The "Reality Sandwich” Docu-Series explores the concept of reality as a fluid and open-ended question by engaging artists from around the world to interpret what a "Reality Sandwich" means to them. Inspired by Allen Ginsberg's book title and the format of "Fishing with John," the series captures diverse artistic perspectives on reality through immersive, day-long experiences with each artist.

    The <Yellow Peril> exhibition is a visual representation of a satirical short story written by the artist to depict how absurd Asian Hate and other forms of racism in America are. The artist has written this story at the height of the pandemic when Asians were unfairly targeted. The terminology, Yellow Peril, historically refers to Western fears that Asians, in particular the Chinese, would invade their lands and disrupt Western values, such as democracy, Christianity, and technological innovations. The artist decides to use this exact derogatory term to draw attention to the absurd myth of reverse racism in America where a belief that the social and economic gains by non-white people in America and elsewhere causes disadvantages for the white people. Based on this false ideology, the artist writes a fictional story where this absurd belief is the reality, set in San Francisco in 1880, which deals with 4 Asian American characters sitting around the mahjong table and discussing how to overthrow America. 

    Inspired by the Balenciaga commercial generated by AI technology, the artist uses AI generative tools to display his literature, where the artist inputs his original story into ChatGPT and asks it to spit out another story inspired by the artist’s original story. The artist also asks ChatGPT to generate a list of 15 influential celebrities well-known in South Korea and the USA. Afterward, the artist uses an AI image generative tool called Midjourney to create 15 images of people recommended by ChatGPT in a way that these 15 individuals are sitting as if they are in a Zoom meeting. The next step is the artist uses d-id, an AI generative voice cloning tool to have 15 people speak the summary of a story created by ChatGPT by inputting the voices of these 15 people that the artist has collected from YouTube. The artist combines the audio file from the d-id and image file from the Midjourney into another AI video generative tool, Hey-gen, and creates 15 videos of 15 different characters speaking the summary of the new story that ChatGPT has created inspired by the artist’s original story. These videos are then put together in one video similar to that of a group Zoom meeting where the artist acts as the teacher and the 15 characters are the students summarizing the new story.  

    Through this digital storytelling, the artist wants to warn about the dangers of media where the stories told in it are usually filtered and have underlying propaganda attached to them. The artist’s original story is way crueler in depicting Asian Hate, but since ChatGPT does not allow any hate words or sensitive topics to be inputted, the artist had to take out much of its crucial content from the original story, thus ultimately creating a safe story that cannot make anyone uncomfortable. However, the artist has originally written this story to make people uncomfortable and the very people who should feel uncomfortable are people of privilege and ignorance.

    By using the contemporary media as well as the old forms of media such as newspapers, magazines, and books, the artist wants to emphasize that the topic displayed in his original story, Asian Hate, has been prevalent in America as far as these old forms of media were considered contemporary, and up to now ongoing, developing, just like how the media art and new media combined with AI technology are in the current art scene. It’s important for our technology to grow, but what may be more important is for our consciousness to grow as well where we become more sympathetic and empathetic to people who may come from different backgrounds, different colors, different genders, etc because after all, we are all one human being stuck on this earth. 

    《This is not 〈MMCA Hyundai Motor Series 2023: Jung Yeondoo - One Hundred Years of Travel〉, but 〈Entirely Self-Funnded Series 2024: Ho Bin Kim - One Hundred days of Travel〉》 is inspired by 《MMCA 현대차 시리즈 2023: 정연두-백년 여행기》. Unlike the MMCA exhibition, this exhibition chronicles a hundred-day self-funded journey across various cities, showcasing three video installations—two displayed on the artist's personal electronic devices (phone and laptop), and one projection. The central installation features materials from the artist's suitcase, such as clothes and items gathered during the journey. 

    The exhibition delves into the artist's thought process and the trials and tribulations of interacting with artists from diverse cultures while sleeping on their studio floors and couches due to lack of funds. It underscores the importance of investing in personal experiences over tangible assets like houses or cars. This exhibition draws inspiration from the concept of the Kunstkammer, or cabinet of curiosity. Originating in Renaissance Europe, Kunstkammers, also known as Wunderkammers (wonder-rooms), were encyclopedic collections of objects that defied categorical boundaries. These collections were not just displays of curiosity but also served as social devices for showcasing class and wealth, helping to establish and uphold societal ranks. Unlike the historical Kunstkammer, which often demonstrated affluence and status, this exhibition is driven purely by curiosity. The materials in this exhibition were gathered from the streets and studios of fellow artists during the artist's travels, reflecting a personal journey rather than an attempt to display wealth. Each item, whether a journal, a piece of clothing, or a brick from Ljubljana, tells a story and contributes to the chaotic yet meaningful tapestry of the exhibition. 

    While the collected objects may appear disordered and nonsensical at first glance, they embody the artist's ongoing process of creation and connection. The exhibition installation, set up spontaneously over a week with the help of friends and fellow artists, mirrors the unpredictable and often chaotic nature of artistic exploration. It reflects the artist's belief that even if the connections between these items and stories are not immediately apparent, they hold potential insights that may reveal themselves over time. 

    Throughout the journey, the artist engaged with artists of various ages and nationalities, each with unique concerns and perspectives on their art practices. This exhibition captures those interactions and emphasizes the importance of exploration despite financial constraints. It is a testament to the value of investing in experiences and the continuous quest to create art that resonates across cultural boundaries. 

    In essence, this modern Kunstkammer is a celebration of curiosity, a mosaic of tangible and intangible items collected during a hundred days of travel, and a reflection of the ongoing dialogue between diverse artistic communities.

    In Film-Literature, Ho Bin Kim embarks on a cinematic journey inspired by Jonas Mekas’s celebrated film diaries, transposing the raw, unfiltered essence of personal narrative into the medium of video. Presented as a 4-channel video installation, the exhibition unfolds through devices used during travels across distinct destinations, forming an evolving portrait of life as lived, observed, and documented.

    Drawing from the contrasting approaches of novelists—plotters and pantsers—Kim identifies with the latter. While plotters meticulously outline their narratives, pantsers embrace spontaneity, discovering their stories as they write. Similarly, in Film-Literature, Kim adopts an improvisational approach to both life and art, living without predetermined plot points and allowing serendipity to shape experiences and relationships. Here, Kim becomes both the protagonist and the author, navigating through uncertainty with trust that the unfolding narrative, however unresolved, will find coherence and meaning in hindsight.

    The videos reject contemporary trends of hyper-smooth transitions and AI-enhanced precision. Instead, they embrace imperfections—jittery frames, abrupt cuts, and unpolished aesthetics—deliberately preserving the authenticity of human touch. This decision is a poignant response to the accelerating dominance of AI in creative industries, particularly moving images, as 2024 stands as a potential final year before AI reshapes the cinematic landscape. The work becomes a commemorative act, celebrating a vanishing era of handmade, unrefined artistry.

    Spanning three years, from the winter of 2022 to the winter of 2025, this ongoing archive will culminate in a feature-length documentary. Film-Literature is not just a homage to Mekas but also a deeply personal experiment in writing life as literature in motion—a testament to spontaneity, imperfection, and the beauty of uncertainty.

   Archival Ghost explores the paradox of memory, preservation, and disappearance in the age of institutionalized art. Drawing from Jacques Derrida's concept of "archive fever," the exhibition examines the tension between lived experience and its representation within digital and institutional systems. Derrida posits that an archive is not a passive collection but an active force, shaping what is remembered and, crucially, what is forgotten. This exhibition presents Reality Sandwich through the lens of archival absence, where each video episode is replaced with only its metadata: the artist, location, date, and brief description—traces of the original work.

    In Archival Ghost, the artwork is reduced to the structure of institutional cataloging. The absence of the videos themselves emphasizes the limitations of archiving systems, such as The Museum System (TMS), in capturing the relational, spontaneous essence of Reality Sandwich. These systems, while necessary for preservation, can never fully encapsulate the fluidity and complexity of human experiences and interactions.

    By presenting only metadata, the exhibition invites viewers to confront the ways in which institutions and digital systems define and control what is considered "art." It raises questions about what happens to a work, especially one grounded in impermanence and cultural exchange, when it is reduced to an entry in an archive. Can art truly “exist” in this way, or is it always a ghost—a trace of a presence that once was, but never fully captured?

    In this curated absence, Archival Ghost critiques the limits of archival practice and invites reflection on what is lost in the act of preservation. It is a meditation on the fleeting nature of experience and the ways art can resist being contained by the systems that seek to define it.

<The Pacer-Test: An artistic Exploration of Endurance and
Creativity>

    The performance explores the connection between physical endurance and artistic creation through the performance of the American Pacer Test. This stands as a metaphor for the artist’s relentless commitment and resilience. By exploring the relationship between exercising creativity, overcoming adversity and transcending boundaries, parallels are drawn to the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. The artist undergoes a live endurance test while simultaneously performing creative acts to illustrate the symbiotic relationship between physical exertion and artistic innovation.

Introduction:

    The Pacer Test, a ubiquitous fitness assessment tool in American schools, is reimagined within the context of the artist's journey in this groundbreaking performance art exhibition. Through a fusion of physical endurance, auditory immersion, and visual storytelling, "The Pacer Test" exhibition challenges conventional notions of artistic expression and invites audiences to contemplate the intersection of wellness and creativity.


Purpose:

    "The Pacer Test" exhibition aims to illuminate the parallels between the physical demands of the traditional pacer test and the rigorous mental and emotional challenges inherent in the pursuit of artistic excellence. By transforming this familiar fitness routine into a performative exploration, we seek to foster dialogue around the resilience, determination, and self-care required to sustain a career in the arts.


Theme:

    At its core, "The Pacer Test" exhibition delves into the theme of endurance, both physical and artistic. Through the repetitive motion of running back and forth, accompanied by the amplified sounds of the artist's breath, viewers are invited to witness the visceral experience of pushing oneself to the limit. This endurance test serves as a metaphor for the relentless pursuit of innovation and self-expression in the face of adversity, rejection, and self-doubt.


Artistic Approach:

    The performance unfolds in a multi-sensory environment, where audiences not only observe but actively participate in the artist's journey. Each viewer is provided with an instruction sheet detailing the modified rules of the "Pacer Test of an Artist," encouraging them to engage with the work on a personal level. Meanwhile, a live feed captured by three strategically positioned cameras offers different perspectives of the performance, immersing viewers in the intensity and intimacy of the experience.


Conclusion:

    "The Pacer Test" exhibition challenges us to reconsider the boundaries of art and athleticism in regard to sustainability, inviting audiences to reflect on the symbiotic relationship between physical well-being and creative expression. By pushing the limits of endurance and embracing vulnerability, the artist invites viewers to join them on a journey of self-discovery and transformation. Through this exploration, it aims to inspire a deeper appreciation for the resilience and tenacity of artists everywhere.

    This four-channel video installation traces the artist’s evolving relationship with communication across four pivotal phases of their life, each presented on a popular television model from the respective era and location where the artist lived: Japan, Korea, the United States, and China. The work examines the transition from instinctive sounds to increasingly complex forms of communication, aligned with technological advancements in media. The process of acquiring different languages and culture also came a frequent identity/existential crisis. Each screen captures the artist’s personal and cultural journey through instintive sound -> text -> photography -> videography.



Channel 1: Sony KV-SF29T80 (1999)
(Japanese)  

    This first channel features one of the most popular CRT TV models from the artist's time in Japan. The screen visualizes a soundscape of primal human expressions—yells, howls, taps—evoking a time before structured language. This early phase reflects the artist’s initial life stage, where instinctive forms of communication dominated. The warm, earthy palette draws inspiration from early cave pigments, as well as from the Japanese landscape. 



Channel 2: Panasonic TC-29P40R (2002)
(Korean)  

    The second channel presents a widely-used TV model from the artist’s transitional years in Korea, as they moved toward the acquisition of language. Text appears onscreen, reflecting their emotional experience during this period, untranslated to emphasize the barrier of understanding without lived experience. The shrinking frame of the TV, compared to the earlier model, symbolizes the artist’s sense of limitation in expression and the constraints of language, while also signaling a narrowing focus toward self-expression through words.  

Channel 3: Samsung LA32C360E1 (2010)
(English)  

    The third channel, displayed on a Samsung model popular during the artist’s time in the United States, marks the end of the analog era. In this segment, the artist chooses photography as the primary medium, showcasing images from their personal Facebook archive. The photographs narrate their journey through the U.S., depicting moments of adaptation, alienation, and self-discovery. The move to digital communication underscores the artist’s evolving relationship with both media and identity.



Channel 4: Xiaomi L32M5-AZ (2017)
(Chinese)  

    The final channel presents a Xiaomi TV model, widely available during the artist’s years in China. Videography becomes the central medium of communication, charting the artist’s transition to more dynamic, fluid forms of expression. 2017 also marked the beginning of the artist’s writing career with the drafting of SALT, his first book. The progression from instinctive sound to text, photography, and finally video reflects not only a personal but also a global transition in the ways humans connect and communicate.

    <Encased Narratives: From Bacolod to Gwangju> exhibition by Ho Bin Kim and Brandon Braza visualizes an evocative cultural exchange between their respective residence in Gwangju, Korea and the Bacolod, Philippines. Central to the exhibition are two main installations, each representing an artist's interpretation of the other's life within their cultural landscape.

    At the heart of the exhibition space, a half-open matchbox, inspired by a popular Filipino brand, contains a film by Ho Bin. This piece captures his perspective on Brandon's life in Bacolod, exploring the intersections of queerness, identity, and the city’s tradition of spider hunting and fighting. Through the lens of this tradition, Ho Bin subtly reflects on Brandon's personal and artistic navigation within a society marked by its own structures and expectations.

    Opposite, a Korean chocolate pie box reimagined by Brandon contains meticulously curated objects that interpret Ho Bin’s life in Korea. Inside, Brandon has organized the box into compartments, echoing the way spiders are traditionally kept. Each section holds a distinct found object, symbolizing facets of Ho Bin's experiences and life in Korea, viewed through Brandon’s interpretive lens.

    These installations go beyond personal exchange; the objects and film offer a shared narrative on the oppressive frameworks each artist faces within their societies. The works invite audiences to engage with a dialogue on identity, resilience, and the complex ties between culture, tradition, and contemporary existence.

    <S.(Silent) Korea> is  52-minute video installation that meticulously curates a decade-long chronicle of the Sewol Ferry tragedy, a devastating maritime disaster that claimed the lives of 304 people, primarily high school students, on April 16, 2014. The director of this video was in the same year in high school as the students on the ferry back in 2014. This tragedy unfolded due to the glaring inadequacy of the South Korean government and the critical misinformation disseminated by major public news outlets, which initially and falsely reported that the students were safe.

    The video is a silent testament to the disillusionment with mainstream media and governmental incompetence. The first half of the film presents yearly broadcasts from 2014 to 2018, showcasing news anchors as they grapple with evolving narratives, discovering new facts only to contradict themselves the following year. By stripping away all verbal communication, the film underscores the futility and unreliability of the spoken word, reflecting the creator's profound distrust in these institutions.

    Transitioning to the latter half, the footage from 2019 to 2024 shifts focus to remembrance ceremonies. Here, family members of the victims and politicians take the stage, their voices also removed, symbolizing the deaf ears of the government and the apathy of the public towards this ongoing sorrow.

    Through its stark silence, "Echoes of Silence" invites viewers to reflect on the tragic consequences of misinformation and governmental failure, evoking a deep, personal contemplation on the Sewol Ferry tragedy and its enduring impact on South Korean society.