Artist Statement
<In Between: Notes from the Urban Gap> is a project that reconnects with fragments I recorded during a few months of respite—a time when my body and mind needed a kind of detox. Though the notes had been set aside after returning to everyday life, I was drawn to revisit them again and attempt to reconnect.
I spent the first month of this three-month break in a studio room of a small apartment in an unfamiliar city. Everything around me felt strange, but it was also exciting and uplifting. During the first week, I spent little time indoors, busy exploring the neighborhood. About two weeks in, I finally began to settle, occasionally sitting blankly on the balcony. It wasn’t a particularly scenic view, but perhaps due to my past work, I had developed the habit of observing the world outside windows. One day, while casually looking around, I noticed a pair of jeans caught in a tree—blown there by the wind. It was a curious sight, not something one sees every day. As I continued to observe and record it, I began noticing people hurrying through the narrow gap between two buildings below. Boredom and the anticipation of seeing who might appear next kept me watching.
Observing people walking purposefully somewhere while I was taking time to rest made me reflect on the direction of life. Compared to those busy figures, I began to wonder if it was really okay for me to be standing still. Sometimes, anxiety crept in. But now I know—the rest I had then gave me the energy I needed for the life that followed.
Having almost forgotten that period, I recalled it again during my parenting leave, when my child’s growth allowed me to reclaim a bit of personal time. I realized then that all those moments of pause were actually connecting me to the next phase of my life.
It was around that time I came across the “Small Space Project.” I was drawn to its concept—transforming leftover, neglected spaces into exhibition venues by installing metal racks. The act of assigning value to something that might otherwise be discarded resonated deeply with my desire to reconnect with long-shelved work. That’s why, here in this small space, I decided to share a short excerpt from my observation journal.