joon youn

Youn's attachment to heirlooms arises from being heirloom-less. In between continuous migration, most heirlooms and objects that held sentimental values were disposed of, lost or stolen. Fantasising about tales of hand-me-down objects that reveal hidden powers or inanimate objects that gain life and power through the beholder's desire and sincerity, Digivice, 2022 is an attempt to manifest a childish wish to escape into a world of fantasy.

Digivice (2022) – a Tamagotchi-esque gaming device from the Japanese animation/gaming franchise Digimon – houses a dehumidifier that draws water from the atmosphere within the gallery space. This gesture is inspired by a Korean shamanistic practice in which people would draw water from a well to make a wish; the water serving as a medium between gods and humans. Youn reinterprets this ritual by replacing the well with the dehumidifier. The work is contingent on human presence in the space: the more people there are, the more moisture is collected from the air. The wish is only manifested through a forced collective wish – an unconscious collaboration – in which the participants are unaware that they are contributing to Youn’s childhood hope: that her Digivice might one day come to life and take her away into the Digimon world.