서울시립미술관 SEOUL MUSEUM OF ART

The Story of a Girl Named Long Journey (1997) is a fairy tale written by Yeesookyung, contemporary artist for her daughter. In the story, a girl called “Long Journey” takes the reader to a long trip. It features many familiar characters such as wolf, lion, witch, hunter and shepherd boy, and clearly refers to famous bedtime stories. Yet instead of re-writing these well-known tales with the typical “happily ever after” ending, Yee borrows their structure to propose a kind of detour through which the reader could think beyond the limitations of body, mind, norms and values. This roundabout trip may help us better understand others and change the world. Nowadays, many kids are more accustomed to playing games and watching films than reading books. For them Yeesookyung’s multiple universes will serve as an apparatus to regenerate their imaginative faculty. We hope that with the experience of and inspirations from Yeesookyung’s world of art, children can find stories of their own making.