THE HOLLOW NADIR OF VANITY by Jihye Park

Date: 3 - 23 December 2010 (PV 3 December 6-8 pm)
Venue: Tenderpixel, 10 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4HE
Web: www.tenderpixel.com
Tel: 020 7379 9464

Tenderpixel is to present Hollow Nadir of Vanity, Jihye Park’s first solo-exhibition in the UK. Park’s work portrays mental landscapes teetering between the conscious and unconscious as played through in memories, dreams and fairy tales. This exhibition will debut her new film work: Lost In The Fathomless Waters. Promoted by the dreamlike surreal plane the film occupies, the exhibition is meant to be played out in the viewer’s imagination. Exploring the space between idealised love, banal love and tragic love, Park is fascinated with memories and notions of darkness. Harnessing visual elements of pastiche, Park attempts to circumvent that which cannot be said with dialogue or plot, rather relying on an ambience of sadness, grief and nothingness. The scenery plays a greater part than the protagonist: It is not crucial for the viewer to fully understand words of the choir, but rather the mood that it creates.

Lost In The Fathomless Waters is more a moving image, without movement or outward plot. One-long shot slowly focusing in on the protagonist (Park) who is sombre and full of grief lying in a boat. A boat that is no longer at sea. Also sans dialogue, Lost In The Fathomless Waters’ sound track is a Korean children’s choir singing the lyrics to a well-known fairy-tale ‘Sim Cheong’. Perhaps unbeknownst to the viewer, Park’s film is referencing this same story. The grief experienced by Park’s character is motivated by the devastating death of her beloved father. Though the original Korean tale finishes with a happy ending, this work focuses on a climax of drama with out resolution. Also installed will be framed works of Victorian memorabilia. With titles such as Twinkle Twinkle and Let The Right One In, Park oppositionally explores the intangibility of love.

Park is interested in the fantastical, the horrific and the paradoxical elements of the Fairy Tale. She is a Korean artist and filmmaker, and a recent graduate from Goldsmiths, University of London (MFA 2009). She has recently shown at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome, and was selected twice for Tenderpix, the Experimental Category of the RUSHES Soho Shorts Festival. Park currently lives and works in London.

Tenderpixel is a unique space for promoting critical and conceptual work by emerging artists. Located in the heart of Central London, Tenderpixel cultivates distinct talent and provides artists with a rare opportunity to both exhibit new work and use the space as an experimental project platform.