What is your common cherry tomato? Review of the exhibition "Obvious Cherry Tomato"

A space for sharing each other's trivial stories
Next Generation Artists 2019!
Performing Arts - Shin Na-kyung "Obvious Cherry Tomatoes"

As we go about our daily lives, everyone inevitably has their own personal stories to tell. These stories can be grand or small, but they are unique to each individual. Sometimes, one person's story can even inspire someone else. The exhibition "Obvious Cherry Tomatoes" by the artist Shin Na-kyung is based on the artist's everyday experiences of growing cherry tomatoes, and does a great job of highlighting the nature of 'anecdotes'.

The Euljiro OF building is there, as if it’s hidden inside an alley. While looking at a small signboard that says 'OF' at the entrance of the building and a poster announcing the exhibition, one can tell that this is the exhibition space. However, it seemed quite difficult for someone who didn't know about the exhibition to discover it while passing by. Upon climbing the stairs up to the 5th floor of the building, the exhibition space of "Obvious Cherry Tomatoes" finally appears.

The first thing I saw was a paper attached to the metal door that read, ‘Heating in progress.’ After entering the lobby, visitors can hear a brief explanation about the exhibition and receive guidance on how to enter the first exhibition room. The first exhibition room displays the experiences the artist went through during her childhood when she grew cherry tomatoes. Inside, the artist's childhood stories are displayed with various objects. As soon as you open the door, you can see a small cherry tomato on display. I read the artist's stories printed on the paper one by one and found them relatable, interesting, and entertaining.

It seems like there were wooden boxes inside the second room of the exhibition, resembling flowerpots where soil and objects related to the artist's stories were displayed. Most of the boxes were open, and visitors were able to look inside. However, some boxes were chained and had warning signs such as "Don't touch" and "SECRET," indicating that the contents inside were not to be revealed.

While visiting the first exhibition room, I was able to contemplate the artist's life and our own lives by looking at the childhood stories and the objects on display together. Seeing everyday stories made me think about what obvious and trivial stories we have in our own lives. Even though the same objects were on display, everyone had different stories and thoughts in them, which made me think a lot as I slowly appreciated the exhibition. The photos of the cherry tomatoes on the wall and the sounds coming from the speakers also added to the experience of the exhibition, giving the audience a more immersive feeling.

After watching the first exhibition hall, we were able to listen to an explanation of the second exhibition hall and enter it. The second exhibition hall is a space where visitors can participate in the exhibition, reflecting more deeply on "my story" based on the contemplation in the first exhibition hall and sharing stories with other visitors. A paper with instructions on how to use the yellow room in the second exhibition hall is attached to the wall of the room. In the center of the yellow room, there are two computers with monitors that display the question, "What is your obvious cherry tomato?" and a blank space to write an answer.

After writing down my own answer and printing it out, I could move on to the blue space in the corner and choose an object that I liked. According to the instructions, there is no need to feel pressured to choose an object. It's also good to look at other people's 'obvious cherry tomatoes' that filled the walls and see if anyone else has a similar one to mine, or what objects others have chosen. When everyone's 'obvious cherry tomatoes' come together, they can inspire someone or make someone contemplate. As the audience share their own obvious cherry tomatoes, the exhibition in the yellow room is enriched.

After leaving the yellow room, you can enter the third exhibition hall, which is a narrow and dark space for contemplation. It is decorated with a sofa where you can sit facing an object and get lost in thoughts. There is a projector and screen, an old-looking TV, and a stand light that puts the object in focus, which helps to evoke memories from the past. On the screen, you can see the question and blank from the yellow room's computer screen, and on the TV screen, you can see a pixelated image of a tomato and the phrase "The most obvious thing is the most creative thing."

If you turn your head to the right while sitting on the sofa, you can see a small lamp illuminating a glass case containing a visitors’ note and a cherry tomato. Looking through the visitors note, you can see various traces such as scribbles, supportive messages, and reviews left by other visitors of the exhibition. After closing the note, your attention turns back to the glass case with the cherry tomato. It seems to be the last cherry tomato you'll see among those displayed throughout the exhibition.

“What is your own obvious cherry tomato?”

Artist Shin Na-Kyung intended to tell a 'normal, common' story through this project. The exhibition successfully conveys her intention to create a space where everyone's stories can come together and inspire one another. Starting with the artist's story, the exhibition invites the audience to display their own stories, share them with others, and spend a contemplative time facing the object in a dark room. How about taking a moment to look back at your own normal cherry tomato in this space?

Original Korean Article Link

https://post.naver.com/viewer/postView.naver?volumeNo=27784157&memberNo=1921669&vType=VERTICAL