JI HOJUN

I begin my work by examining the surface of worn coins, an act that calls forth forgotten civilizations rather than mere observation. Using optical and electron microscopes, I extend microscopic surfaces beyond the limits of the naked eye and translate them into visual language, juxtaposing additional images onto the metal. The microscopes are not merely tools of magnification but devices that transform perception. I no longer see coins as currency, but as material records where power, belief, and identity are compressed, their cracks and textures revealing layers of time and history. I overlay these surfaces with newspaper articles, film scenes, and symbolic objects, allowing images from different eras to collide and intersect within a single frame. For me, magnification is both a physical expansion and a metaphorical leap toward deeper perception, where scientific visuality and imagination coexist. Ultimately, this work uses technology to reveal the unseen and question what is recorded or erased, turning the coin into a canvas for lost voices.