The Soul of Seoul via Honggoo Kang

It has been a decade, and Korean artist Honggoo Kang has yet to tire of his poignant interpretations of the changing Seoul landscape—perhaps because his subject matter is nowhere near exhaustion. Armed with camera and paintbrush, Kang captures the spaces, houses, and trees disappearing under government redevelopment projects. However, he forgoes the straightforward documentary photography he finds to be impudent and official (and hindering of homage and personal memory) by painting directly on top of his pigment prints. “To tell the truth, there is nothing crueler than the moment when an awful reality—for example, empty houses, battlefields, and ruins—looks simply aesthetic,” Kang says.

On view at ONE AND J. Gallery, Art Basel in Hong Kong - Galleries, Booth 1B17, May 23rd – 26th.