Remember Us, 2023
organza silk, silk thread, cotton, acrylic paint, found stones
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About the Artist
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Transcription
My name is Hyun Hee Lee, I was born and raised in South Korea to Buddhist parents. I migrated to Australia twenty years ago and now live in Sydney on Gadigal Land.
The title of my work this year for Hidden Rookwood Sculptures 2023 is ‘Remember Us’.
On the night of 29th October 2022, a crowd crush occurred during Halloween festivities in the Itaewon neighbourhood of Seoul. There were 159 people who lost their lives, two of these were Australian. I am commemorating with this work the lives which were lost, most of whom were young.
The site specific installation I have created contains 159 white silk ribbons, these hang on the selected fig tree branches in the Hidden Rookwood site. Each of the silk ribbons are 2 metres long and 15cm wide, the names of those who lost their lives are written onto 159 found memorial stones and then wrapped and stitched onto the bottom of the silk ribbons. These ribbons gently move with the wind yet quietly and calmly stand in the space.
Initially, I was thinking to call my work ‘Pray for Itaewon’ but during the development of my work and through the working process I decided to call the work ‘Remember Us’. I had great empathy with those who lost their lives and for the loved ones they left behind. I also see this as a message to the public to not forget this tragedy and never to let it happen again.
This work is very personal for me, as I was in the Itaewon neighbourhood of Seoul that Halloween festive night before this tragedy happened. I have written the 159 names in white of all the people who were killed on found memorial stones, these have been wrapped and stitched on white silk ribbons (this is the colour of mourning in Korea) these ribbons will be hung from tree branches to express the ephemerality of life, respect and remembrance for all the lives lost.
When I walked around the cemetery in the past I noticed many graves of young people this made me think of the fragility of life and prompted me to understand the tragedy in Itaewon and place it in context, realising that two Australians were involved. The installation I have created is a direct result of these memories.
‘Remember Us’ is a direct plea to all people who see this installation, to remember all those young people who lost their lives on that fateful Halloween festival night in Itaewon, Seoul.