On a spring day in April during a walk at a pine tree forest, Im Hokyoung found a particularly small pine tree by the side of the road and brought it with him. Five days later, a large forest fire broke out. Looking at the aftermath of the fire, he was confronted with unexplainable emotions due to the fact that the tree he brought with him now became the sole survivor from the forest. As an artist who explores images of two contradicting attributes coexisting, the thought arose that the burnt ashes would also give birth to new life and serve as the starting point. The artist questions whether, much like in ancient times when humans drew in caves using burnt wood, playing, learning, disappearing, and being born, the dualistic world of life and extinction in our minds, could perhaps also coexist and be connected.
Canvas on the Road is an interactive artwork where viewers can carry the paintings and place it in a different location. Inspired by the book Seo-Yu-Rok, a travelog of the Lady Kim of angneung as she traveled from Gangneung to Seoul, Im Hokyoung pays attention to Kim’s shift in perspective towards Gangneung as she left the journey. The artist playfully imagined the idea of the paintings going on their own journey as they are removed from the exhibition space, and leaving the artist’s hands when sold. Im Hokyoung invites viewers to experience the landscapes and moments within the process of the journey as they travel with the painting.
