South Korea, which used to be ‘a sender of immigrants’ since the first immigration movement to Hawaii in 1903, has become ‘a receiver of immigrants’ with a rapid rate of foreigners moving into the country.  The common keyword ‘Moving & Migration’ perceived by Gyeonggi Museum of Art refers to a range of phenomena related to the realities of different periods in Korea and immigration such as migrant labor that picked up steam from the 1980s, marriage migration and acceptance of refugees. As migrants themselves and outside observers, the 19 teams of Korean and Taiwanese artists caution themselves against emotional judgments and superficial perceptions that regenerate wrong perceptions about immigration. They also suggest a multiple-layered approach for various situations that lead to immigration. Imagining immigration in various circumstances from passive immigration forced by war, division, and redevelopment to a self-motivated act driven by the desire to change one’s life, the artists focus on the face of immigration and particularity of individual existence. By looking into the aspects of life that are neglected by the economy governed by neoliberalism, the artists also touch on the immigration of plants and materials along with the immigration of people. As the title 《We All Leave Home》  suggests, the exhibition looks for a way of coexistence by projecting ‘their’ immigration imprinted with the image of fear into the situation of ‘our’ immigration.

Under the shared keyword, ‘Moving & Migration’, the exhibition is filled with stories planned and interpreted by Korean and Taiwanese curators. We hope the Gyeonggi Museum of Art shares meaningful questions as a public sphere that generates issues, and develops a sense that embraces differences between multiple layers in modem society through the special-themed exhibition.

*The exhibition title 《We All Leave Home》 originates from the title of a book written by Professor Kim Hyeon-mi, which contains stories of people who live as migrants in South Korea.

* The first round of exhibition will be held at Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts in Taiwan (2019.2.23. ~ 5.19.). Later, the second round of exhibition will be held at Gyeonggi Museum of Art with the title 《We All Leave Home》. Gyeonggi Museum of Art has nominated Taiwan as the country where the ‘2019 Asia Modern Art Project’ will take place. It is currently promoting various exchange programs with Taiwan. Taiwan has similar historical experiences as South Korea such as Japanese colonization, conflicts towards becoming a multi-cultural society and efforts of coexistence, dictatorship and democratization, and state-led industrialization, however, there is a relatively low understanding of the country among the Korean public.

Gyeonggi Museum of Art and Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts