The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) proudly presents Placeless Places, a new group exhibition of visual art from Korea that investigates the new ways in which we experience a sense of place—or lack thereof—in a world of ubiquitous remote communication, virtual events, and face-to-screen interactions. These contemporary works by emerging artists Seo Wanho, You Seunghee, and Choi Eunji created post-pandemic update a familiar concept of the 20th century: placelessness.

Based on the idea that a place encompasses a certain human element that mere physical space lacks, Seo, You, and Choi each visualize the human experience when this sense of place is gone. The notion of placelessness, proposed by geographer Edward Relph in the 1970s and reinforced by decades of digitization, globalization, and now a global pandemic, is epitomized by traditional human meeting places like schools, offices, and cultural venues becoming socially distanced—sometimes permanently.  

Seo Wanho depicts abandoned lots and redevelopment sites that are typically ignored in urban settings, evoking a feeling of absence or misplacement through an unconventional use of traditional oil on canvas. You Seunghee’s works focus on the near-ubiquitous experience of people in online settings, philosophically examining notions of self in an arresting abstract style that employs acrylic on wood. Choi Eunji produces works that visually reflect her own experience of placelessness observing industrialized urban landscapes, depicted with a vivid, digital image-inspired use of acrylics.

Most pieces featured in Placeless Places were created recently in the wake of the pandemic, and thus address a sense of placelessness. By presenting their works together, this exhibition aims to spark conversation on the significance of places to people and how we relate to them in a newly shifted world.

Placeless Places will remain on view from February 3 through March 29, 2023 (walk-in hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., excluding 12 – 1 p.m., Monday – Friday). For complete information about the exhibition, please visit the KCCDC website at washingtondc.korean-culture.org.