Jongwoo Ahn and his work, which began with inquiries into the repetitive act of memory recall, explores the relationship between perceived memory and physical records. While fluid memories and solid records may appear as independent entities, he constructs a foundation where they can coexist in the unconscious realm, generating new memories right at this juncture. The artist’s practice primarily utilizes 19th-century photographic techniques such as cyanotype and blueprint, actively integrating Asian painting mediums such as Hanji(Korean paper), Bunchae(Traditional dry pigment), and A-Gyo(Fish glue) to expand the discourse of photographic reproduction records richly. Furthermore, through various connections with external records such as newspapers, documents, printed photographs, and images, His work delves into the heterogeneous zone where quantum coexistence is inferred from traditional photography to new media in diverse forms of memory representation. His work's seemingly fragmented surfaces and dissonant layers encapsulate the loss of original images, the immeasurable passage of time, and the artist’s embodied movements that materialize memories. The ritualized movements repeating on the screen narrate the multilayered logic of reactivated memories at the present moment.
Raised in Virginia, U.S right after born in Seoul, Jongwoo relocated to Seoul to further his education. He received a BSc from KAIST(Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) in 2011, he received Post-MA in Seoul National University in 2022. Between degrees, Jongwoo worked as a Graphic Designer in Seoul, working with Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Samsung Hospitals, FNNEWS and more. And also worked as a Sound designer for SBS(Seoul Broadcast System). Jongwoo has exhibited in South Korea, Germany, and the U.K. He has received awards and recognition from Aesthetica Art Prize, BBA Photography Prize, Berlin Photo Week, JoongAng Painting Award, Art Olympia, ASYAAF(Asian students and young artists art fair), and more.
Education
2022 post-MA, Industrial Design Major. College of Fine Art, Seoul National University, Korea
2011 BSc, Industrial Design Major, KAIST(Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Korea
Selected Solo show
2023 <December 7th, 5pm>, Label Gallery, Seoul/Korea
2023 <A Flower under the moon>, Galleria Dept. East, Seoul/Korea
2022 <A Day in the Life of Mr.Gubo>, Gallery PilSeungSa, Seoul/Korea
2022 <Attention>, Gallery What Artists Do, Seoul/Korea
2015 <Sensory relay>, Gallery Karas, Seoul/Korea
2015 <The call of the wild>, Gallery Palais de Seoul, Seoul/Korea
2013 <What we want>, Gallery Palais de Seoul, Seoul/Korea
Selected Group show
2024 <Water and Fire> Jongwooahn & Pilseung Duo show, Gallery Dorossy salon, Seoul/Korea
2023 <Imagine of Music>, BGA Gallery, Seoul/Korea
2023 <Random Rolling: Green Kisses White>, Alternate Archive RASA, Seoul/Korea
2023 <Aesthetica Art Prize>, York Art Gallery, York/UK
2022 <Berlin Photo Week>, Berlin Arena /BBA Gallery, Berlin/Germany
2022 <JoongAng painting exhibition>, Insa Korea Gallery, Seoul/Korea
2022 <Searching all sources>, Seoul National University Samwon S&D Hall, Seoul.Korea.
2018 <Hao>, Space HaengHwaTang, Seoul/Korea
2015 <Neo Pop>, Gallery Mei, Seoul/Korea
2015 <ASYAAF: Asian students & young artists festival>, Culture station Seoul 284, Seoul/Korea
2014 <On the ground>, Gallery Palais de Seoul, Seoul/Korea
2014 <Young artists>, Museum of culture, Dongshin University, Naju/Korea
2014 <You’ve got a message>, Gallery Goyang Aramnuri, Goyang/Korea
Awards
2023 Aesthetica Art Prize / Selected artist, UK
2022 BBA Photography Prize, BerlinPhotoWeek / Selected artist, Germany
2022 JoongAng Painting Competition / Selected artist, Korea
2022 Art Olympia / Selected artist 佳作, Japan
2015 ASYAAF 2015 / Selected artist, Korea
2013 Palais de Seoul /2013 Emerging Artist Competition, selected artist, Korea
Projects
2015 <Urban art project>, Heineken Korea
2015 <Media Commercials>, Lucky Chuette
2014 <Mixop>, Esteemmodels
2014 <Handium enter>, Handium Korea
