Juheon Cho is one of ArtConnect’s Artists to Watch '21

Juheon Cho’s latest practice is an exploration of the memories of places, peoples and events that have been left behind. She uses Korean traditional painting techniques, installations, digital media and sculpting to bring back the evaporated senses to be captured back to our reality. As the future marches ever onwards we have memories of these places and an ever-expanding repository of senses that we place online and in our minds. We may be able to recall some of the exhausted (L'Epuise) versions of memories from our past, but they are incomplete like a ghost. From her latest exhibition ‘Memories; Obersee (2022)’, she expanded her considerations on memories and the sensations from her own small history in Obersee, her home in Berlin, to the ‘Villa Heike’ that contains the history of Berlin. Sensations that we experience will only become memories and images on the internet but exploring what that means is important as it speaks to the textures of the things that make us who we are.

ArtConnect asked the winning artists to share with us a glimpse into their creative life to get a sense of their personal inspiration and artistic process.

How did you get started as an artist?

I consider the reason why an artist starts to become an artist isn’t about having exceptionally talented creativity. Creativity is a thing that every human can have. Some of us found a subject that we can focus on and spend some qualitative time to discover it and train a tool to open up our creativity, that is how we start to become an artist. Especially, from when I was young till now I have spent my life in many cities and countries. That is how I got to focus on the memories I left behind that are an anchor to space and experienced senses. I have received two BAs in Korean painting and Printmaking/Fine art in Seoul, Studied Fine Art for my MFA in London and currently pursuing a Visual Experience design (MA) in Berlin to expand my creative boundary.

How would you describe your artistic approach?

We confirm reality with our senses. The reality after an experience is something that becomes far away and high up, out of reach. Hard reality becomes a transcendent being through the intervention of our perception and consciousness. It is a space where the moments of constant changes and movements are infinitely connected, and it is impossible to hold on to the moments because the physical reality goes through changes. The process itself of trying to bring back the infinite changes and transcendentally changing moments that we sensed in the past into our reality is my main focus. The body of my artworks are generated from a memory of an existing physical space or on the internet - the places I dwell.

And how about what inspires you?

The moments that I have stayed and the remaining feelings that I have been left behind.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced as an artist?

It is interesting to see how much the surrounding environment can influence our work. My current studio in Berlin is in the previous GDR Interrogation sector that was turned into a studio for artists and the building has its special damp and gloomy feeling. As I am an artist who works with the memories of spaces. I wonder how my work could turn out.

As an artist who moved to Berlin, most of the time here was Covid-19. Because of the regulations and lock-downs, there is a frustration that I am not fully experiencing the Berlin art scene.

Describe a typical day in the studio/wherever you make your work.

For my latest solo exhibition, I needed two studios to have enough space to produce work. One was on the top floor of the building which can see the whole horizon of Berlin and the other one was on the dark side of the first floor. I loved to stay all day at the top floor studio and see the landscapes and dazzling colours of the sky. At night, the studio has a feeling of the world, I and my works are the only things that exist at the moment. That is the time adore and I make the most of my work during those times

Is there a medium, a process, or a technique that you haven't used in your work yet but would like to try out?

In Korean traditional painting, there are two ways to produce a painting. Paint on a ‘Hanji (mulberry pulp paper)’ and on silk. I was mostly painting on Hanji but I am planning to explore silk painting to enrich the feeling of layers of memories.

What are you currently working on? Or an upcoming project you want to mention?

I am currently having a solo exhibition ‘Memories; Obersee’ in Villa Heike (b.1911), Berlin. This Prussian style villa and the surrounding area became a detention camp until it was handed over to the GDR, which operated as a prison and the “Operative-Technische Sektor”. The building is physical evidence of the beautiful memory of Prussian time before the dark events that took place. The considerations of the memories that I am summoning are done through many layers and lenses. Through the exhibition location, the subject matter, the technique I used all come together to create my exhibitions. This was a collaborative project with curator/art critic Bora Lim and Sound artist Sangmin Lee. After this, I am planning to focus on memories from outlanders who live in Berlin.

How does it feel to be selected as an ArtConnect Artist to Watch?

I am very happy and thankful to be part of the ArtConnect community. Seems like my 2022 is starting with good energy. I am always very curious and excited to get feedback from the audience.

See more of Claudia’s work

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