Jungki Beak

Jungki Beak (South Korea), driven by an interest in religion, Eastern philosophy, and science, in his work explores the power of basic yet extraordinary physical processes. In Eastern philosophy, water signifies the highest virtue due to its circularity. Since the beginning of the earth, the total volume of water has neither diminished nor expanded. That means the water we are drinking now was once someone’s body fluids, nutrition for plants, and contaminated rivers that spread contagious diseases. Thus, according to the monistic view of Eastern philosophy, man and nature are one, connected by water.

This relationship to water was presented Jungki’s projects Sweet Rain (2010) and Pray for Rain (2015), where he explores ritualistic approaches to healing social division and conflict. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Jungki’s engagement with science relates to his will to prove and apply spiritual concepts, rather than simply conceptually expressing it. For example, his more recent work Untitled: Egg Incubator and Candle (2015) uses candles to power a generator used to heat an incubator containing a fertile chicken egg, forming a harmony between ritual and science.

Selected exhibitions include: Art Spectrum, Samsung Leeum Art Museum, Korea (2016); Wrap around the time, Nam June Paik Art Center, Korea (2016); SEOUL, Vité, Vité, Lille Tripostal, France (2015); Singapore Open Media Festival, Gillman Barracks, Singapore (2015); Revelation, Doosan Gallery New York, US (2015); Gate Opener, Beijing Commune, Beijing, China (2014).

Awards and residencies include: Doosan New York Residency, US (2015); Nomadic Artist Residency, Chennai, India (2014); SEMA Nanji Residency, Seoul Museum of Art, Korea (2013); Song-eun Art Award, Song-eun Art Foundation, Korea (2013).

With support from

SongEun Art & Cultural Foundation

Artist’s website

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Please note all artist-in-residence biographies are accurate at the time of their residency. For up-to-date bios please visit the artist’s website.