“How are you today?”

Every day, we have many encounters that begin with this sentence. It is a conventional greeting and one that expresses the hope that the other person is truly well in both body and mind. The act of asking about someone’s well-being in a society in which the sentiment “life is something to be endured” is all too common. It can even be considered a kind of prayer—one of thanks that the person is alive and well today and one of hope that the same remains true tomorrow.

This exhibition attempts to express the complex nature of modern life and our contemporary problems through three themes. The first, Solitary Crowd, is comprised of artworks examining the physical and emotional environment of the self and the complexity of our relationships with others. Focus is given to communities (and, ultimately, societies), which are based on specific or unspecified relationships. The second theme, The Self in the Self, displays artworks that lend an ear to the voice of the self. It concentrates on the meaning of the lives built up by individuals through bodily movements, the personal history that gives rise to an individual, and the processes by which experiences are accumulated. The final theme, Virtual World, breathes imagination into the repetitive, mundane daily routine through artworks that explore a world that is technically invisible. Artworks on the sustained beauty of the everyday and the disparateness to be found in it, as well as those that offer a fantasy-inspired interpretation of the cycle of life, create a space that adds depth to our daily lives.

These themes are presented in the form of couplets (對聯 [daeryeon]) common to traditional Korean calligraphy, which are a pairing of two or more phrases that are similar in syntax, length, structure, and/or tone. These “Couplets” were created through the matching of a prominent artwork from the Ulsan Art Museum’s collection with one (or more) by a contemporary artist that is similar in format or content. Hopefully, they will serve as guides to help the viewer make comparisons between one artwork and another or, even better, between an artwork and the viewer’s own life.

We hope each visitor is able to give a positive response when asked how they are doing today. May this exhibition enlighten you as to art’s powerful possibility to serve as a source of consolation and hope in the everyday.