Hyunha Lim  임현하

  This work draws an image of a topography of a mountain in South Korea, Jirisan. While I was in London, I realized that it was hard to find mountains. (In Korea, 70% of land are mountains, so they are easily found anywhere, even in big cities.) This is an attempt of displacement of a mountain which is 5,505.77 miles away from London which reflects on my dream of a Utopia where I can experience all the positive things I’ve seen while living in 4 different countries. This Utopia I dream of is impossible to exist, as London and Seoul is geographically far away. As a person who grew up as a third-culture-kid (an individual raised in a culture other than their parents' or the culture of their country of nationality during childhood), I faced a lot of discrimination and stereotypes as a foreigner, especially in London, where I came alone without my family. I might say I made this work to use it as an escape from reality of being a stranger in a strange land, imagining a place that cannot be existing in the reality.

  The world is now mixed up of different cultures and ethnic groups, due to globalization and more convenient transport systems between countries. People now move to countries to countries to work, or study, travel, or even as refugees. I see my work as a piece of desire through a perspective of one of the people who got significant effect of this globalization, as a person who have experienced living in 4 countries and 5 cities throughout lifetime. I believe this reflects on an image of the ‘contemporary’. At this time of globalization, the world is full of diversity of cultures, races, and traditions. This leads to diversity of the people. It is time when sincere understanding and educating ourselves about people who are different than I is needed in order to make this world equal to everyone. In this world today, we still face a lot of issues of hate, misunderstandings, ignorance between different cultural groups. This work suggests its viewers to learn how diversity of people are living this world when they are seen as a minority.