Kukje Gallery is pleased to present On the Move, a solo exhibition by Hong Seung-Hye, on view at its Busan space from April 24 to June 14, 2026. The exhibition reconfigures works from various periods, recontextualized through her renewed focus on the idea of “movement,” offering a multifaceted view of the evolution of her practice.
The artist describes the exhibition as “a report on the movement of geometric images developed since entering the digital realm”. The latent movement first detected in her Organic Geometry series, begun in 1997, reached a turning point with the Flash animation The Sentimental 1 (2002), where it began to acquire real temporality and rhythm. Since then, her interest in movement has expanded from pixels to the human body, becoming a central sensibility that runs throughout her practice—from My Garage Band (2016), where the artist choreographed the movement of pictograms to sound composed using GarageBand, to the performance Practice (2021), directed by the artist, and further to Silent Battle (2024), in which she participated as a performer. This development traces back to an early experience, when the artist first encountered the kinetic potential of geometric forms while using the computer's “undo” function. That moment led her to pursue tools capable of generating motion more deliberately, marking the beginning of her sustained exploration of movement.
Building on this trajectory, the exhibition brings together a selection of recent video works. These include Snoopy in Space (2019), which reimagines Snoopy’s cosmic journey; Light Upon (2021), which functions as a device that shifts the atmosphere and perception of static sculptures through changes in light; Move (2022), which unfolds as if inviting the viewer to move along; Searchlight (2023), which casts light onto the floor, evoking the atmosphere of a ballroom; and Emotical Practice (2025), inspired by emoticons and translating human emotions into a concise geometric language. While grounded in simple visual shapes, these works expand and transform the meaning and function of images through movement, rhythm, and repetition.
Hong Seung-Hye’s videos evoke a profound emotional resonance through a concise yet restrained structure, in which simple geometric forms move in a slow, measured rhythm—free from complex narratives or special effects. This sensibility reflects her approach of “constructing forms in accordance with space, as if arranging musical notes”. The musical structure and rhythm embedded within the screen lend her work a magical capacity to shape emotion beyond language or signs.
Hong does not confine the movement of geometric imagery to the screen, but extends it into physical space through sculpture, furniture, and installation. Thus included in the exhibition are Organic Geometry series , Frame Type Relief , a series of sculptural works incorporating movable elements, and mobile furniture pieces such as Bench, and Back Stool, which offer a functional setting for viewing the videos. By bringing together works from different periods across various media and formats, the exhibition reveals “movement” as a continuous and evolving thread throughout her practice. In particular, the sense of movement in the seemingly static images of Organic Geometry is placed alongside the video works, tracing how this exploration has developed and expanded over time.
While video remains a central part of her practice, the exhibition expands beyond by juxtaposing two-dimensional and sculptural works, inviting viewers—accustomed to moving images in digital environments—to reflect on the artist’s first encounter with the movement of geometric forms some thirty years ago. In this way the exhibition invites viewers to reflect on how this exploration has since evolved.
Hong Seung-Hye remains－still and always－on the move.
About the Artist
Hong Seung-Hye (b. 1959) lives and works in Seoul. She received her BFA from Seoul National University in 1982 and graduated from the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1986. Since 1997, her practice, which began with the construction of square pixels, has recently expanded through the adoption of vector-based systems, allowing for more flexible and less constrained imagery. This development extends across two-dimensional and three-dimensional works, as well as animation, furniture, and architectural elements. Her major solo exhibitions include Over the Layers II (2023, Kukje Gallery, Seoul); IMA Picks 2021: On Stage (2021, Ilmin Museum of Art, Seoul); Point · Line · Plane (2016, Buk-Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul); Reminiscence (2014, Kukje Gallery, Seoul); Square Square (2012, Atelier Hermès, Seoul); Musical Offering (2009, Gallery2, Seoul); On & Off (2008, Chosunilbo Art Gallery, Seoul); Over the Layers (2004, Kukje Gallery, Seoul); and Organic Geometry (1997, Kukje Gallery, Seoul). She recently presented The Painter’s Architecture, The Painter’s Furniture (2025), a mezzanine lounge project at Space ZeroOne, New York. She has also participated in numerous exhibitions at major institutions in Korea and internationally, including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, Seoul Museum of Art, Ilmin Museum of Art, SONGEUN, Lotte Museum of Art, Officina Asia, Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Bologna, Italy, and the Korean Cultural Center in Paris. She has also taken part in major biennales and festivals, including the Changwon Sculpture Biennale, Gwangju Design Biennale, Busan Biennale, and Seoul Mediacity Biennale.
From 1993 to 2021, she served as a professor in the Department of Fine Arts at Seoul National University of Science and Technology. Her works are held in the collections of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, Seoul Museum of Art, Leeum Museum of Art, SONGEUN, Lotte Museum of Art, Sungkok Art Museum, and Art Sonje Center.
