From Apr. 15 to June 17, the historical space of modern Korean politics House of Woonkyung was transformed into an exhibition space. House of Woonkyung, where Woonkyung Lee Jaehyung, the descendent of Seonjo and the 12th chairman of the National Assembly, lived for 39 years, was also a guestroom that numerous politicians used upon visits during Woonkyung’s lifetime to discuss topical issues of the times. As part of the 30th commemoration of Woonkyung’s passing, and also in order to spread knowledge of the beauty of his house, the Woonkyung Foundation organised an exhibition titled ‘Choi Jeong Hwa: You are My Home’ which offers contemplation of the family and the home. By setting, piling, and connecting everyday materials, such as old plates, discarded furniture, and cheap plastic bags, Choi Jeonghwa focuses on the objects intimate with our lived experiennce. The mutual encounter between the life-stories of certain individuals that are embedded in his works with a life-long residence such as House of Woonkyung created a moment of intersection between time and space. The 24 works that represent Choi’s art world were arranged according to each spatial function of the house: for example, in the main building where Woonkyung’s family lived, donated tableware from people with connections to the Woonkyung Foundation was piled up to create Huge Dinner Table, Feast of Flowers 2022 (feat. You, I), which offers a profound reflection on family that resonated with the audience. The novel One Fine Spring Night, which was published in tandem with the exhibition as a refreshing substitute for the exhibition catalogue added a form of literary diversion to the exhibition experience and provoked the audience’s imagination by positioning the artwork and the spaces within a fictional story. Choi Jeonghwa believed that the beauty of art lies ‘where people resonate with one another’. The connected elements within the artwork were stirred by the wind. The director of the Woonkyung Foundation, Lee Meehae, conveyed her wish that ‘this exhibition will remind us of the person who makes us feel “at home”’.
Installation view of Huge Dinner Table, Feast of Flowers 2022 (feat. You, I) _ⓒChoi Jeonghwa / Image courtesy of Woonkyoung Foundation