Gallery SATORI is pleased to present Barricade, Siyeon Kim’s first solo exhibition in New York. Kim’s mostly monochromatic photographs of delicately balanced household objects, salt pillars and hand carved soap shards inhabit quiet domestic environments void of any signs of life other than the setting itself, a home – a private space usually associated with the idea of warmth, comfort and refuge.

Kim’s photographs and site-specific installations may seem to be cold and sterile compositions at first glance, however this façade gives way to convey a highly emotional and personal narrative of solitude and alienation. As the exhibition title suggests, Kim creates extremely vulnerable and fragile defense systems set up against intrusion to disclose concealed psychological conflicts and the absence of mutual communication within the home. The impeccable and painstakingly carved or molded forms of salt and soap (often used as symbols of purification) along with cups, spoons and pins are placed strategically to ward off any interference from outside and inadvertently create a painful prison that further intensifies the state of isolation.

The graceful tension created by Kim’s balancing acts and the elaborate yet precarious barricades she creates convey a sense of anxiety along with a touch of tender lighthearted humor. Kim communicates the poignant subject matter of existential alienation found in daily life in the most beautiful and elegant manner.

Siyeon Kim is one of the most compelling young artists coming out of Korea. She holds MFA degrees from Ehwa Womans University, Seoul and the School of Visual Arts, NY. Her work has been exhibited at the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Soma Museum, Posco Museum, Seoul Museum of Art, Gallery Hyundai, Gallery EM, Art Space Hyun, Seo Gallery, Gallery Factory, The Alternative Space Loop, and Ssamzie Space in Korea to name a few. She has also exhibited internationally at Central House of Artists, Moscow; National Art Gallery, Malaysia; Lounge Gallery, London; and the Queens Museum of Art, New York.