Inhwan Oh

Through the process of recording time and place, Inhwan Oh questions the existence of the subject in written work.  In other words, the relativity of the text is expressed through his art. In Oh’s new work for the Tomorrow exhibition in Seoul, Where A Man meets Man in Seoul, the floor acts as a canvas as letters resembling hieroglyphics are written on its surface using incense powder. The incense is left to burn into the floor throughout the period of the exhibition, and the viewers can smell the aroma and watch the artwork as it disappears, leaving only its traces. No one can possess this work, but everyone can experience it as it progresses in front of their eyes. Therefore, the real value of the work lies in the participation of the public and its occurance in real time. The artist uses ritualistic aroma to write the names of various gay bars and gay groups to expose the fine line between the ’space of personal experience’ and ‘conceptual space,’ as well as the fine line between ‘personal space’ and ‘the other’s space,’ ultimately drawing out the connections between the various situations that surround him. This piece represents the individual identity of the modern man who lives in a world where nationalism is increasingly being replaced by smaller group ideologies.