The coming spring. Spring is coming. It is now my third year in this unexpected environment that I've never have thought about before. So, rather than opening an exhibition talking about a big discourse, I would like to hold an exhibition which the general public can enjoy from the perspective of hoping for a better situation than now.

The title of this exhibition comes from Philip Bajon's work from 2001, "The Coming Spring." It was one of the most popular movies in Poland at the time of its release and was also produced as television mini-series. “Przedwiosénie” is the original work written by a Polish writer named Stefan Zseromski. It was published in Poland in 1925 and translated into English in 2007 in the United States. 

The plot can be briefly described as, the main character "Cezary Baryka" losing his parents during the journey of returning to his homeland Poland, which he had only heard of from his parents. Poland, which he arrived alone, was nothing alike from what his father missed and mentioned his entire life, and he ends up feeling disillusioned beyond disappointment.

When the current pandemic started, I thought it would get better when the season changes, because it seemed that things were gradually stabilizing, and talks about vaccines and treatments along with the situation becoming under-control. However, when the situation remained unchanged through the changes of season, I believed then that it would get better when the year has changed. But now, the third spring is already coming.

Some say that spring is beautiful because winter has passed. However, one cannot know whether winter has really passed. For this time, I want to enjoy this exhibition expecting different results, though it has the same title. I hope that hope will rise just as life rises in the whole world under the brilliant sunshine of spring.

LEE JANGUK