Multimedia artist Kim A-young weaves personal tales into Korea's recent past with 'Plot, Blop, Plop'

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Multimedia artist Kim A-young weaves personal tales into Korea's recent past with 'Plot, Blop, Plop'

Published: 28 Mar. 2025, 07:00

SHIN MIN-HEE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A still from Kim A-young's video work “Al-Mather Plot 1991″ [ATELIER HERMES]

Shortly after the first oil shock in 1973, Korean construction companies won contracts to build infrastructure in the Middle East, including roads, houses and ports. Many workers were sent to live in the region for several years or more.

Although this period aided in boosting Korea’s struggling post-war economy, it was also a sad time for children who grew up in the absence of their fathers.

Artist Kim A-young [ATELIER HERMES]

Multimedia artist Kim A-young, who turns 46 this year, was one of those children.

Her latest solo exhibition at the Atelier Hermès in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, historically documents this phase, adding layers of her own personal stories, in the 20-minute single channel video, “Al-Mather Plot 1991.”

The video centers on the Al-Mather Housing Complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which was built by a Korean architecture firm that Kim’s father worked at. The apartments served as a temporary residence for Kuwaiti refugees during the Gulf War (1990-91).

“Al-Mather Plot 1991” shuttles back and forth between the past and present. Scenes overlap with Kim’s numerous visits to the site and interviews with current residents, and they include old photographs of her father during his Middle East days.

This disconnected narrative is intentional, with the artist explaining in a recent press conference at the exhibition that she prefers to create “holes” in her work to leave room for interpretation.

Installation view of Kim A-young's solo exhibition ″Plot, Blop, Plop″ at Atelier Hermes in southern Seoul [ATELIER HERMES]

The exhibition’s title, “Plot, Blop, Plop,” also alludes to Kim’s joy and interest in utilizing the word “plot.” The word’s multiple meanings — a storyline, unit of land and a scheme — are depicted throughout the exhibition, such as the segmented lines arranged on the floors of the venue space, which Kim explained as actual blueprints of the Al-Mather Housing Complex.

“Blop" and "Plop” sound similar to “plot” and describe drops of thick liquid falling to the ground, such as petroleum.

It’s not Kim’s first time creating works of “speculative fiction,” which Atelier Hermès’s artistic director Ahn So-yeon explains as “rethinking a given piece of history and supplementing it with original stories.”

“Al-Mather Plot 1991” is an extension of her trilogy sound performance piece from 2014 and 2015, titled “Zepheth, Whale Oil from the Hanging Gardens to You, Shell.” The third piece was presented at the Venice Biennale’s main exhibition in 2015.

As the piece initially lacked visuals and emphasized sound, Kim always wanted to create a video for it, which she finally did 10 years later for this exhibition.

A still from Kim A-young's video work “Al-Mather Plot 1991″ [ATELIER HERMES]

It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that 2025 is Kim’s year. The artist is the latest recipient of the LG Guggenheim Award. Previous winners are Brooklyn-based Stephanie Dinkins and Taiwanese American Shu Lea Cheang.

She has a busy schedule for the rest of the year, including an upcoming solo exhibition at the MoMA PS1 in New York. She will also exhibit a site-specific commissioned work at the landmark M+ Facade in Hong Kong.

“Plot, Blop, Plop” continues until June 1. Atelier Hermès is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day except Wednesdays. The exhibition is free.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [[email protected]]