2022 / How I Was Made

Der Wurf

This project was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Science, Research and Art Baden-Württemberg.

2022 / How I Was Made

Heimat ist die Fremde

This project was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Science, Research and Art Baden-Württemberg.

2021 / Sculpture

How I Was Made

Die Arbeit, „How I was made“ ist eine Arbeit in Ton die aus verschiedenen Plastiken besteht. Ursprünglich komme ich aus Korea. An das Leben in Korea kann ich mich nicht erinnern.
Ich kann mich nicht an meine Eltern erinnern.
Ich habe kein Bild. „Wer sind meine Eltern?“ ersetze ich durch die Frage „WIE“ wurde ich gemacht. Dadurch entstehen viele Bilder vor meinem inneren Auge, die ich in Ton forme, Plastiken die den Zeugungsakt in unterschiedlichen Stellungen zeigen.

Jede Plastik zeigt einen Moment, des vielleicht „noch nicht“ oder des „noch nicht seins“ ein mögliches Entstehungsmoment meiner Existenz.

In der Theorie soll das Paar meine potentiellen Eltern darstellen. Diese Arbeit „How I was made“ gehört zu dem Projektzyklus „Heimat ist die Fremde“ ein Werk von Min Bark, das iherer typischen Arbeitsweise entsprechend erst mit ihrem Tod vollendet ist.

Diese Arbeit ist ein Suchen nach Antworten auf Identitätsfragen, Herkunft und Heimat
vor dem Hintergrund der eigenen Biografie.

2021 / Sculpture

Home

Min Bark wrote a message on the ground using black rice: "I was here!"

She began her art project ‘Heimat ist die Fremde’ on the 24.05.2016, which is closely connected to an annually recurring homecoming. On this date, Bark once again returned to Andong, the place where she was found. The country has changed.

The precise location does not exist anymore, the streets have changed. Maybe the mother moved to the city or does not live anymore. As Bark grew up without a biological mother, it seems like as if her mother did not exist, like she was looking down from above. Bark: “I have rediscovered the earth and the ground.”

2017 / Project / Photography and Video

Heimat ist die Fremde

Min Bark wrote a message on the ground using black rice: "I was here!"

She began her art project ‘Heimat ist die Fremde’ on the 24.05.2016, which is closely connected to an annually recurring homecoming. On this date, Bark once again returned to Andong, the place where she was found. The country has changed.

The precise location does not exist anymore, the streets have changed. Maybe the mother moved to the city or does not live anymore. As Bark grew up without a biological mother, it seems like as if her mother did not exist, like she was looking down from above. Bark: “I have rediscovered the earth and the ground.”

2016 / Performance

Heimat ist die Fremde

The search for my mother is both a journey to the past as well as the future. I am one of the 15000 children, who didn’t have a home in a country recovering from the aftermath of the Korean war. On the 24th of May 1981 I was found without parents in the streets of Andong. My project “Heimat ist die Fremde” led me back to Andong in 2016.

Every year on the 24th May I will return to the same place, where my life had taken a decisive turn. There is only one option for my search: I have to show myself, in order to be found. I have to ‘be present’ in Korea.

2019 / Oil Painting

Boss

This project was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Science, Research and Art Baden-Württemberg.

2018 / Performance

The Dinner

How do I introduce my boss to society? I turn him into a host. “The Dinner” was a dinner party at Villa Merkel where my boss and myself were the hosts.

2013 - Present / Performance

My Boss

The self-perception of an artist and how they are being perceived by others is always bound to some form of insecurity. The meaning of one’s work and how to make a living out of it, are ever present questions with which artists increasingly have to deal with.

I made the observation that people working in professions unrelated to art go about their work without questions and doubt.

The seriousness of their work seems unquestionable, as their position within an organisation and the related responsibilities, rules out any doubt about the meaning of their work.

Status, responsibility as well as a constant income are the three pillars that play a significant role in the professional world. But this is not necessarily true for art.

I question if my self perception as an artist would change for the better, if I placed myself within a hierarchical structure.

This sense of uncertainty was foreign to me when I worked as a shoe seller. Selling shoes and receiving money for it seemed like reason enough. I didn’t have to prove myself.

However as an artist I am confronted with the question, to what degree my work is fulfilling a purpose. This was especially true in the beginning of ones career, when you may not receive any money in return for your work. It is the negative monetary returns that seems to trigger these existential questions. Although there are many businesses within the professional world that fall into the red, in the world of art this is treated differently.

2013 / Video

Coaching I

At the beginning of our collaboration we enlisted the help of a professional career advisor. The professional image of the artist is open and herein lies the challenge.

2014 / Video

Coaching II

The second coaching session took place a year later. The level of progress was of significance, that meant which goals have we achieved, where do we stand and on what do we have to work on.

2015 / Video

Breathing, Body, Language

In particular managers are being offered speech and body language training. After I have spent some time improving mine and a second body, it was now time to focus on the areas of speech and body language.

2016 / Sculpture

The Barks

The Barks are human sculptures hand made by myself out of fabric. Without any sex, their form, size and weight resemble the different stages of human development. From the early growth within a mother's womb to the fully grown body, each ‘Bark’ should be regarded as individuals. The collection of sculptures are a physical manifestation of my artistic discourse and represent my family of origin, whom I have never got to know.