[The explanation of the exhibition. / Photo courtesy of Racheal Chung]
[The explanation of the exhibition. / Photo courtesy of Racheal Chung]

It has been almost a year since the pandemic hit, and everyone around the world has found a way to spend their time at home. There are so many creative ways to spend free time at home, such as making bead bracelets or tufting a rug.

However, one thing almost everyone does is watch TV, or more specifically, subscribe to over-the-top (OTT) streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+... etc. Some of my friends thought that it was overpriced - even though they subscribed - considering that they do not always have the shows we want to watch.

At school, while talking about these streaming services, my friend mentioned this particular exhibition that is being held both offline and online. I have heard that some galleries are turning towards online exhibitions because it is easier for people to watch.

She strongly recommended the exhibition, also mentioning that there are different interactive parts. The exhibition that I was planning to watch, called “Watch and Chill: Streaming Art to Your Homes”, was held in the National Museum of Contemporary Art. Even though the exhibition was one of the most popular ones, it was easier to reserve than I thought. 

As mentioned before, the exhibition was also available through the website with an identical title. What was even more interesting was that in the first basement, they had tablets and desktops where people could choose what to watch and browse the web page.

Through this online platform, people around the world have the opportunity to view the artwork by artists from Asia. The first portion of the exhibition is called “Things in My Living Room”. This part of the exhibition shows the everyday household items we use. The video projected on one part of the wall included: cups, books, tables, glasses, etc.

According to the pamphlet, this portion was designed to portray the relationships people form with different objects at home during the pandemic. The second portion, called “By the Other Being”, was the part where they had tablets for the exhibition goers.

My personal favorite was the video called “Watching 'Mumbling in Hell, Tumbling down the Well' Alone”, which was about agility competitions and the artist’s personal anecdote.

I have also learned that the word ‘companion’ comes from the latin word ‘cum panis’, which means ‘with bread’. In other words, companion means someone who breaks bread (or shares bread) with one another. Next was a section called “Community of Houses”.

There were videos playing on multiple screens and headphones for people to use when they watch the video. Videos in this part of the exhibition were mainly about different types and the artists’ experiences with houses. One film that caught my eye was about occupying vacant (or abandoned) houses and experiencing ‘imperfect life trials’.

The video was made to focus on the helplessness of people without their own home and the current housing system. After watching these videos, there was a dark path that led to the last section of the exhibition called “Meta-Home”. The videos were once again projected onto a white wall so that the exhibition-goers could easily watch. 

 

[A picture of the artwork from the third section. / Photo courtesy of Racheal Chung]
[A picture of the artwork from the third section. / Photo courtesy of Racheal Chung]

 

After watching the exhibition, I honestly did not completely understand the complexity of each artwork. I knew that there would be a deeper meaning behind them, however I could not figure out what that was. This is when the webpage came in handy. I was able to watch all the videos again without time pressure, and I could also read the explanations again. Even while writing this article, the information on the webpage helped me elaborate on each of the artworks clearly. 

 

[Picture of myself in the third portion. / Photo courtesy of Racheal Chung]
[Picture of myself in the third portion. / Photo courtesy of Racheal Chung]

 

Personally, some of the videos were slightly disturbing and puzzling. However, I learned that they all have their own purpose and meaning that makes them a great piece of artwork. Unfortunately, for some who are still interested in this exhibition, the exhibition ended on October 24th. Still, I think that it would be a great idea to visit the website and watch some videos that look interesting to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Racheal Chung

Grade 11

Seoul Academy

 

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