Spike Island presents new solo exhibition by Korean artist Young In Hong

Spike Island is excited to present Five Acts, a new commission and solo exhibition by artist and Spike Island studio holder Young In Hong.

The exhibition brings together tapestry, sculpture, video and performance to explore the bond between humans and animals through movement, sound and other non-linguistic forms of expression.

The centrepiece of the commission is a forty metre-long, embroidered tapestry that documents the struggles for better working conditions and fair pay of women workers in Korea during the period 1920–1980. Inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry – an 11th century embroidery depicting the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England in 1066 – Hong’s version pays homage to the women workers who fought against Japanese colonial rule and became a driving force behind South Korea’s modernisation.

Divided into eight sections and suspended from the ceiling in an elliptical frame, the tapestry depicts historical events where women were the main protagonists. This includes the gisaeng, or courtesans, who fought for Korea’s independence during Japanese occupation in 1910–1945, and the haenyeo, or female divers, who led the Jeju Haenyeo Anti-Japanese Movement between 1931 and 1932. The tapestry culminates with depictions of the many textile workers who contributed to the economic growth of South Korea during the 1970s and 1980s. Working in extremely precarious and sometimes inhumane conditions, these women – most of them peasants who migrated from the countryside to the cities – were fundamental to the booming textile industry in the years preceding democracy.

Surrounding the tapestry is a group of willow and fabric sculptures that resemble animal toys found in zoos. A series of live performances taking place during the exhibition’s run invite a group of five performers to explore improvisation through movement and sound. Taking the tapestry as a score, the performers interact with the sculptures while responding to the historical events narrated in the embroidery.

In addition to these newly commissioned pieces, Hong presents two recent works. Ring of Animals (2023) is an installation consisting of five sets of shoes for different animals, woven from straw by artisans and placed on a circle of salt powder resembling snow. Bringing together a range of species randomly selected according to the shape of their feet – including a heron, a polar bear, a gorilla, a giraffe and a kangaroo – the work creates a mystical ring of animals that would not normally share the same habitat. It is accompanied by a soundtrack that plays intermittently, which incorporates field recordings and electronic sounds that blur the boundary between animals and humans. The video The White Mask (2021), on the other hand, features a musical ensemble responding to the notion of ‘becoming animal’ through improvisation. The musicians perform seven compositions in which they reflect on how it would feel to undergo such a transformation.

Please, note that the performance will take place in the gallery on the following days:

Friday 2 February 2024, 6-7 PM

Saturday 24 February 2024, 3-4 PM

Saturday 16 March 2024, 3-4 PM

Saturday 6 April 2024, 3-4 PM

Saturday 27 April 2024, 3-4 PM

Visit our website for more details: https://www.spikeisland.org.uk/programme/exhibitions/young-in-hong/