Why don't you hire Seonmin?
“Young-gil Park, who is reckless and loves Ppoppi, thinks everything he thinks is right. Everything he says is a basic principle of the world and a universal truth.”
The visual artist Seonmin Park, who faced several job failures, was inspired by Young-gil Park, a street outlaw. Young-gil (Young Kill) Park has a strong presence and a fearsome name. However, he is a character created by the artist in her imagination and represents the average middle-aged man seen on Seoul Subway Line 1 and throughout the city. She dresses up like Young-gil Park and mimics his behaviour that impose his values and thoughts on people. The ‘free literature cart’, for example, is filled with leaflets and flyers. It seems to be a religious practice, but that is not the case at all. Seonmin was simply inspired by the ways in which religious people spread their gospel in public and uses the cart to promote her propaganda that people need to hire her no matter what. The leaflets and flyers do not explain why people need to hire her in terms of capitalist value as there is only one important reason: because Seonmin is cute. However, the world is so blind. She failed to be hired and became illegal due to the expiration of her residence card.
ENG
A picture with Ppoppi in front of KMSK^0^ It’s epic because it’s a royal art museum... It’s been a while that I wore sunglasses and posed... @}-,---, 2022, photography
KOR
<KMSK 앞에서 뽀삐와 한 컷 ^0^ 왕.립.미술관이라 그런지 쥑이네요… 오랜만에 썬그라스 끼고 폼 좀.잡아봤.습니다… @}-,——>, 2022, 사진
Young-gil's clothes, 2022, Installation with clothes, a belt, and a back scratcher, dimensions variable
Young-gil Park is a man who does not have to be very self-conscious during his whole life since he is a person who grew up in such a patriarchal system in Korea, so his confident and brazen attitude comes from his background. The reason why the clothes he wears are sporty regardless of time and place stems from such an attitude. The bold match that came from his idea that he needs to feel comfortable regardless of others is impressive. In fact, it is a common fashion for middle-aged men in Korea. His clothes smell like Hugo boss perfume which was given by his child. The back scratcher is Young-gil's weapon, but the artist shows the kindness of scratching others’ back with it. However, nobody asked for it.
A free literature cart, 2022, mixed media, dimensions variable
There are some printed materials containing Seonmin's propaganda, a donation box to help her live a better life, and Young-gil's cute Ppoppi.
A printing that was displayed on <A free literature cart> 1.
A printing that was displayed on <A free literature cart> 2.
A poster that was displayed on <A free literature cart>.
An ordinary CV, 2022, printed on paper, 297x210mm
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Ppoppi, 2022, AI drawing, dimensions variable
Gukminchejo (Korean national gymnastics), 2022, video, duration: 00:05:24
Korean national gymnastics is one of the vestiges of South Korea's military dictatorship. They are exercising movements that everyone learns at school. Even the artist’s generation, who did not go through the military dictatorship, performed them throughout their school days. Although the artist has not done it in over 10 years, her body remembered the moves.
The character, Young-gil Park, definitely knows this routine, which can be taken as proof that he has gone through many turbulent times like many other middle-aged people. His concerns about his health and his blind faith in folk remedies are closely related to the artist’s idea of getting healthy while going through various health problems due to her stressful situation in Europe.
The performance of national gymnastics in public places 一 in front of an art museum or on the street 一 is a bodily protest against the days experienced as a racialized minority, bureaucracy and capitalism value. At the same time, the artist has already been influenced by political values and ideas that she hates. She knows that this contradiction predicts a tough future in Europe.