Full description from the venue
The media art project “Gotjawal: Time of Breath,” presented by The Public Storage for Artworks, is an exhibition that reinterprets the fundamental life force and mythological narratives of Jeju’s nature through a contemporary lens. By translating the primordial breath of Gotjawal—which far exceeds the scale of human time—into an artistic language, this project guides visitors into the heart of Gotjawal, where ecological order and mystical imagination coexist.
The focal point of this exhibition is Jeju’s geological treasure, the ‘Gotjawal.’ The term is a compound of the Jeju dialect words got (forest) and jawal (a place where trees, vines, and rocks are intertwined). It refers to Jeju’s unique primeval forest, formed as various plants took root atop the irregular rock masses created by lava erupted and solidified during volcanic activities in the past. Gotjawal: Time of Breath focuses on the ecological value of this landscape, visualizing through media art the spiritual energy flowing through the rugged terrain and the condensed silence of tens of thousands of years. Beyond being a physical forest, the exhibition conveys through an artistic experience that Gotjawal is a sacred space steeped in Jeju’s history and mythology, encouraging us to reflect on the meaning of nature that we often overlook in our daily lives.
In a barren basalt landscape where time seems to have stood still—a mineral space frozen in cold—the pulse of life begins to stir. A single sprout pushes through the cracks of the harsh, solid rock. This becomes the most noble and grand first voice, breaking tens of thousands of years of silence to announce the prelude to the vast ecosystem known as ‘Gotjawal.’ This brief yet intense birth of life vividly unfolds the creation of Jeju’s living, breathing forest before the eyes of the audience.
The silence of the forest is not a mere void, but a world brimming with countless invisible forces of life. These mystical entities are shaped into the guardian spirits of the forest through trajectories of light and waves of sound. Animals wandering through the woods appear clad in light, awakening the sanctity of the forest. The fluttering of birds and traces of beasts—elements often hidden from plain sight—are manifested through abstract imagery and sound, allowing visitors to vividly experience the aura of life permeating the entire forest.
In Jeju mythology, the ‘Seocheon Flower Garden’ is a mystical space located on the boundary between this world and the next. More than a garden of mere floral beauty, it is the 'source of life' where flowers that govern human life, death, fortune, and misfortune grow. This place mirrors the spirit of Jeju’s Gotjawal, which has tenaciously sustained life even amidst barren rocky crevices. The resilient vitality of Gotjawal, having endured harsh winds and rains for ages, is reborn in this sacred garden as brilliantly glowing, artistic blossoms.
The exhibition Gotjawal: Time of Breath goes beyond merely reproducing nature through technology; it concentrates on restoring the mythological stories embedded within it. The message articulated when the intimate narrative of Gotjawal meets digital technology is clear: Jeju’s nature is not an object to be conquered or consumed, but a vast mythological organism with which we must breathe and coexist. We hope this exhibition serves as a precious journey to reflect on nature—the root of our lives—as a sublime existence, going beyond its ecological value.