David Chung Video Featured in NY Exhibition
David Chung‘s video work, Turtle Boat Head, will be featured in the “Shades of Time” exhibition at the Korean Cultural Service, 460 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022. The exhibition will run from April 9th to May 23, 2014.
The title “Turtle Boat Head” refers to one of the most important moments in Korean history when, in 1592, Admiral Yi-Sun-sin defeated the invading Japanese armada by designing ironclad warships in the image of huge fire-breathing turtles. The ships appear in wall-size charcoal murals in which Chung’s taut, angular figures and careening perspectives forcefully convey an immigrant’s experience of the turmoil and isolation of American urban life. Chung combines these drawings with other media to create an environment that he says is like “a walk through the mind of a young Korean person.” In Chung’s poignant vision the sense of personal and interior space is starkly contrasted with the world of external events. Entering a structure representing a typical inner-city convenience store, viewers are given a moving glimpse into the daydream-world of the storekeeper, who grew up in Korea. This element of Turtle Boat Head, a large screen video projection, has been recognized as a significant work in itself, winning numerous awards at video festivals across the country. From the Rice University Art Gallery.