The exhibition 〈Children Who Cross the Night〉 at the Seoul National University Museum of Art started on last Thursday, January 13th. In this exhibition, 10 artists present works containing their perspectives and confessions focused on the issue of violence against children and the change in the concept of family, which has emerged as a social agenda.

Exhibition of 〈Children Who Cross the Night〉 at Seoul National University Museum of Art

The 〈Children Who Cross the Night〉 exhibition gathered works of 10 artists Go Kyung-ho, Kwon Soon-young, Kim Su-Jeong, Na Kwang-ho, Noh Kyung-Wha, Min Jin-young, Sung Hee-Jin, Shin Hee-soo, Wang Seon-Jeong, Jeong Mun-Kyung in one place, who have shared a problem about the concept of the family and have worked to find the answer to it. Their works testify to various types of violence happening inside the family, raise an issue to stereotypes about family and home, and seek recovery and hospitality for marginalized and wounded children. Curator Lee Joo-Yeon explained the background of this exhibition, saying that “At a time when violence against children is emerging as a serious social issue, there was a recognition of the need to expand the concept of ‘family’ and provide care at a social level.”

Seoul National University Museum of Art 〈Children Who Cross the Night〉 exhibition view

Children who are not welcomed inside and outside the home

When you go upstairs to the 2nd floor of the museum to see the exhibition, the first work you face is a 〈Family〉 by Kwon Soon-young. Inside a fairy tale atmosphere in a dark night, the pure white figures with bizarre smiles pierced through long rods one after another are mixed in snowman, human body, and Mickey Mouse characters. The visual impact of the work strongly reminds us of the exhibition theme about the confusion and pain experienced by children at home. Likewise, if you go up to the 3rd floor after passing through Kwon's 〈Christmas of Orphans〉 series and 〈Sad Breastfeeding〉, which visually capture the pain and wounds of children, you can meet the stories of nine other writers in their own languages in earnest. Writer Hee-soo Shin took pictures of children living away from home in the 〈Neverland_Children of the Border〉 series. In 〈Children's Luggage〉, one of the series about the hard life of runaway teenagers, a paper shopping bag is placed in the middle of the picture. It reveals that all he has is nothing but a winter knit suit tucked into a crumpled paper shopping bag. Artist Koh Kyung-ho depicts children crushed by the expectations and pressures they receive from their families through rough brushstrokes and intense colors. In the picture, the child is in a wonderful Taekwondo posture, but there is a frustrated desire inside (〈I wanted to go to art school, but also Taekwon-do〉), and it is a graduation ceremony to be proud of, but the expression is not bright (〈My Son〉). In addition, many works that communicate in various ways such as paintings, videos, photographs, and structures.

Koh Gong-Pyo, 〈I wanted to go to art school, but also Taekwon-do〉

Various exhibition events related to 〈Children Who Cross the Night〉 will also be held. On January 20 (Thursday), former Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Hee-kyung's lecture 〈Distorted Families, Moaning Children〉 was held. “Children’s voice, Can you hear them?” will be held in the auditorium of the Seoul National University Museum of Art. On February 19th (Sat), a play 〈What Star, What Child〉, which retells the experiences of the participants as an improvisational play, will be staged in Exhibition Room 3. Advance registration is available on the Seoul National University Museum of Art website (http://www.snumoa.org/). This exhibition runs until March 13 (Sun). Curator Lee Joo-yeon said, “There were concerns about how the exhibition should convey the testimony of the miserable reality to the audience and what role art could play in changing that reality. I hope it will be an opportunity to explore possibilities beyond these questions with those who visit the museum.” It is hoped that this exhibition will illuminate the dark vision and become a place of sympathy facing ‘Children Who Cross the Night’.

SNU Student reporter
Kang You-Jin (Department of Oriental History)