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In Austria, the Vienna Secession and Seoul's Art Sonje Center are presenting an interplay of light and darkness. Curated by Sunjung Kim, Forms of the Shadow is a group exhibition that brings forth a constellation of sculptures, paintings, embroideries and performances that explores humanity's enduring journey through adversity and hope.

The show features the work of 17 artists, each inviting viewers to reflect upon interconnectedness amidst turbulent times. Ramiro Wong's melty suitcases and Jin-me Yoon's multi-channel video work echo the outsider experience, probing historical tension between the East and West. Elsewhere, Janie Jin Kaison's lush scenes and Kyungah Ham's embroidered chandelier disrupt funerary scenes with moments of unexpected beauty. With an air of melancholic hope, the works face reality head-on, even when the truth is hard to swallow.

Together, the exhibition brings attention to the intricacies of a shared human experience. Especially emblematic of this message is Haegue Yang's hanging blind installation which conjures an illuminated dance on the floor of a dimly lit room. Like the soft glow that seeps through the cracks of Yang's blinds, the exhibition reminds us that where there is shadow, there is also light.

Forms of the Shadow is now on view at Vienna's Korean Cultural Center through November 17, 2024.