Gayoung An explores the coexistence of humans and nonhumans in virtual worlds, including gaming environments and the technocultures that emerge at the boundary between online and offline spaces. She works across various media, including game simulations, VR, machinima, and online performances. Through character hacking and SF worlding, she creates and runs alternative narrative simulations in game environments, investigating not only the images represented on digital surfaces but also the underlying technological ecosystems, nonhuman agency, and the hidden labor embedded within them.

An has held solo exhibitions such as COSMIC SENSE: XR Simulation for Humankind of the Future (Coreana Museum of Art, 2022), Iridium Age: Making New KIN (Seongbuk Children’s Museum, 2021). She has also participated in group exhibitions such as Project Hashtag (National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, 2023), The Most Brilliant Moments for You (GMoMA, 2022).

Education

2025 D.F.A. in Visual Arts, Graduate school of Communication & Arts, Yonsei University, Seoul, KR

2011 M.F.A. in Painting, Graduate School of Hongik University, Seoul, KR

2008 B.F.A. in Painting, Hongik University, Seoul, KR

Solo Exhibitions

2022 COSMIC SENSE: XR simulation for humankind of the future, Coreana Museum of Art, Seoul, KR

2021 Iridium Age: Make New KIN, Seongbuk Children’s Museum, Seoul, KR

2019 KIN in the shelter, Artist Residency Temi, Daejeon, KR

2016 Lazy teleport, Art Space Jungmiso, Seoul, KR

2016 The Hermes’s box, Box Theater in Seoul Art Space Mullae, Seoul, KR

2014 Virtual Serendipity, M30 in Seoul Art Space Mullae, Seoul, KR

Selected Group Exhibitions

2024 Phantasmagoria Unleashed, Space Sarang Farm, Gimhae, KR

2023 Project Hashtag 2023, MMCA, Seoul, KR

2023 A-Real Engine, DAFT, Digital Art Center, Taipei, Taiwan, KR

2023 Digital Connection, Pohang Museum of Steel Art, Pohang, KR

2023 So-called Normal family, Suwon Museum of Art, Suwon, KR

2022 Future Fantastic, Art Center Nabi, Seoul, KR

2022 The Most Brilliant Moments for you, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, Ansan, KR

2022 Pluritopia, Singapore x Korea Cloud Biennale, VRChat, Online

2022 Playing Society, Onsu Gong-gan, Seoul, KR

2022 Onlife, Gyeongnam Art Museum, Changwon, KR 

2021 Set up your Profiles, Coreana museum of Art, Seoul, KR 

2021 ONOOOFF, Busan museum of Art, Busan, KR

2021 In its own resonance, Space imsi, Incheon, KR

2020 Artists never stop, M30 in Seoul Art Space Mullae, Seoul, KR 

2019 Virtual Memory, ALT SPACE LOOP, Seoul, KR

2019 Manifesto Party: Feminist’s Blueprint, Space 00 Yeonhui, Seoul, KR

2019 Welcome, you connected!, Suwon Museum of Art, Suwon, KR

2018 Algorithmic Society, GMAF, Asia Culture Center, Gwangju, KR

2018 A MAZE. festival, Urban Spree, Berlin, DE

2018 Between power and disease, Space CAN, Seoul, KR

2015 ArtiST project review, DMA Art Center, Daejeon, KR

Screenings

2023 KIN online, 2023 ARKO × DAFT Screening Program, ARKO Art Center Open Space, Seoul, KR

2021 KIN online, 22nd JEONJU International Film Festival, Jeonju, KR

2021 21c Cyber body Liberation Manifesto, GAME×CINEMA, Korean Film Archive, Online 

Projects and Performances

2022 KINetic, Metaverse live performance, Singapore x Korea Artists collaboration, VRChat, Online 

2019 Chulpudeok Feminism: Talk & Activity, Alternative Space LOOP, Seoul, KR

2017 APAP Time Machine, AR application project at Anyang Art Park, Anyang, KR

Residencies

2023 MMCA Residency Changdong, Seoul, KR 

2022 MMCA Residency Goyang, Goyang, KR 

2019 Artist Residency Temi, Daejeon, KR 

Awards 

2022 Emerging Female Artist, 15th Gender Equality and Culture of the Year Award, KR

Collections

Daejeon Museum of Art
GyeongGi Museum of Modern Art
Seoul Museum of Art
The Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of South Africa