Park Jaeho Explores the Essence of Modern Civilization in "OBSESSION" at SPACE32, Seoul
Published May 19, 2025 10:27 PM
Jason Yim
Courtesy of SPACE32
SEOUL — Korean artist Park Jaeho presents his solo exhibition OBSESSION at SPACE32 Gallery in Gangnam, Seoul, from May 21 to June 5, 2025. This exhibition brings together three conceptual projects that delve into the core of human civilization through a unique blend of visual archaeology, artistic intuition, and material exploration.
Park, who describes himself as both an artist and a "bricoleur/visual archaeologist," proposes that what he perceives and senses is itself the essence of being. This belief forms the foundation of OBSESSION, a series that investigates phenomena and objects through personal perception, reconstructed into three distinct yet interconnected bodies of work.
The first project, Obsession in Metropolis_London, runs in parallel with Obsession in Apples. It involves collecting and categorizing objects—ranging from trash to lost items—found in megacities like London, Paris, and Seoul. Through these fragments, Park analyzes urban culture and identity, aiming to uncover the fundamental nature of human civilization through the lens of everyday material culture.
Korean artist Park Jaeho presents his solo exhibition OBSESSION at SPACE32 Gallery in Gangnam, Seoul, from May 21 to June 5, 2025. Courtesy of SPACE32
In Obsession in Apples, Park turns to one of humanity's oldest and most symbolic fruits. Through reinterpretations of the biblical apple of Adam and Eve, Newton’s apple of gravity, and the golden apple from Greek mythology, Park constructs a contemporary narrative about civilization. Combining charcoal drawings that represent a "fictional reality" with photographs symbolizing "objective reality," he explores dual perspectives. This layering of mediums seeks to blur the lines between painting and photography, creating a new form of simulacrum.
Courtesy of SPACE32
The third project, Obsession in Dot, Line and Plane, explores the primal act of mark-making. Drawing inspiration from ancient cave art to children's doodles and modern abstract painting, Park reflects on the essential elements of drawing and painting. Using a triptych format, each work represents three interpretive perspectives, emphasizing the visual and emotional resonance of basic artistic components. Through this meditation on form, Park suggests new possibilities for abstract expression and visual language.
Together, the OBSESSION series becomes a larger philosophical inquiry into the "essence" of art, perception, and civilization. Park invites viewers to reflect not only on external symbols and objects, but on their own inner realities.
Sayart / Jason Yim yimjongho1969@gmail.com
Courtesy of SPACE32
SEOUL — Korean artist Park Jaeho presents his solo exhibition OBSESSION at SPACE32 Gallery in Gangnam, Seoul, from May 21 to June 5, 2025. This exhibition brings together three conceptual projects that delve into the core of human civilization through a unique blend of visual archaeology, artistic intuition, and material exploration.
Park, who describes himself as both an artist and a "bricoleur/visual archaeologist," proposes that what he perceives and senses is itself the essence of being. This belief forms the foundation of OBSESSION, a series that investigates phenomena and objects through personal perception, reconstructed into three distinct yet interconnected bodies of work.
The first project, Obsession in Metropolis_London, runs in parallel with Obsession in Apples. It involves collecting and categorizing objects—ranging from trash to lost items—found in megacities like London, Paris, and Seoul. Through these fragments, Park analyzes urban culture and identity, aiming to uncover the fundamental nature of human civilization through the lens of everyday material culture.
Korean artist Park Jaeho presents his solo exhibition OBSESSION at SPACE32 Gallery in Gangnam, Seoul, from May 21 to June 5, 2025. Courtesy of SPACE32
In Obsession in Apples, Park turns to one of humanity's oldest and most symbolic fruits. Through reinterpretations of the biblical apple of Adam and Eve, Newton’s apple of gravity, and the golden apple from Greek mythology, Park constructs a contemporary narrative about civilization. Combining charcoal drawings that represent a "fictional reality" with photographs symbolizing "objective reality," he explores dual perspectives. This layering of mediums seeks to blur the lines between painting and photography, creating a new form of simulacrum.
Courtesy of SPACE32
The third project, Obsession in Dot, Line and Plane, explores the primal act of mark-making. Drawing inspiration from ancient cave art to children's doodles and modern abstract painting, Park reflects on the essential elements of drawing and painting. Using a triptych format, each work represents three interpretive perspectives, emphasizing the visual and emotional resonance of basic artistic components. Through this meditation on form, Park suggests new possibilities for abstract expression and visual language.
Together, the OBSESSION series becomes a larger philosophical inquiry into the "essence" of art, perception, and civilization. Park invites viewers to reflect not only on external symbols and objects, but on their own inner realities.
