Hye Joo Jun (b. Korea) majored in Art and Media at Berlin University of the Arts and received her Master’s degree and Meisterschüler qualification. Her recent solo exhibitions include Endoskopeia (SONGEUN, Seoul, 2026), Patterns of Confinement (Shhh, Incheon, 2025), Delusion-How to Face the Lost Lives (Surim Cube, Seoul, 2025), All-Over (Oil Tank Culture Park, Seoul, 2022), and The Land that has Forgotten (Artist Residency TEMI, Daejeon, 2022). She has participated in exhibitions at the Seoul Museum of Art (2026, 2024), the 15th Gwangju Biennale (2024), the Jan van Eyck Academie (2023), and SONGEUN (2022). She received the Grand Prize of the 22nd SONGEUN Art Award in 2023, and her works are included in the collections of the Seoul Museum of Art, SONGEUN Art and Cultural Foundation, MMCA Art Bank.

Can you tell us about your background and how you started your artistic journey?

From a young age, I was a restless student who asked a lot of questions. Rather than simply accepting things as they were, I tended to question them and look for answers on my own. Over time, this became an important part of how I approach my work as an artist.

I began my studies in Germany, where I majored in media art. Studying media art taught me to approach the phenomena around me through different methods and systems, rather than observing or representing them.

This way of thinking eventually led me to examine seemingly ordinary events and phenomena within networks of relationships involving structure, time, and place. My work has developed from an interest in making these often invisible relationships and structures visible.

What are the main themes or concepts you explore in your work?

Starting from an interest in the interconnectedness and cyclical nature of ecosystems, I explore the microscopic particles that exist in the air I breathe and drift around the globe. By using various media to recreate natural and artificial particles in the form of light and waves, I aim to visualize the diverse ecological footprints generated around us.

In my previous works, I created mechanical devices and archives that likened technologies operating in areas not easily visible—such as acoustic weapons or nuclear power plant fuel—to pollen floating in the air. More recently, based on the principles governing the human immune system, I have been exploring the nature of the boundaries that distinguish “inside” from “outside.”

By focusing on these microscopic entities, I seek to reveal the impact of invisible movements and how they penetrate the human body, crossing the boundaries between the external environment and the self.

What are the main themes or concepts you explore in your work?

Starting from an interest in the interconnectedness and cyclical nature of ecosystems, I explore the microscopic particles that exist in the air I breathe and drift around the globe. By using various media to recreate natural and artificial particles in the form of light and waves, I aim to visualize the diverse ecological footprints generated around us.

In my previous works, I created mechanical devices and archives that likened technologies operating in areas not easily visible—such as acoustic weapons or nuclear power plant fuel—to pollen floating in the air. More recently, based on the principles governing the human immune system, I have been exploring the nature of the boundaries that distinguish “inside” from “outside.”

By focusing on these microscopic entities, I seek to reveal the impact of invisible movements and how they penetrate the human body, crossing the boundaries between the external environment and the self.

Are there any particular mediums you prefer working with? Why?

Pollen, the primary subject of my work, is one of the fine particles that constitute particulate matter and a material through which I explore the interconnectedness of ecosystems. When I observe the movements and vibrations of these barely perceptible entities, I find that they offer a way of visualizing the systems that surround us. For this reason, sound—as a vibration transmitted through the air—has also become a medium I frequently use. Furthermore, the various reference materials —sounds, images, and texts—collected during the research process form a network connecting these waves and function as clues that guide the audience toward the direction of the work.

How do you approach exhibiting your work? What are your goals when showing your art in public spaces?

When exhibiting my work, I place great importance on the spatial experience that viewers have within the exhibition space. I aim to transform the exhibition space into a new experience of space and time through my work.

The exhibition space becomes a distinct space-time depending on the work, and viewers must be able to fully immerse themselves in it. That is why, for every exhibition, I reconfigure the same work in a new way, as if breathing new life into it.

I do not believe that the intent of a work should be easily discernible to the audience. The more difficult a work is to interpret, the longer its impact can linger. I believe that those who actively seek to understand and interpret a work are the ones who can ultimately take something away from it.

In what ways do you think the art world has changed since you started your career?

While studying media, I observed the evolution of technology, the ways in which it is utilized, and the changes in media as reflected in works of art. As technology has advanced, media has become increasingly complex, transforming the world we live in into a “non- place”. This has altered not only our lives but also the themes addressed in artists’ works. In the past, the infinite possibilities of media and its ability to be diverted from its original purpose through hacking offered artists the opportunity to engage directly with the very essence of technology. However, today’s technology-based media has distanced people from those possibilities. Instead of using technology as a tool, we have become mere recipients of the complex computational outputs it generates. For artists, this raises the question of how we can remain active and critical in the face of these changes.

However, my recent experience in an international residency program revealed another dimension to me. I discovered that, even amid the global changes described above, many artists and institutions continue to engage with traditions and sustainable practices. This experience encouraged me to seek out more opportunities for exchange and to remain open to different ways of thinking and working.

What projects are you currently working on, and what can we expect from you in the future?

My current focus is on exploring humanity’s place within natural ecosystems and the boundaries between the spaces of “inside” and “outside” as defined by humans. Recently, prompted by these questions, I have been researching how the human immune system functions, which has led me to reflect on the body as a topological state where the distinction between the self and the non-self is ambiguous.

Based on this research, I recently presented my new works, ‘Atmosphere’ and ‘Endoscope’. In these works, I produced script- based texts detailing my investigations into humans, architecture, the immune system, topology, climate, mold, and humidity, along with an immersive spatial sound installation based on these texts, and a video that simulates an inward gaze through the movement of an endoscopic camera.

In presenting this project, I aim to devise alternative forms of appreciation and experience that reveal the processes of collaboration and research. For example, by exploring formats such as listening sessions and publications, I seek to find new ways for the audience to engage with the works developed through this process.

Text and photo courtesy of Hye Joo Jun

Website: www.hyejoojun.com
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