Once the shantytown on the hills was bulldozed, an apartment complex bearing the name of a prosperous town took its place. Driven by the fear of losing out on an opportunity, and despite the premium attached to being close to a flashy neighborhood across the river, I ended up purchasing a unit. While this numbered, rectangular space—built in the air—legally belongs to me, I can’t shake the anxiety. Even though I’ve just bought it, the thought of selling it already gives me a headache.
Nearly five decades ago, Guy Debord warned the world that it would be populated by people just like me. He coined the term “spectacle” to describe the loss of inherent worth and the worship of commodities. Spectacles have turned us into spectators, incapable of true reason or emotion. While we are surrounded by others in every direction, we isolate ourselves.
Meanwhile, apartments have come to symbolize the spectacle itself. Construction sites are flooded with cryptic numbers, signs, and codes. The fence screens that enclose the perimeter seem designed to conceal what happens inside. Wires are so tangled that no one could possibly figure out their connections. Thin steel frames are linked by unknown means, then covered in thick cement. Yesterday’s floor becomes today’s ceiling, and bumps appear on smooth surfaces overnight. How does the world disturb us? The very process of creating spectacles is just as much a spectacle as the outcomes themselves. I feel both anxious and nauseated.
I lack the intellectual capacity to fully articulate my social position through logic, so I choose to speak through photographs. Spectacles are not merely collections of images; they are the social relationships between people, mediated by these images. Since our modern history has not been shaped by our own willful choices, we have become secularized. For this reason, I strive to be more meticulous in my work.
Haeil Kwon
Born in Daegu in 1977, the artist currently lives in Busan while attending university. He began his photography journey in 1995 through the university’s black-and-white photography club and later earned both a master’s and doctoral degree with a focus on photography education. Since his first solo exhibition in 2017, he has participated in several solo exhibitions and numerous group exhibitions, including the Jeonju International Photography Festival. The artist is drawn to Guy Debord's concept of non-place and Marc Auge's views on places and spaces shaped by modern society's capital and image. His work explores themes of residential culture, the environment, and the intricate connections between cities, urban life, and individual experiences.
www.virtualgallery.co.kr
@kwonhaeil
