Still Life in Space 01 Nov. -  2010 _ Plant Gallery_ Seoul

In biology, the state of equilibrium that an organism maintains to adapt to its environment or sustain its existence is called Homeostasis. It is said that when a living body fails to maintain this balance, its vitality decreases, leading to a loss of desire and motivation, as well as stress-induced emotional instability and fatigue. The Austrian philosopher Sigmund Freud noted that this instinct for homeostasis plays a crucial psychological role, suggesting that the heightened tension required to maintain balance is the very source of human "need" and "hedonic" pleasure. This process of psychological tension and release is often expressed through works of art, conveying catharsis through visual tension.

This new exhibition of Sooyeon Hong’s paintings is a radical departure from her previous work. Gone are the layers and layers and layers; her gorgeous palette is gone. She is drawing and painting in black and white and every shade of gray.

I always thought her work was futuristic and it still is but in a different way. It’s not about new worlds but about salvaging what’s left. She brings shapes and forms together that you wouldn’t think could be reconciled.

There is a sense of thesis and antithesis. A new dialectic for a dystopian world that, however flagging, is still kicking around, a post-Bilbao architecture.