On Paper

letter size print, vellum, mulberry papers, and file folders

installation view

On Paper presents four wall installations that continue the artist’s exploration of the historical Japanese Government General Building in Korea. Constructed in 1926 and demolished in 1995, after its final use as the National Museum of Korea, the Japanese Government General Building was at the center of the modern and contemporary history of Korea. While its demolition was meant to symbolize a clearing away of the vestiges of Japanese colonial rule, there remains a sense of regret over its loss. 

On the front wall of the exhibition hall, five file folders are displayed in a row. Each file is a collage of  Lee's research on the building, her personal opinions, and related images. On both sides of the wall, there are another three works in folders. Each work utilizes patterns from the first-floor central hall, the stained-glass ceiling of its dome, and the ceiling of the conference room. Patterns that remain only as records due to the building's demolition are printed onto paper and displayed as documents in a grid. Between the faint patterns, the viewer encounters a space that once formed the building's floor and ceiling.