Mikael Hwang

The world is filled with glass, visible in our homes, cars, and mobile devices, yet it extends far beyond these familiar settings. This exhibition explores the fascinating paradox of glass—how it is both intimate and remote, occupying the spaces between the expanding and contracting universe. Klein Club engages with this metaphor, envisioning a universe divided into many interconnected layers. With an emphasis on material equality and exhibition space, this gathering seeks to reimagine glass as a dynamic tool within a temporal framework, inspired by the intriguing 'Klein Bottle'—a structure without a clear boundary between its inside and outside, as conceptualized by mathematician Felix Klein.

Featured artists PARK Jungun, Lee Jian, CHOE Nowk, CHOI Jangwon, Psients, Jeffrey KIM, and the Sinchon Arts Space explore this theme, reconstructing a world inspired by glass through their innovative artworks.

PARK Jungun crafts symbolic figures using transparent glass shards. These shards capture and refract light, interacting with the exhibition setting to create new contexts. His sculptures harness natural and artificial light, surrounding objects, and viewer interactions, all of which are mutable and ever-changing.

LEE Jian presents a large flask depicting urban grass, showcasing plant life thriving in the concrete alleys of Sinchon. His work bridges the interior and exterior of glass buildings, mediating spaces to connect distant places, and highlighting the tension between nature and urban environments.

CHOI Jangwon uses collected glass pieces, infused with "blue memory," to transform recollections into new forms. His art explores personal narratives and social prejudice through pieces like "Me," a party video, and "Mory," a sculpture in circular glass, conveying memories reconstructed into new expressions.

CHOE Nowk's critical writing delves into the historical and contemporary roles of glass in architecture. His work traces glass's evolution from functional material to decorative element and examines its role in urban environments, prompting a rethink of daily experiences with glass.

Psients and Jeffrey Jehwan Kim collaborate at the intersection of microbiology and music. They transform the movements of yeast cells into audio signals, using glass as both a medium and metaphor to explore life on a microscopic scale. Their work resonates with sound that reflects the organic growth of cells.

At Sinchon Arts Space, glass serves as a medium connecting diverse artistic expressions. From PARK Jungun's intricate sculptures to LEE Jian's plant photography, each piece reflects on humanity's transformation amid the climate crisis, and CHOI Jangwon's work confronts social prejudice. CHOE Nowk's examination of glass within environmental contexts, paired with Psients and Jeffrey KIM's multisensory experience, invites audiences to perceive beyond conventional limits.

In this glass-filled society, we all become part of the Klein Club. The 'mise en abyme' effect of glass—capturing and reflecting endlessly—symbolizes a profound interconnectedness. This exhibition invites reflection on why our daily lives, dominated by glass, are drawn toward a universal space where boundaries dissolve.