my collar. A lone crane called out, its voice resonating across the empty fields, while a bird soaring in the sky cried out from its perch in the northern forest. 9)
<Blue Screen of Death> is the music of hope drawn from the deepest despair of loneliness. Although Lee Yongbaek confronts today's uncertain, often tilted or imbalanced. he maintains a sense of elegance and beauty.
Kim Hyunsik explores the concept of “xuan (玄).” Following the collapse of the Han Dynasty, where Confucian values once dominated, people began to respect the world beyond common understanding. The ethical values of the Wei and Qin Dynasties are rooted in this “xuan (玄),” an abstract idea that embodies a positive perspective on the interdependence of emptiness and substance (虛實相生). In Western thought, what exists is real, and what does not exist is not real. However, in Eastern thought, “emptiness (虛),” “void (空),” and “naught (無)” are not considered the absence of existence. Instead, they are seen as the sources that give rise to existence. Light reveals its true essence in darkness, just as masculinity is fully realized when a man is alone with a woman in the dark. Kim Hyunsik is likely the first artist in the world to express the ontological value of “emptiness (虛),” “void (空),” and “naught (無)” through visual art. Western landscape painting is simply an extension of geometric perspective. In contrast, Eastern Sansuhwa (ink wash mountains-waters painting) does not seek to emulate the object. Instead, it is intended to infuse it with “qi yun sheng dong (氣韻生動),” which translates to “spiritual resonance.” In other words, it’s the resonance of the soul. How can the soul resonate? The soul resonates, when one realizes that one is not separated from all elements of nature, but rather interconnected as a single entity. Kim Hyunsik exclaimed while showing me three paintings by the late Yuan Dynasty artist Ni Zan: <Rong Xi Zhai Tu (容膝齋圖: Rongxi Studio)>, <Liu Junzi Tu (六君子圖: Six Virtuous Men)>, and <Qi Shu Qiufeng Tu (琪樹秋風圖: Jade-like Beautiful Trees and Autumn Wind)>.
“It is exactly same as my intention.” 10)
In the painting, only the trees, rocks, riverbanks, and pavilions are portrayed with great simplicity and restraint. They are not depicted merely for the sake of description. Rather, they are temporarily used as a means to represent empty space. This is done with the intention of illustrating emptiness. Kim Hyunsik refers to this concept as “intended blank” or “lucid silence.” While the former is conveyed through empty and blank spaces, the term “blank gem (餘玉)” carries the most dramatic connotation. Empty space is not synonymous with nothingness or naught (無), but rather signifies a space that gives rise to existence, much like precious gem. Hence, it pertains to the notion of “empty jade” or “blank gem.” To convey this idea, the artist employed epoxy as a synthetic material, unifying elements of materiality, labor, and time. Kim Hyunsik weaves the concepts of lucid silence and silent lucidity into the spatial idea of a “blank gem.” This fusion of silence and clarity infuses the blank gem within the painting, while the blank gem of light within the artwork generates optical music.
In a word, I view Im Hyunhee’s painting art as the silence confronting the divine. I would like to interpret the divine as the principle which the universe is governed, and the source behind its operation. Im Hyunhee’s painting art is regarded as a poetry of silence formed through the interaction of gravity, an unknowable natural force, and the fortuity in time and space, intricately combined with the artist’s intent. Here is a proposed description for this explanation.
In the Pantheon of Rome, there is a goddess named Angerona, depicted with her mouth sealed and her left index finger pressed to her lips, as if commanding silence. Known as the goddess of suffering and silence, she symbolizes the power of silence according to the context of ancient Roman mystic cults. The etymological origin of mysticism comes from the ancient Greek word “mysterion,” derived from the root “myein,” which means “to close the mouth and attain silence.” For the initial stage, no doctrine expressed in words is necessary. Instead, one encounters, in a secretive manner, something intrinsically silent, which cannot be put into words. Homer describes as follows: 11)
A great awe in face of the gods silences the voices.” 12)
As Homer indicates, silence is essentially a phenomenon confronting the divine. For this reason, Heidegger (1889-1976), a great admirer of ancient Greek culture, states the following: “This primordial silence is more powerful than any human potentiality. No one, on his or her own, has ever invented language—that is, has been strong enough to break the power of this silence.” 13) Silence is not only the absence of speech or articulation, but also the act of translating language into a visual form. The ancient Greek philosopher Plutarch (46 –119) discusses silence in relation to language, rather than to objects. He states, “Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.” 14) The Greek philosopher adds, “The two have the same end.” 15) What is its purpose then? Given that the painting is a form of silent poetry, embodying the silence of speech, both speech and silence manifest visibly within it. Painting renders language mute by disrupting the referential relation between words and objects. It serves as a human activity aimed at expressing immediacy, presenting the object itself devoid of the need for labels, representing anonymity, lack of reference, unknowability, and namelessness. Therefore, namelessness is a human expression regarding the encounter with the divine, which represents the principle by which the universe (nature) operates.
Imagine for a moment Im Hyunhee confronting the canvas. The movement of air within the space is likely to create a sense of tension for the artist. As gravity pulls from the depths, even her will is momentarily suspended. The particular atmosphere created by the interplay of time and light compels the artist to respond solely with silence. Conversation ends up giving way to silence, eventually emerging as a visible poem. That elevated poem is precisely what Im Hyunhee’s painting is about. Her painting is a child born by the pairing of fortuity-inevitability, will-conformity, memory-oblivion, joy-sorrow, pleasure-suffering. The artist (we) cannot give a name to this child. Only namelessness remains.
Park Inseong integrates various elements of photography, painting, and sculpture onto canvas. Photography represents the civilization shaped by the historical development of reason. Painting symbolizes a transcendent world, while sculpture denotes instinctual gestures. Through this approach, he embodies human history and gestures in his artworks. Harald Szeemann, a renowned Swiss curator (1933-2005), once stated that attitude transforms into form. However, Park Inseong develops artistic narratives based on the notion that thought itself is form, and contemporary art is equivalent to either material poetry or material music.
Park Inseong reconstructs his artistic realm, encompassing painting, sculpture, and photography, based on the premise that human culture (civilization) progresses (or regresses) from higher dimensions to lower ones: from the 4th to the 3rd, from the 3rd to the 2nd, from the 2nd to the 1st, and from the 1st to the 0th dimension. It's apparent that the earliest form of art in human history was ritual. In rituals, music and dance were essential elements, but they couldn't be preserved. Sculpture embodies this essence in a three-dimensional form. However, sculpture demands a significant amount of physical space, making it challenging to incorporate narrative into it. Sculpture transitions into two-dimensional painting, which proved to be an efficient method. However, painting blurred the line between reality and the virtual dimension, a phenomenon known as magical consciousness. 16) To critique this magical consciousness (painting), humans developed writing. Writing fostered rationality and historical thinking, leading to a sense of time consciousness. Prior to writing, humans engaged in cyclical thinking. The advent of writing introduced a linear or progressive view of history. However, this combination to writing and rationality also engendered the development of technology, which in turn created new images.
Writing and rationality were developed to critique magical consciousness, or images. However, critical thinking has once again led to the creation of images. Consequently, Flusser describes the images produced in an era dominated by computers and media as absurdity.
Park Inseong poses the following question: While the surfaces of sculpture, painting, and photography are made up of images, their inherent meanings are philosophical and historical. He reinterprets diverse aspects of media to explore the essence of human activities and the significance of culture. Ultimately, regardless of whether art unfolds in the dimensions of 4D, 3D, 2D, 1D, or even 0D, the enduring truth lies in poetry. Heidegger defined poetry as follows:
“Splendor of the simple.” 17)
Here, we cannot help but recall remarkable thesis argued by Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717-1768), "noble simplicity and calm greatness." It is the poetry that resonates from sculpture. This principle is equally applicable to painting, installation art, and video art, embodying the timeless essence of humanity. Truth is revealed through poetry. In visual art, which serves as physical poetry, music and poetry must perpetually resonate and endure. Visual art is poetry written with materials, expressing the rhythms and music inherent in those materials. In East Asia, this is described as “qi yun sheng dong (氣韻生動),” which translates to “spiritual resonance.” It signifies the resonance between one soul and another, similar to the “Nian hua wei xiao (拈花微笑)” – the subtle floral heart-to-heart smile of empathy.
Music is the most refined abstract form of art, surpassing all others in its abstraction and immediacy because it communicates straight with the soul. The word “music” derives from “muse,” referring to the forest spirit (nymph) that conveys inspiration directly. Even a newborn baby smiles at Mozart's melodies and cries at Beethoven's, as if sensing the weight of life. “Spirit” or “nymph” signifies direct transmission of spirit and soul, without any filtration process. Although music is entirely abstract, it communicates directly with the soul, providing the most tangible sensation. The artistic realms of Lee Yongbaek, Kim Hyunsik, Im Hyunhee, and Park Inseong transcend the context and symbolism of visual art, delivering direct emotional impact akin to that of music. Consequently, the exhibition featuring these four artists is titled <VI•SIC>, signifying that their visual art is analogous to music.
The direct resonance of their visual art, like music, relates to their discerning spirit. It relates to not only respecting their honest and sincere labor, but also reflecting a good heart in their art, which tends to judge truth based on the joys and sorrows of the weak people. Those who perceive melody within material are the ones who cherish the world and others as they cherish themselves. In this context, the material transforms into melody, and the emptiness flows, in a replete form of resonance. ◈
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1) Martin Heidegger, Albert Hofstadter (Trans), Poetry, Language, Thought (New York: Harper Perennial, 2001), p. ⅲ
2) 宗白華, <宗白華全集> 卷4(合肥: 安徽敎育出版社, 1996), P. 345.
3) <The Analects (論語)> ｢(雍也)｣: “樊遲問知, 子曰: ‘務民之義, 敬鬼神而遠之, 可謂知矣.’ 問仁, 曰: ‘仁者先難而後獲, 可謂仁矣.”
4) 陳壽, <三國志> ｢魏書ㆍ劉廙傳｣: “非但君當知臣, 臣亦當知君. 今欲使吾坐行西伯之德, 恐非其人也.”
Kim Hakju, 조조의 재발견(고양: 연암서가, 2021), 333쪽에서 재인용. Rediscover Cao Cao, (Goyang, Yeonam Seoga, 2021), requoted from p. 333.
5) 劉勰, <文心雕龍> 卷5 ｢章表｣: “所以魏初表章, 指事造實, 求其靡麗, 則未足美矣.
6) 阮籍, <阮籍集校注> (北京: 中華書局, 2015), P. 310: “朝陽不再盛, 白日忽西
7) <周易> ｢豐卦ㆍ彖｣: “日中則昃, 月盈則食.
8) 劉向, <說苑> 第9卷 ｢正諫｣: “園中有樹, 其上有蟬, 蟬高居悲鳴飲露, 不知螳螂在其後也! 螳螂委身曲附, 欲取蟬而不顧知黃雀在其傍也! 黃雀延頸欲啄螳螂而不知彈丸在其下也! 此三者皆務欲得其前利而不顧其後之有患也.
9) 阮籍, 蕭統 編, <文選> (上海: 上海古籍出版社, 2019), pp. 1085-1086: “夜中不能寐, 起坐彈鳴琴. 薄帷鑑明月, 淸風吹我衿. 孤鴻號外野, 朔鳥鳴北林.
10) On July 1, 2021, during the opening of Park Jongkyu's solo exhibition ＜Vertical Time＞ at Gana Art Nineone in Hannam-dong, Kim Hyunsik spoke to me regarding this
11) This description has been readapted based on the reference of the details from pp. 95-97. Giorgio Agamben, Leland de la Durantaye (trans.), “Image and Silence,” Diacritics, V. 40, N. 2, 2012
12) Homer, “Ode to Demeter,” line 479. Requoted from the thesis above mentioned
13) Martin Heidegger, “Hölderlins Hymnen ‘Germanien’ und ‘Der Rhein,’” Gesamtausgabe, Vol. 39. (Frankfurt am Mein: Klostermann, 1980), p. 218. Requoted from the thesis abouve mentioned. The English translation by Leland de la Durantaye is as follows: “This primordial silence is more powerful than any human potentiality. No one, on his or her own, has ever invented language—that is, has been strong enough to break the power of this silence.
14) Plutarch, Moralia, De Gloria Atheniensium, 3346f
15) Ibid. “The two have the same end.
16) This discussion is a prominent argument by Vilém Flusser (1920-1991) and the details can be found in the English version of Vilém Flusser, Writings (Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press, 2002)
17) J. Glenn Gray, “Splendor of the Simple,” Philosophy East and West, Vol. 20, No. 3 (Jul., 1970), p. 227