*μ©ν°(Where dragons exist), 2024
μ°λ―ΌμνΈμΌν° μν μ μ μ§μ (Supported from Woomin Art Center)
μ¬μ§μ κ·Έ λ°λͺ μ΄λ μ¬μ€μ΄λ μ‘΄μ¬λ₯Ό μ¦λͺ νλ λκ΅¬λ‘ μ¬μ©λμ΄ μλ€. κ·Έλ λ€λ©΄, νμ€μ μ‘΄μ¬νμ§ μλ, μ ν μμ λμμ μ¬μ§μΌλ‘ κΈ°λ‘ν μ μμκΉ? κ³Όκ±°μ μ΄μΌκΈ°λ₯Ό νμ€λ‘ λ€μ λΆλ¬λ€μΌ λ μ¬μ§μ μ΄λ»κ² λ°νν κ²μΈκ°.
λ‘컬리ν°λ₯Ό μ°κ΅¬ν λ μ§λͺ μ μ§μμ μ΄ν΄νλ μ£Όμν ν€μλκ° λλ€. μ°λ¦¬λλΌ μ§μ κ³³κ³³μ μ§λͺ μ μ€νμμ μ λν κ²½μ°κ° λ§λ€. μ€λ«λμ μ μμ μ μΌλ‘ μ ν΄μ§ μ€νκ° μ°μ΄λ λ μ μ§νκ³Ό μ°κ²°λμ΄ κ·Έ μ§μμ μ§λͺ μ΄ νμνκΈ°λ νκ³ , μ¬λ¬ μ΄μΌκΈ°κ° λ§μ νμ§λ€. κ·Έλ¦¬κ³ μκ°μ΄ νλ₯΄λ©° κ·Έκ²μ μ μ€μ΄ λκ³ μ νκ° λλ€.
λ΄κ° μ©μ κ΄μ¬μ κ°μ§ 건, μ²μ£Όμμ μΌ λ κ° μμ μ€λ‘ λ¨Έλ¬Όλ λ μ©μλμ΄λΌλ μ§λͺ λλ¬Έμ΄μλ€. μ΄ν μ©μ΄ μΉμ²νλ€λ μ©λ°μ μ μ€λ‘ μΈν΄ μ΄λ¦ λΆμ¬μ§ μ΄κ³³ μ£Όλ³μΌλ‘ μ©κ³Ό κ΄λ ¨λ μ§λͺ μ΄ λ§μ κ±Έ μκ² λμλ€. μμ μ μ§λͺ μ¬μ΄μ μ΄λ€ κ΄κ³μ±κ³Ό νΉμ§μ΄ μλμ§ λ΅μ¬νκ³ μμνλ κ³Όμ μΌλ‘ μ΄μ΄μ‘λ€.
μ©μ μλ‘λΆν° νΈλ²κ³Ό νΈκ΅μ μμ§νλ€. νΉν μλ€μ μμ μ κ°λ ₯ν νμ μμ§μΈ μ©κ³Ό λμΌμ νκ³ , λΉλ₯Ό λ€μ€λ¦¬λ μ©(μ©μ)μ μν΄ κΈ°μ°μ λ₯Ό μ§λ΄κΈ°λ νλ€. λ¬Όμ λμ μ ν λμμΌλ©°, λμ§μ λͺ¨μ μ μ΄λ£¨λ§μ§λ μλͺ μ΄μλ€. λ¬Ό μ£Όλ³μλ μ΄κΉμμ΄ μ©μ΄ λ±μ₯νλ€.
λ΄κ° λ΅μ¬ν μ₯μλ€μ μΌκ²¬ μ΄λμλ μμ λ²ν νλ²ν λͺ¨μ΅ κ°κΈ°λ νμ§λ§, μ©μ νμ μ΄ λ¨μ μλ€λ μμμ νλ©° λ€μ ν λ² λ°λΌλ³΄λ©΄ λ°©κΈ μ κ³Όλ λ€λ₯Έ μ κ²½μ΄ νΌμ³μ Έ 보μλ€. μ£Όλ³μ μ₯λ©΄λ€μ΄ μλ‘κ² λΌμ΄λ€κ³ μ΄μΌκΈ°κ° μμ±λμλ€.
μ νκ° κΉλ μ₯μλ μ€λλ μ¬λλ€μκ² μ΄λ€ μν₯μ λ―ΈμΉ κΉ. μ΄ μμ μ μ νκ° μ¬λλ€μκ² μ΄λ€ λͺ¨μ΅μΌλ‘ λ€κ°μ€λμ§, νμ¬μ νκ²½μ μ΄λ»κ² μλλλμ§λ₯Ό νꡬνλ κ³Όμ μ΄μλ€. μ¬μ€ μ°λ¦¬ μΆμ μ§μ μ μΈ μν₯μ μΌμΌν€κΈ°μ νμ€μ μΈ μλ ₯μ΄ μ ν μμμ§λ λͺ¨λ₯Έλ€. νμ§λ§ μ΄λ₯Ό μκ±°λ κΆκΈν΄νλ κ²μ νλ²ν μ°λ¦¬ μ£Όλ³μμ μμλ‘μμ λ°κ²¬νλ μΌκ³Ό λ€λ₯΄μ§ μλ€. 그리곀 μ΄λ κ² λ―Ώκ² λλ κ²μ΄λ€.
μ©μ κ²°κ΅ λ§μμ μ°λ€.
Since its invention, photography has been used as a tool to prove facts or existence. So, is it possible to document a mythical object that does not exist in reality through photography? How will photography ignite when bringing stories from the past back to reality?
When studying locality, place names become key keywords for understanding a region. Place names in various regions of Korea often originate from folk tales. Tales that have been passed down by word of mouth for a long time are connected to the topography of the mountains or land, giving birth to place names for the area, and various stories are added to them. And over time, it becomes a legend and a myth.
I was interested in dragons because of the name Yongam-dong, where I stayed for a year as a studio in Cheongju. Afterward, I realized that there were many dragon-related place names around the area, which was named due to the legend of the dragon rock where the dragon ascended. The work continued with a process of exploring and imagining the relationships and characteristics between place names.
The dragon has symbolized protection of the law and defense of the country since ancient times. In particular, kings identified themselves with the dragon, a symbol of powerful power, and held rain rituals for the dragon (Yongwang) who controlled rain. Water was the foundation of agriculture and the life that caressed the Mother Goddess of Earth. Wherever there was water, there were dragons.
At first glance, the places I explored seemed like ordinary places that could be found anywhere, but when I looked at them again, imagining that there were traces of a dragon left behind, a different panorama from before unfolded. The scenes around me were rearranged and stories were created.
How do mythical places affect people today? This work was a process of exploring how myths come to people and how they operate in the current landscape. In fact, it may not have any realistic power to directly affect our lives. However, knowing or wondering about this is no different from discovering auspiciousness in the ordinary things around us. And we come to believe this.
The dragons live in the heart, after all.