Beyond the Crevices

Art is fundamentally an existential act. Simply sustaining life is not existence in its true sense. “We are trapped in life from the moment we are born.” [1]François Jullien (1951-) explains that existence lies “outside of coincidence”—that is, beyond the confines of an adapted and determined world. He argues that existence is about breaking away from familiar environments, creating fissures in oneself, and “de-coinciding” from this world.[2] Through art, we can embody this process. It is the act of transcending familiar norms and definitive frameworks, embracing the uncertain outcomes that come with leaps into the unknown. The root of existence that we encounter in the history of art lies in creating cracks, or “crevices.” Hyun Jung Ahn’s artistic journey illustrates this process of “de-coinciding.” In both life and art, Ahn continuously creates these crevices that allow for transformation and leaps into the unknown. Like many artists, Ahn diligently paved her path as an artist, persistently honing her craft and steadily building her career. However, when this path began to solidify into a kind of inertia, she chose the leap of studying abroad in the U.S. As Jullien might describe, this is an ethical strategy for reclaiming self-determination from the habits of an established self. To fully understand Ahn’s work showcased in this exhibition, it is crucial to trace her trajectory, because ultimately, we come to recognize that Ahn’s “art and existence form a common front.”[3] Through this understanding, we can see how Ahn’s artistic practice is not far from the existential process of creating and bridging crevices (de-coinciding and coinciding).