Four artists use wildfire-damaged wood to explore disaster and recovery
The exhibition "Traces Left Behind, Time in Bloom" is being held at Itda Space Small Art Museum in Jemulpo-gu, Incheon, until the 31st, focusing on the scars left by wildfires and the subsequent resilience of human life.
The "Traces Left Behind, Time in Bloom" exhibition is being held at Itda Space Small Art Museum in Incheon until the 31st. Featuring works by Kwon Dong-ju, Kim Won-woo, Jung Jun-hyeok, and Hyun Gye-hwan, the curated show uses wildfire-damaged wood to examine the memories of displaced residents from Baekja-ri, Andong-si.
The exhibition "Traces Left Behind, Time in Bloom," which examines the wounds left by disasters and life thereafter through the medium of wildfire-damaged wood, is being held at Itda Space Small Art Museum in Jemulpo-gu, Incheon, until the 31st. Moving beyond the physical traces of nature damaged by wildfires, this exhibition focuses on the memories and loss of people who lost their livelihoods, as well as the human vitality that continues amidst such circumstances.
This curated four-person exhibition, featuring artists Kwon Dong-ju, Kim Won-woo, Jung Jun-hyeok, and Hyun Gye-hwan, uses wildfire-damaged wood and various sculptural works to interpret the traces left after a disaster through the language of art. It views wildfires not merely as ecological disasters, but as events that shake individual lives and community memories, questioning the meaning of recovery following a disaster.
Participating artist Kim Won-woo visited the wildfire damage site in Baekja-ri, Gilan-myeon, Andong-si, Gyeongbuk, to listen to the testimonies of displaced residents, incorporating the lost livelihoods and the accumulated memories of that place into his work. He noted that what was lost in the wildfire was not just houses and trees, but the spaces where families lived for generations, the landscapes of daily life, and the time shared by the community.
The exhibition also points out that the restoration of nature and the recovery of people do not necessarily occur at the same pace. Even if a forest regrows, the wounds and memories of those who lost their livelihoods cannot be easily undone. The works lead viewers to look at the internal memories left in the people who experienced the disaster alongside the physical traces left by the wildfire.
However, the exhibition does not remain solely in the emotions of loss. The human will to continue daily life and rebuild after a disaster, as well as human vitality, are also major themes. Through sculptural works utilizing wildfire-damaged wood, visitors can examine both the traces of destruction and the new possibilities blooming within them.
Kim Won-woo previously participated in the "ASH TO ART" exhibition held at the Abai National Museum in Semey, Kazakhstan, in 2026. In this exhibition, he also explores the relationship between disaster and humanity based on the common theme of wildfires.
"Traces Left Behind, Time in Bloom" retraces the wounds and memories left by wildfires and illuminates the meaning of life that persists afterward. The exhibition is supported by Incheon Metropolitan City and the Incheon Foundation for Arts and Culture.
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