Professor Ha Joon-soo of the Department of Visual Design at Kookmin University has attracted international attention in the art world after three of his works were selected for inclusion in the Video Data Bank (VDB), one of the world's most prestigious video art archives. He has also been invited to participate in the Korea-Japan Diplomatic Relations 60th Anniversary Contemporary Art Exhibition, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as a media art artist, and is currently exhibiting his works in Osaka, Japan.

Fourth work added to the world's most prestigious archive

The Video Data Bank, operated by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, is the world's oldest video art archive, currently housing over 6,000 works by approximately 500 video artists. This archive is widely referenced by leading educational institutions and exhibitions worldwide, and having a work included in the VDB is considered a symbolic milestone of international recognition for video artists.

Currently, only three Korean artists are listed in the VDB: Nam June Paik, Cha Hak-kyung (registered as artist materials), and Professor Ha Joon-soo of Kookmin University. Professor Ha Joon-soo has had three works in the collection, and the fourth work to be added is “Bones and Flowers,” which was exhibited at the Gwangju National Asian Culture Center in 2019.

“Bones and Flowers” is an immersive media work created to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Gwangju Democratization Movement. It is a large-scale spatial media art piece composed of three screens utilizing 20 projectors. This work, which reinterprets history and memory through visual language, provides viewers with an intense emotional immersion and is regarded as a representative example of the social and artistic expansion of media art.

* Video Data Bank Link to Professor Ha Joon-soo

Participation in the 60th Anniversary of Korea-Japan Diplomatic Relations Exhibition “Timeless Heritage: Connecting Time”

Ha Joon-soo, “Lee Jung-seop, Even the Name of Longing” 2025

Professor Ha Joon-soo was invited as a media artist to participate in the 60th Anniversary of Korea-Japan Diplomatic Relations Contemporary Art Exhibition “Timeless Heritage: Connecting Time,” hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, co-organized by the Arts Management Support Center and the Korean Cultural Center in Osaka. This exhibition, held in anticipation of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, introduces works by five representative artists who connect Korean tradition and contemporary art, blending various genres such as media art, painting, and sculpture.

Professor Ha Joon-soo is exhibiting his work, “Lee Jung-seop, Even the Name of Longing,” which is a modern reinterpretation of the family love and philosophy of Lee Jung-seop, a master of modern and contemporary Korean art, using contemporary media language. This work, which blends tradition and technology, emotion and information, is attracting attention as an advanced form of media art that shows both the identity and future of Korean art.

• Exhibition Title: Timeless Heritage: Connecting Time
• Period: April 12 to May 31, 2024
• Venue: Korean Cultural Center in Osaka, Japan
• Organizer: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
• Host: Arts Management Support Center, Korean Cultural Center in Osaka

Professor Ha Joon-soo stated, “It is a great honor that my work has been included in a world-class archive and invited to an international exhibition that highlights Korean tradition in a modern context. I will continue to work diligently to convey the unique aesthetics and social messages of Korean media art to the world.”