Plan X is proud to present "Liminal Room" the first Italian solo exhibition by the multidisciplinary artist Ahn TaeWon. The exhibition is a striking exploration of the increasingly blurred boundaries between the physical and the digital. The artist, navigating through the digital era, probes into the dynamics of image creation and consumption, capturing the essence of a generation living in the confluence of reality and the virtual world. TaeWon's works delve into the peculiar sensibilities that arise from extensive exposure to the digital visual language, encapsulating the reality of our digital-saturated existence.
TaeWon's art finds its genesis in the paradoxical experience of our daily encounters with incoherent, immaterial images sourced from the virtual realm. These images, deeply embedded in our everyday lives, are often the offspring of popular internet phenomena such as memes. Taewon's approach is a poignant commentary on this widespread phenomenon, seeking to bridge the gap between the visual experiences born out of virtual reality and their material counterparts in the real world. This journey from the digital to the tangible is paved with errors and distortions, an inherent consequence of the instability of the digital medium. In a world reliant on precise calculations, the computer occasionally twists inputs and outputs, creating images that deviate from their original intent. These unintended results, while ostensibly flawed, hover on the fringe between the analogue and the digital, consequently becoming potential 'memes'. TaeWon's work embraces this inherent unpredictability, using it as a lens to observe the world.
The artist employs the airbrush to transpose these 'failed' digital images onto flat or structural surfaces, thereby breathing new life into them. This process is akin to texture mapping in graphic programs, where a two-dimensional image adorns the surface of a three-dimensional model. TaeWon's work is marked by intentional distortions, creating unique harmonies from the disharmony of images. He draws upon an abundant visual vocabulary sourced from familiar objects to engineer surreal transformations and distortions.
An exemplar of TaeWon's unique approach is the series 'Hiro is Everywhere' (2021-2023). This collection of sculptures reflects the artist's experiences with his cat, 'Hiro'. It cleverly amalgamates distorted forms seen in popular online cat memes, thus serving as an ode to the global phenomenon of viral pet images. This series encapsulates the artist's intent to celebrate and immortalize this online trend in physical reality, making it a vivid testament to the artist's exploration of the digital-physical dichotomy.