Jewan Goo
Jewan Goo, The Japanese Botanists Cataloging Korean Endemic Species at Koishikawa Botanical Garden Research Lab, 2024, Archival pigment print of a diorama photograph mounted on sintra board, 60 x 85 inches
About
Jewan Goo (he/him, b. Seoul, South Korea), a photographer, focuses on reexamining and reconstructing the fading history of Korea during the Japanese colonial period. His work is deeply connected to contemporary issues within institutional archives and history education, which are often biased and subject to political control or censorship by governmental or educational authorities. Beginning with an exploration of existing archives, he delves into the political apparatus of that era. Through meticulous research, the artist challenges the entrenched power dynamics within traditional historical narratives by utilizing undocumented histories overlooked by authorities, creating photographic evidence that offers alternative perspectives and explanations.