birdman’s irises: ophthalmic surgery

jeong han kim

14 augustus 2024 - 27 augustus 2024

Opening Thursday, August 15, 5 PM – 7 PM

The human eye is a gateway to the world around us. The iris plays a crucial role in vision by regulating the amount of light, just as a camera shutter can artificially mimic this. Additionally, the iris serves as a hallmark of unique human identity, comparable to fingerprints. The iris forms the first connection between humans and the world through light. Although the iris and pupil are often considered typically human, other animals, such as birds, also possess highly advanced visual systems. This invites us to reflect on the relationship between humans and other animals.

Jeong Han Kim, media artist and professor in the Department of Painting at Seoul National University, holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science and multiple MFAs, including in Film, Video, and New Media. With his academic and artistic background, Kim navigates the pathological conditions of the eye. The space of BRADWOLFF PROJECTS, formerly a civilian hospital operating room, with a dome structure reminiscent of an eyeball, raises the question of whether architecture can be viewed as an organ that responds to light. The exhibition ‘Birdman’s Irises: Ophthalmic Surgery’ showcases the results of Kim’s artistic exploration of these questions.

This exhibition explores the perception of seeing with particular attention to human identity in this day and age. Through the fusion of art, science, and technology, Kim reveals an intriguing exploration of the relationship between humans and nature, light, and identity. Kim’s project is rooted in a profound interest in 4E cognition (Embodied, Embedded, Enacted, Extended), in which he extends the concept of perception to the body and the environment. This manifests in his exploration of ophthalmology, where he presents eye surgeries as an artistic experiment to hybridize the human eye with that of a bird. This approach offers a fascinating look at human perception, where the boundaries between the human and the non-human blur.

Kim’s long-running ‘BirdMan’ series, which he has been creating since 2006, forms the basis of his current project. This series revolves around an imaginary creature, half human and half bird, that embodies the imperfection of both humanity and animality. Exploring identity and perception is central to this series, which reveals an imaginative universe that is both virtual and real.

Jeong Han Kim’s work has been exhibited internationally, and he has received various grants and awards, including a Fulbright Scholarship, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Swing Space Grant, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund Starr Foundation Fellowship. Kim’s exhibitions include “EMC (Emergent Mind of City) I” at the Media City Seoul media art biennial at the Seoul Museum of Art and “EMC III” in ‘Infosphäre’, curated by Peter Wiebel, at ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany. His impressive academic background is clearly evident in the versatility of the works Kim creates.

More info about the artist: https://kimjeonghan.com