This February, we take you through 6 shows that explore the Year of the Snake and its associated concepts - rebirth, death, decay, time and timelessness.
Wolchon Museum of Art presents a group exhibition exploring the meaning of the snake in different mythologies, religions and philosophies. Ambivalent and multi-layered, the symbolism of the snake has evolved through time and space, yet it always goes back to the same theme - that of transformation through death and rebirth. By some, it was seen as a sacred animal full of wisdom. For others, it represented danger and temptation. Ultimately, the snake's body reminds us of a cycle or the symbol of infinity, the inescapable laws of the universe - topics imbued with heavy authority.
Gallery DOS presents Lee Do So's "Failure of Nothingness" - an exhibition which draws our attention to the concept of time and disappearance. In the world of the artist, the memories we have are time's attempts to stay, to resist disappearance, to remain in the present in some shape or form.
Very often, memories try to remain alive through by reflecting themselves on an object - we keep mementos from events and experiences that have left a deep impression on us thereby relying on the physical object to sustain the memory, the moment alive. As the object spends day after day in our lives, it begins to accumulate other meanings - the novel interpretations of the original memories to which it was a reference in the first place.
Thus, "Failure of Nothingness" is also a reference to the Buddhist theme of Nothingness, or Emptiness. Memories - whether only living in our heads or accompanied by an object - are attempts to arrest time, an idea that goes against some of the core tenets of Buddhism, that of holding on to nothing. "Failure of Nothingness" is a failure to let go - a failure we are all guilty of at some point and to some extent.
"The Sound of Silence" by Lee Sun-Hee treats the topic of time from a different angle. Time leaves traces. Things past and gone leave traces, the passage of time itself leaves traces which lead us back to the topic of eternity, infinity and the heavy authority that it carries.
Aside from being related to eternity, time is also connected to decay, loneliness and death - a topic explored by Choe Geun-Hee in "Forgetting the Name of the Flower". Plants blossom, die and then return to nature to be transformed in another form of life again. This endless cycle reverberates through eternity as the only constant in the flowing river of time.
Lee Kang's "Nostalgia" reflects on memories as a form of roots. Returning to them can serve as a return to our true selves or sense of belonging. Thus, memories are an anchor in the flowing river of time and provide stability. The artist takes us to "gyubang", a traditional room where women engaged in handiwork, particularly sewing to reflect on women and mothers as those figures who represent healing and finding a refuge in the past.
Lastly for this month, artist Bae Min Jeong takes us away from the topics of time and eternity and far into the future with works co-created using AI.
Each visual is the result of combining 50 other images and asks us to reimagine artistic practice in the 21st century.
See all 2025 exhibitions here.