An exhibition examining the changing nature of political protest in Korea and how those experiences differ outside Seoul is currently underway at Space Heem in Busan.
“Works and Other Political Things Not Necessarily Meant to be Viewed as Art” opened August 19 and continues through September 20, featuring works by Kim Taehyun, Moon Suhjeen, Jung Donggyu and Heo Yoonseok.
The exhibition focuses partly on the protests surrounding the martial law crisis and presidential impeachment proceedings from December 2024 to April 2025.
It examines how K-pop, light sticks, parody flags and silver emergency blankets became symbols of a changing protest culture, while considering how the so-called “Revolution of Light” appeared differently in Busan and other regional cities compared with Seoul.
Rather than focusing only on the large demonstrations that drew national attention in Seoul, the exhibition looks at how political participation and protest were experienced in Busan.
The works explore the objects, images and personal records that emerged during the period and how everyday materials can take on political meaning when brought into a gallery setting.
The exhibition also connects contemporary demonstrations with political and cultural movements of the 1980s and 1990s, including a 1990 short film set during the student movement at Kyungsung University.
The exhibition is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Space Heem, B1F, 3 Sumi-ro in Busan.
It is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, and public holidays.
