Haegue Yang

Yang (1971, Seoul) is one of the leading artists of her generation. Leap Year shows her multifaceted work, which spans thirty years and includes various media such as installations, sculptures, video, text and sound. She transforms everyday objects, such as aluminium blinds, drying racks and metal bells, into works of art that stimulate the senses.

In her work, Yang emphasizes how movement, feelings and emotions are experienced in different cultures. She uses light, sound, steam, heat and smell to evoke memories and associations. She makes theatrical lights move across blinds and cast shadows, and transforms drying racks into humanoid creatures in acrobatic poses. For the past thirty years, Yang has mainly traveled between Berlin and Seoul. Themes such as migration, identity, history and tradition are therefore naturally interwoven in her work, and closely linked to stories from music, literature and politics. Folk rituals and traditional crafts have also become a focal point in her work in recent years. On the other hand, Yang also critically reflects on ideas from modern Western art history. But even when she tackles social issues, her work always remains personal and intimate.