Celestial Whisper
June 4, 2024–May 5, 2025
1238 Dongil-ro, Nowon-gu
01783 Seoul
South Korea
Celestial Whisper is an exhibition by sculptor Meekyoung Shin, who has built a unique body of work using soap as her main material. The theme of the exhibition, angels, is a religious symbol that connects God and humans. More than that, however, angels serve as symbolic beings that have become a natural part of our perception. Visualizing the image of angels as those that lie somewhere between what exists and what is absent, the artist first became interested in angels when she came across a fragrance called “Angel.”
In this exhibition, Shin highlights the meaning of angels, something that everyone knows of yet has never seen. Her angel is a being in the realm of illusion, hovering between heaven and earth, life and death, body and soul, and is presented metaphorically through the material properties of soap. The artist has used soap as a material for her sculptures for more than 30 years. For Shin, soap also has a materiality to it that wavers between transparency and opacity. Still, it is destined to wear down over time, while its scent can only be experienced by those who have come in contact with it in person. These characteristics of soap are connected to the symbolism of angels, who are intermediate beings between heaven and earth. In particular, the transparency of soap, the light that maximizes its transparency, and its many different scents allow visitors to experience the presence of angels that oscillate between existence and absence.
Visitors can draw closer to Shin’s art by appreciating sculptures made from everyday soap, allowing their imagination to run wild through angels, a familiar yet unseen entity. We hope that this exhibition, which is filled with the light and fragrance of angels that evoke a kind of fantasy across generations, will inspire you to rediscover the very same angels you have always felt are familiar.
In association with the exhibition, there will be artist workshops and educational programs for children and teenagers. On August 21 (Wed) and 22 (Thu), artist Meekyoung Shin will hold a workshop for kids. Participating children will be able to inlay angel wings on soap and experience the process of visualizing invisible beings.
In July and August, the museum will hold summer vacation programs for children, and in September and October, it will hold programs for preschool, elementary, and special needs classes, offering a variety of training that involves fragrance oil drawing and the creation of artwork with soap. In addition, online educational materials will be distributed to elementary and middle school teachers nationwide during the exhibition.
Curated by Do Suyeon.
Organized by SeMA, Buk-Seoul Museum of Art.
