I Wasn't Doing Nothing
I Wasn't Doing Nothing
June 13th - July 5th, 2024
AIRSPACE Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, USA
One tranquil morning, as I lay in the embrace of my bed, the early sunshine streamed through my window, carrying with it the tender warmth of the season, the comforting caress of my blanket, and the luxurious expanse of time. It was then that the birdsong reached me, a melodic whisper whose origin I couldn't discern, yet it filled the room with an intangible presence.
In the quiet contemplation that follows a life-changing decision, my world seemed to slow its relentless pace. The decision to return to Korea, my 'home home,' caused every clock in my life to tick with a languid, deliberate cadence. This newfound slowness heightened my senses, tuning me into the intricate details of my daily existence—the rhythmic chug of the train, the sizzle of my cooking, the unfolding panorama beyond my window.
My neighborhood in West Philly, with its modest charm, is typically unassuming—a tapestry of houses and trees, where beauty is not immediately conspicuous. Yet, one evening, as twilight wrapped around me on my return from the grocery store, I encountered a spectacle that halted me in my tracks: a plastic bag caught in a ballet with the wind. Its dance was one of unexpected grace and ephemeral beauty, displaying a poise that belied its mundane nature. In that plastic bag, I saw lightness, elegance, transparency—qualities I had overlooked in the familiar.
This simple revelation was a catalyst. Each day, I began to witness my habitual scenery with fresh eyes, seeking out the unseen in the seen. The mundane commute transformed, revealing novelties where once I saw none. The old became the 'new new,' and in this shifting perspective, I found a treasure trove of unnoticed wonders.
Four years had passed in this house before I truly heard the birds sing. They had been there all along, serenading from the first morning, yet it was only in this moment of awakening that I truly listened. Seven years into my journey, this symphony of everyday life made me realize an essential truth—I was never simply existing. Each moment, each day, I was living deeply, surrounded by a world rich with unnoticed splendor, waiting for the moment I would finally take notice.
