Haegue Yang: Integrity of the Insider

Haegue Yang
Integrity of the Insider
Curator: Doryun Chong

Working with non-traditional materials such as customized venetian blinds and sensory devices including lights, infrared heaters, scent emitters, and fans, Haegue Yang (b. 1971; lives and works in Berlin and Seoul) constructs complex and nuanced installations that collapse the space between the concrete and the fleeting. Yang’s recent works explore the real and metaphorical relationships between her material surroundings and emotional responses, attempting to give form and meaning to experiences that exist outside conventional order. Her recent work has gravitated toward her thinking about historical figures, including the French novelist and filmmaker Marguerite Duras, whose work explored conditions of colonialism and reflected her commitment to the resistance movement, as well as the underground Korean revolutionary Kim San and the American journalist Nym Wales, whose encounters with Kim under life-threatening circumstances led to the publication of his biography. Yang’s first solo museum exhibition in the U.S. features a major installation, Yearning Melancholy Red (2008), co-commissioned by REDCAT, Los Angeles, and the Walker, along with selections from the artist’s work from the past few years.

Haegue Yang was recently selected to represent the Republic of Korea in the 53rd Venice Biennale, opening in June 2009. Her recent solo exhibitions have taken place at Sala Rekalde, Bilbao; REDCAT, Los Angeles; and Portikus, Frankfurt. She has also participated in important international exhibitions, including the 2006 Sao Paulo Biennial (2006); the 55th Carnegie International, Pittsburgh (2008); and the 2008 Turin Triennale. The Walker’s 2007 exhibition Brave New Worlds was Yang’s first U.S. exhibition.