17 Jan 2008 — 16 Feb 2008
LESS
Are you experienced?

The LESS group photography exhibition Are you Experienced? is presented, as the first show in 2008. The LESS group, composed of Kim Tae-kyun (born in 1978) and Yoon Sang-beom (born in 1979) who are all graduates of the Chung Ang University Department of Photography, documented people, their surroundings, and the emotions they felt when viewing those other people in a process much like keeping a diary for the three years between 2005 to 2007. This work began from their curiosity and question about whether those of the same age as the artists are aware of what they are doing now. The work captures some of the ephemeral moments we often miss, conveying the experience of these moments. The subjects they capture are diverse and include factories in ruins, a pond illuminated by sunlight, indoor scenes such as a messy sink filled with random things, and the gestures and expressions of young people.

The figures in LESS’s photographs are noticeable in that they represent symbols of the sometimes delightful, yet sorrowful and serious, yet shining youth. The youngsters of the so-called post-386 generation who found it hard to discover their identity society are simply a part of the artists’ group of friends and have distinctive individuality and taste while being familiar with mass culture and the capitalist market system. The name LESS was derived from the faith the artists put on unartful, natural feelings, without any ornamental elements. Interestingly, what viewers discover in their perhaps mundane photographs are unrealistic romances, dreams, and fantasy. The possibilities of youth are diverse according to the visual angles through which we view them. This show, displaying 66 pieces varying in size, is LESS’s first exhibition showcasing their lively sensibilities, vigorous energy, and delicate breath.

“Just as every moment gives birth to other time, the same place becomes other place in a different time and the same person becomes other person in an unfamiliar story. What changes is neither that place nor that person, but myself. There are probably no unfamiliar scenes and feelings to us. The moment we see the photograph of that time is an adventure.”
- LESS 
Moldy Coffee
C print
30.4 x 43.1 cm
2007