Artist Hong-rok Kim has been continuing his series of exhibition with a common theme of ‘A Clue to the Recovery of Authenticity’. In his first exhibition, ‘A Clue to the Recovery of Authenticity : Bussot, Raul’, he portrayed his ideology by reenacting five urgent days in 25 Mar 1993 of Bussot and his family, leaving Cuba to Miami, United States looking for freedom. Under the almost exact setting that reflects their horrible situation and pressing moments shows in real time at the Khalifa gallery, Seoul, Korea in 25 Mar 2013. In his second exhibition, ‘A Clue to the Recovery of Authenticity: McDonald’s’, he described capitalism in an unique way by putting scattered diamond dust on diverse hamburger wrapping papers, which may symbolize capitalism, collected from twenty different countries. He plans to delineate the meaning of imperialism through third and fourth series of ‘a Clue to the Recovery of Authenticity’. In the third exhibition, ‘A Clue to the Recovery of Authenticity : Military Sex Slave’, he conveys the message on imperialism based on extant ex Japanese military sex slaves, who were harshly sacrificed throughout the history under Japanese colonization.

To artists, an art piece is a kind of clue combined with artistic methods used when conveying authenticity to audience. The word, ‘recovery’ shown in every title of Kim’s work implies undefined condition due to limitless changes, and procedures that require incessant effort to get close its nature. In the third exhibition, Kim uncovers the clue as known as ‘Japanese military sex slave’

‘A Clue to The Recovery of Authenticity : Military Sex Slave’ is the projected art piece on the installation whose size is 3m*2m (width*height). It depicts Korean old women, who experienced excruciating pain during the Second World War II as sex slaves. They comfortably sitting and looking at audience under the delicate environment as if they were in heaven, and contain no gesture, or any type of facial expression, or emotion. The artist objectively described the piece, intending to ‘record’ history through modern art, and the piece shows significance in ‘reflection of contemporary era and participation’ of modern art by allowing audience to level themselves to those old women.

The art piece allows us to recollect and contemplate on ourselves, who already forgot pain and agony of our ancestors had encountered throughout the history, and provides us an opportunity to evaluate imperialism through appearance of old women. It also may provide an opportunity that transcends space time to us and following generations, who can be with them until their last minute. Old women authentically show their effort to prevent repetition of horrible history as ‘military sex slave’ by participating in this work, thus recovering their past, present and future. This is where this work may obtain authenticity and permanence.