As Korea stands at the threshold of becoming a super-aged society, the exhibition Perhaps Sunny Days presents a timely touch of warmth in how we look at life in old age and seeks to stir empathy between different generations.
With a prolonged average life expectancy, the “twilight years” are extending longer than ever. No individual is fully ready for the unexpected changes that old age brings to all aspects of life, let alone the physical. For the younger generations born in this low-birthrate era, the burden of eldercare is snowballing. Social sympathy and solidarity, which once upheld and unified our community, is hurtling toward an avalanche breakdown. However, we refuse to dismiss aging as a formidable misfortune. We instead shine a light—sunlight—on the “golden years” as a unique phase of life that can even be sunnier than the rest.
This exhibition brings together ten artists who offer creative perspectives on dementia, one of the many symptoms of aging, especially the complete solitude it forces upon those who suffer from it. The illness progresses by dissolving the patient’s self-identity and continuity of memory, then gradually dismantling the layers of their understanding and sense of the world. Finally, they are left totally isolated from the external world, facing the boundless expanse of their inner world in absolute solitude. As such, the exhibited artworks do not simply view dementia as a physical illness but as a metaphor for the exploration of the most remote realms of one’s soul. We, as potential fellow explorers recognizing the inevitable vulnerability of life, can find comfort in the artworks that intricately patch together the wit of existence, continuing to shine light on our lives no matter what. Through this journey, we can reaffirm the delicacy and dignity that reside within ourselves and in others.
This exhibition is presented under the aspiration of building an experience that intertwines the viewpoints of numerous people with warmth. Through this, we will be able to sketch the “sunny days” to come, filled with hope and optimism, amidst a gloomy reality. This is because every moment of our lives is, perhaps, a sunny day if we can live in connection with each other.