Actor Kim Nam Gil and young artists preparing for independent living will come together for a group exhibition titled 'HEAR I AM,' hosted by the cultural arts NGO GILSTORY. The exhibition will take place from November 13 to 23 at Gallery H in Insadong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, with free admission.
According to GILSTORY, the exhibition was organized under the belief that “independence is not a finished result but a process continuously shaped through relationships.” The event aims to share the meaning of social solidarity through art.
The exhibition features works by ten artists: Kim Sung Soo, Kim Tae Kyung, Park Jin Sol, Bae In Hae, Seo Hwa Rang, Jang Jung Mi, Jihadi, Hyoseo, Hwang Sa Rang, and Moon Hyung Jun. Each artist expresses personal experiences through art on themes such as home, memory, absence, and growth, presenting diverse interpretations of self-reliance.
Among the works, Kim Sung Soo captures disappearing neighborhood landscapes in watercolor and drawing in “My Neighborhood That Resembles Me.” Kim Tae Kyung visualizes moments of pain and growth through paintings and clothing objects in “The Duality of Absence.” Park Jin Sol recalls bodily and forest memories using moss, chiffon, and mattress materials in the installation “Kindness in Green.” Bae In Hae documents a slow-paced life through photography connecting monochrome and color in “Here, Quiet Proof.”
Seo Hwa Rang experiments with shifting self-identity by translating pixel noise into ceramics and objects in “Starting from Me.” Jang Jung Mi evokes frozen emotions of youth through refrigerator-inspired installations in “Frozen Adult.” Jihadi encapsulates emotional fragments in dolls in “All My Faces Exist Here as Me.” Hyoseo presents “Blooming from Absence,” viewing lack as a trace of life. Hwang Sa Rang reinterprets the meaning of home by intertwining family memories and housing experiences in “About Home.” Moon Hyung Jun explores identity in an autobiographical video work “Where Are You, Dad?,” retracing memories of his father.
The exhibition invites active participation from visitors. Guests receive record sheets upon entry and can explore artworks across three basement floors, moving, rearranging, and interacting with certain installations. As a result, the exhibition space and lighting gradually transform throughout the viewing process. Visitor reflections collected on record sheets will be shared with the artists after the exhibition concludes. Interactive workshops will also be held during the event period.
Kim Nam Gil, founder and representative of GILSTORY, stated, “Independence does not simply mean living alone. More than physical separation, what truly matters is how one emotionally embraces and navigates the process.”
He added, “I believe that emotional solidarity, the understanding that no one is truly alone, is what enables genuine independence. I hope this exhibition encourages people to reflect on what it means to live together.”
Founded by actor Kim Nam Gil, GILSTORY is a nonprofit organization that supports social minorities and young creators through art-centered public campaigns promoting self-reliance.
The “Together on the Road” campaign, now in its second year, provides creative grants, mentorship, and exhibition opportunities to young artists leaving care, expanding the spirit of social connection through art.
A fundraising performance titled '2025 SMG Show: The Ultimate Universe Show' will be held on November 29 at Ewha Womans University Auditorium to support young artists preparing for independence.
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