Will you still love me tomorrow? illuminates the global phenomenon of the aged society, shedding light particularly on the Korean culture which tends to otherize the elderly. The title of the exhibition, taken from Anneè Olofsson’s work Will you still love me tomorrow?, captures the sense of anxiety and fears in the Korean society where people are forced to look at aging through a contemporary view that pressures one to be and look young.
Globally, the average human life expectancy and the proportion of the population over 60 have nearly doubled over the past few decades. In the same manner, Korean is also on the verge of becoming a super-aged society, with people over 65 years of age taking over 20% of the population. Despite such rapid changes in the composition of population and life cycle, aging is still associated with being old and weak in the capitalist society, and this is predominantly approached with an economic, rather than social logic. A term that emerged in such social atmosphere is 'ageism', which defines discrimination and stereotypes based on age. Ageism amplifies oppression, alienation and inequality both individually and collectively, and exerts a strong influence over all generations. To make matters worse, mass media reinforces the negative stereotypes about aging.
Will you still love me tomorrow? is presented through three exhibition sections and public program zones, aiming to examines the negative perceptions surrounding aging and to examine the influences as well as the origin of such negative perceptions on an individual and society. The first section observes aging in the context of the capitalistic social atmosphere where aging is consumed only on a superficial level through plastic surgery, shopping and obsessive self-maintenance. The second section observes social problems such as conflict between generations and alienation, through the different perceptions on aging by the individual and society. Lastly, the third section presents works that look into the near future, and invite us to think about aging in the context of one’s own narrative. In the exhibition, there are also audience-participatory works that propose new perceptions regarding aging.
Based on the unique experiences, perspectives and social backgrounds of the fifteen artists and artist teams in this exhibition working in fields of art, design and architecture, attempt to overcome the various types of discrimination in their work, fueled in a society that demands the captivating capital of ‘youth’. Hopefully, the exhibition stimulates new ways of looking at aging, and invites us to explore innovative approaches to a longer life.
Section 1 : Anxious Desire
This section raises questions on the social atmosphere where beauty and ugliness are defined by whether one is young or not. Under this atmosphere, aging is considered through the perspective of one’s appearance. In particular, this section tries to examine how the human desire to resist the corporeal aging influences the body, mind, and life of individuals with regards to capitalism and consumer society. People in our time, who blindly pursue the uniform sense of beauty out of fear and anxiety against aging, attempt to overcome aging through a variety of obsessive self-management and consumption. In this section, through images that are created from the difference and conflict between the needs and desire of people in our time, aging becomes a subject of reflection that is deeper than what it seems to be on the surface.
Section 2 : Ageist myths and streotypes
Section 2 examines how stereotypes about aging are reinforced within social relations. Ageism justifies discrimination and alienation based on one’s age. It justifies devaluation and alienation of aged people. This section surveys the rampant ageism in the society as well as social issues that occur by the difference on the idea of aging between individuals and group under the capitalist system that escalates ageism.
Section 3 : The Future Not Afar
The first and second sections looked at the influence of the anxiety about aging on individuals and different aspects of how such anxiety manifests within social relations. Further, the last section proposes that we shall turn the clock to the near future and imagine our own aging. With proposals for overcoming the modes of elderly living and future environments and practical works abut aging, the last section provides a ground to reflect on how we should live our extended lives in a society where it is difficult to become old. Artists from different backgrounds, including visual art, design, and architecture present their thoughts and experiments on the potential of change in our everyday life beyond anxiety and anticipation.
A Project of Unboxing 21 Grams_Artist collective E.J.DOMOSO
A project to provide audiences in their 20s to 50s with the opportunity to reflect on their individual lives with the topics of “a prepared death”(well-ending), condolence and loss, and possession.
Date & Time: Sep. 6 (Fri.), Sep. 7 (Sat.), Sep. 20 (Fri.), Sep. 21 (Sat.) 14:00-16:00, Oct. 4 (Fri.) 14:00-20:00
Body and Innerspace Sunju Kim (Dancer)
A project involving audiences experiencing contemporary dance using their own bodies based on inspirations coming from the relevant exhibition
Date & Time: Sep. 27 (Fri.), Oct. 11 (Fri.), Oct. 18 (Fri.) 14:00-16:00
Venue: 3F Project Gallery
Artist’s Lunch Box × Homemade meal_Artist collective E.J.DOMOSO
A social dining program to invite employees in the nearby area and other adult audiences to dine in a limited condition with the assumption that they are aged and need to eat only with their gums without teeth, and to share their thoughts about ageing.
Date & Time: Oct. 1 (Tue.), Oct. 8 (Tue.), and Oct. 15 (Tue.)/ a total of 3 sessions 12:00-13:00
Life guide: When will I be the strongest?_Educator Kim, Julee, Seol, minhee, Lee, Sumi, Lyoum, Youngseo, Lee, Chaewon
A program for elementary school students to discuss “aging” and make a chart of their perceptions and viewpoints, strong or weak, on body, age, and image.
Date & Time: Sep. 6 to Oct. 18 (Every Tue., Wed., and Fri. during the period) 10:00-12:00
*No program on holidays and Oct. 1(Tue.), 8(Tue.), and 15(Tue.).
The value of wrinkles_Educator Seol, minhee, Lee, Sumi, Lee, Chaewon
A program that lets students partake in an exhibition with an educator, take note of the words they have heard or said regarding “aging,” and make a drawing showing the image they have of wrinkles and the value they place on them.
Date & Time: Sep. 19 (Thu.) and Sep. 26 (Thu.), Oct. 10 (Thu.) and Oct. 17 (Thu.) 16:00-18:00
SeMA Talk
A conversation-type exhibition commentary program (docenting) for those who have applied for the program in advance
Date & Time: Sep. 3 to Oct. 17 (Every alternate Tue. and Thu., 15:00-16:00; no program on National Foundation Day (Oct. 3))
Sep. 25 (Culture Day) 19:00-20:00
Music + Museum Night
A program inviting audiences to appreciate the music curated by music directors along with works of art on display
Date & Time: Sep. 11 (Wed.), Sep. 25 (Wed.), Oct. 9 (Wed.) 19:00-22:00
Exhibition Commentary Service
A free of charge service offering a docent-guided tour of various exhibitions
Date & Time: Sep. 3 to Oct. 20/ every day at 14:00 and 16:00 (2 tours a day), lasts 30-40 min. (not operating on Mon. and holidays)
The programs with no venue indicated are all held in the Public Program Lounge on the third floor of the Seoul Museum of Art.
For more information on the programs, please visit the SeMA website.
sema.seoul.go.kr ▷ Educations/Events ▷ Upcoming Educations
