Over 50 works by artist Shin Young-jin, capturing the memories of division along the Yalu River and Baekdu Mountain, will be on display in Inje, Gangwon Province.
According to Inje County, the Inje Naeseorak Art Museum will host a special exhibition titled 'Day Moon - Memories of the Yalu River' from September 18 to November 15.
The exhibition will feature the artist's representative series 'Day Moon - The Landscapes Left Behind,' along with the large piece 'Day Moon - Memories of the Yalu River - Boat Ride,' which measures 244 cm by 100 cm and was completed this year.
The 'Day Moon' series has been a project of Shin's since 2014, evolving from personal longing and waiting to broader themes of historical memory, the reality of division, and questions of peace.
The foundation of the works is rooted in landscapes Shin encountered during a journey along the Yalu River nearly 30 years ago. Using sketches, photographs, and memories from that time, he has translated the Yalu River, Baekdu Mountain, and the landscapes of North Korea onto canvas.
The mountains and rivers depicted in the paintings transcend mere beauty; they intertwine with the history of the nation and the scars of division. The day moon floating in the artwork serves as a witness to the past and a symbol of the peace yet to come.
Shin has experimented with lines, colors, forms, and materials based on realistic landscapes, layering reality with memory, history, and imagination, blurring the lines between representation and abstraction.
This exhibition is notable for capturing the reality of division and confrontation within the serene landscapes of the Yalu River. Presenting works focused on North Korean landscapes in the border area of Inje adds significant symbolism to both the exhibition space and its themes.
Art critic Lee Kyung-mo described Shin's work as a combination of humanities and art, representing a solid historical awareness that goes beyond mere representation of nature to evoke the accumulated history and truths of the land.
This exhibition aligns with Inje County's cultural policy to continue high-quality curated exhibitions centered around public art museums. The Naeseorak Art Museum recently held 'Utopia, Reality and Virtuality' from July to September 13, followed by this special exhibition. The aim is to broaden cultural enjoyment opportunities for residents and attract external visitors through continuous exhibition programming.
The Inje Cultural Foundation is also promoting support for professional artists' creative activities, community cultural projects, and outreach performances in schools. This approach connects museums and galleries with performance and creative support to expand the local cultural and artistic foundation. This exhibition is expected to serve as a catalyst for extending Inje's border area identity into cultural content.
However, to enhance the status of 'Cultural Arts City Inje,' it is essential to accumulate specific data not only on the number of exhibitions but also on visitor numbers, the proportion of outside visitors, and the impact of connections with local tourist sites. Developing interpretive and experiential programs that link exhibitions with tourism is also seen as a future task.
Shin Young-jin stated, 'Starting from personal longing, 'Day Moon' has now become a presence that remembers history, witnesses the times, and questions peace. I want to ask what we have remembered and lost, and what kind of peace we should create moving forward.'
Lee Woo-hyun, a curator at the museum, remarked, 'This exhibition illuminates the layers of memory where the past and present intersect through the landscapes of the Yalu River and Baekdu Mountain. Visitors will experience the process of 'Day Moon' expanding from personal lyricism to universal questions of history and reality.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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