Presenting Ecofeminist Imaginaries: Ji Yoon Yang on Alternative Space LOOP

By Insun Woo

^{Published on September 3rd, 2024}

Imagine entering a stylish coffee shop with black walls, mahogany tables, and gently glowing bulbs suspended from the ceiling. The smoky scent of coffee and languorous saxophone tunes sway around in a slow dance, joined by the soft murmurs of customers. Having stumbled upon this exquisite space, I saved it on Naver Map, pledging that I’d return soon for a longer stay. Fast forward a few weeks, and I’m pacing up and down a street for the third time. My eyes are fixed on a building. There’s no way that that empty space – with its drab chipped walls – is where the cafe was. Maybe the GPS isn’t working and I’m on an adjacent street? Upon my fourth round, however, I conclude that I’m not mistaken. It turns out that the cafe went out of business, unable to afford the soaring rent of the gentrifying neighborhood.

Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common story in Seoul. Sustaining a business, let alone a non-profit independent space is a near-impossible task—which is why Alternative Space LOOP comes across as a surprise. Established in 1999 in Hongdae, LOOP is one of the handful of independent art spaces that has withstood the waves of gentrification to offer alternatives to Korea’s mainstream art scene. Today, the space is interested in ecofeminist thought and practice that interrogate the extractive nature of capitalism. Throughout my time in Korea between Fall 2023 and Summer 2024, LOOP has pricked and probed human conscience, desires, and understanding of our world by serving as a theater of moving images exploring the interrelationship between nature and (female) bodies; a riveting semifictional land-sea-scape of blown-up microorganisms; an eerie plot of plaster Aronia tree stumps; and an album of documentary “sculptures” capturing the coexistence of the natural and artificial in Gyosan, South Korea.

The alternatives presented by LOOP today are artistic alternatives to mainstream social systems such as capitalism, patriarchy, and colonialism.

_{- Ji Yoon Yang}

In this interview, Ji Yoon Yang, Director of LOOP, speaks about the history and role of LOOP in Korea’s art scene, the importance of ecofeminism, and a few telling insights into the contemporary moment that arose from LOOP’s exhibitions and programs.

1. Jana Kerima Stolzer + Lex Rütten, Microtopia, Multimedia installation, textile sculpture, HD-Video, sound, 2024. Courtesy of Alternative Space LOOP.

Insun Woo: Alternative Space LOOP opened in Hongdae in 1999 and has been here ever since. Why Hongdae? How has the neighborhood changed over the years?

Ji Yoon Yang: Hongdae in 1999 was a very different neighborhood than it is now. It was populated by studios of artists, indie musicians, and independent filmmakers. LOOP’s beginning was related to the IMF Crisis, which forced many Korean artists studying abroad to return to Korea. Upon arrival, they saw the state of Korea’s art scene and started questioning it. LOOP was born in this process. At that time, there were several alternative spaces nearby but, as Hongdae was gentrified, many closed or moved away. Now, Hongdae has become a very commercial area. As the only nonprofit space amidst this paradoxical change in the neighborhood, LOOP is trying to make sense of its function.

I.W.: You’ve seen the evolution of LOOP first as a visitor, then as a curator, and now as a director. How has LOOP changed over the years?

J.Y.Y.: When LOOP was first established, the “alternative” it offered was that to the mainstream art world in Korea. We ran programs to support young artists, as museums and the art market were not interested in doing this kind of work. But, as new spaces dedicated to supporting emerging artists opened up, LOOP lost this role. Because it couldn’t justify its existence in light of this development, LOOP even debated closing its doors at some point.

The alternatives presented by LOOP today are artistic alternatives to mainstream social systems such as capitalism, patriarchy, and colonialism. Ecofeminism is an example of that; we look at ecological issues systematically. This focus on the ecological is one of the most important divergences from LOOP’s previous work. There weren’t many exhibitions centered on ecological issues when I started working here as a curator. This transition was possible because we’ve been operating as a non-profit corporation registered with the Seoul Metropolitan Government since 2019, which means that we’re a semi-institution. This new structure allows us to have sponsors and board members. LOOP is a collective space—not owned by one individual but by many.

I.W.: LOOP has 99 sponsors. Is there a reason for this number?

J.Y.Y.: That number comes from this law in Korea, which requires 99 supporters to start a corporation. We’ve gathered various individuals who share the vision of LOOP as sponsors.

It makes more sense to do what you can than not do anything out of concern for radicality.

2. Installation view. Da-Seul Lee, Music for light mourning the death of 127 11-year-old Aronia trees that were cut down and the weeds that lived together with them(4 tracks), 6min 6sec, 2024. Courtesy of Alternative Space LOOP.

I.W.: Would you say that LOOP’s history is similar to those of alternative spaces in other parts of the world?

J.Y.Y.: Alternative spaces emerged in the 1970s and 80s in Western Europe and the United States, and many started as artist-run spaces. Most have disappeared, and those that have survived exist as semi-institutions, like us, and function as art centers without collections. I don’t think LOOP diverges from that arc of development.

I.W.: I’m sure that LOOP also relies on public funding to a certain extent. How do you navigate the clash between LOOP’s radical orientation and the limitations brought by public funding?

J.Y.Y.: It’s true that with public funding comes certain pressures such as on-site evaluations, which might tone down radicality to a certain extent. But, I think it makes more sense to do what you can than not do anything out of concern for radicality. Also, we don’t discard projects just because we don’t receive funding; I think that’s a weird thing to do. We try to make them happen any way we can. For example, in 2021, we applied for several grants to organize a workshop for participants to study ecofeminism together, but we didn’t receive any. I think it was because the idea of a study group organized by an art space was still quite new back then. Instead of canceling the workshop, we asked the participants to pay a small fee. This is an example of how we look for ways to make things happen collectively. At the same time, we’re constantly asking ourselves what it means to be radical and how radical we need to be.

I.W.: Feminism in Korea is extremely controversial. Could you tell me more about the current situation? What do you hope LOOP will do amidst this situation?

J.Y.Y.: Korean people generally see feminisms with radical tendencies like the first-wave anti-men feminism or TERF (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminism) as the only kinds that exist. For this reason, a lot of people hesitate to identify themselves as feminists and even show hostility towards such association. But, there are many feminisms. I want to talk about these others, such as ecofeminism. When we organize programs about feminism, we see that most participants have studied feminism alone and haven’t had this experience of talking about it publicly, because talking about patriarchy can cause a lot of discomfort even amongst close friends. I realized just how important it is to create a space where people can come together to discuss and listen to how feminism relates to their lives.

Also, it’s true that middle-aged Korean men have become more conscious of the violence inflicted upon women, in part thanks to the #MeToo movement. While this change comes more from fear of losing their jobs than understanding the wrongness of such violence, I think it’s still meaningful. Amidst this situation, I want to try more radical things and gather interested people. I always want to have newcomers. For example, a young nun attended the Ecofeminism Symposium. She shared that she became interested in ecofeminism through viticulture and talked about the possibilities of addressing gender discrimination in Catholicism.

Ecofeminism, which questions this exploitative system and looks for alternatives, is a matter of survival for women in the Third World.

3. Hyeokjong Lee, L_ego with Mushroom, Carving on wood chips collected from the park, 2024. Courtesy of Alternative Space LOOP.

I.W.: That’s beautiful. Could you share more about the workshop on ecofeminism that led to the Symposium? What did you do and learn?

J.Y.Y.: I learned so much doing the Ecofeminism Workshop. The person I was before and after are wholly different. Drawing on German ecofeminist sociologist Maria

Another participant shared that she lost her older sister to a medical accident that happened while giving birth. Even though her family wanted to take legal action against the hospital, they couldn’t do anything because the sister’s husband – who had authority over his wife’s funeral procedures under Korean law – wanted to get things over with quickly. Through discussions of our daily experiences, we understood just how tightly woven the network of patriarchy is. After the Speaking Out Group, we examined the history of capitalism to understand how we’ve come here. Looking at the history of unpaid reproductive labor and state-sanctioned r*pe (to relieve the stress of male factory workers), as well as how this history reverberates in my life today, allowed me to see the world through different perspectives.

I.W.: Let’s talk more about ecofeminism. What is your understanding of ecofeminism and its significance, especially for Asian women?

J.Y.Y.: As Silvia Federici puts it, there were two basic sources of exploitation in the history of capitalist development: women and nature. I believe that this globalized system in which the rest of the world is sacrificed for white bourgeois males in the Global North has resulted in today’s climate crisis and contributes to other social ills.

Nature is a source of income and home for Third World women. Yet, the only option they have in response to its destruction by unchecked development projects is to block it physically, as in the Chipko movement in India and work by female farmers in Indonesia. This is why ecofeminism, which questions this exploitative system and looks for alternatives, is so important for women in the Third World. It’s a matter of survival.

4. Simon Boudvin, Today(Gogol), 2024, Photography printed on textile, 60x80cm. Courtesy of Alternative Space LOOP.

I.W.: I’m curious to hear your thoughts on Korea’s position in discourses on the Third World and the Global South. Korea is not part of the Global South; it wields a lot of cultural power in Asia because of Hallyu. But, it’s also true that Korea doesn’t have the same power as the West. How should Korea see itself and relate to other regions?

J.Y.Y.: This may be a highly controversial thing to say, but I think present-day Korea is under the control of the United States. In a way, Korea is still under colonial rule. Yet, at the same time, Korea is creating colonies for itself in the Global South—a phenomenon that can be glimpsed in the recent announcement about bringing 100 Filipina domestic helpers to Seoul, or the way Koreans treat migrant workers. I think it’s important to be aware of this colonial mindset.

A work in an exhibition Simple Acts of Listening we organized in the Netherlands last year called Tearless by Gina Kim reveals that “comfort women” for the US military still exist, under the administration of the Korean government. This is an aspect of Korea that nobody wants to see or talk about. I keep asking myself what art can do about these kinds of histories.

I keep asking myself what art can do about these kinds of histories.

I.W.: Thank you so much for your insights. Turning to the EarthSea Talk+Screening: the program was organized with four other curators based across Asia. Why was it important to make this a collaborative project, and how did it come about? Any moments that stood out to you?

J.Y.Y.: I wanted to bring together curators working in different regions across Asia, as each region has its own sets of issues, and how these are explored through artistic and curatorial practice also varies. As I had a general idea of Jackie Im’s curatorial practice from working with her previously, I reached out to her. Mira Asriningtyas and Hung Fei Wu were recommended to me by other curators. I wanted to compare and contrast our interests and study ecofeminism together. We organized the Screenings and Talks to hear from each other. It was a meaningful time in which we discovered points of convergence amidst the divergent approaches we’re taking to different issues. I was particularly struck by the contrast between the images of women as submissive mothers marketed on the national level in Indonesia and the images of free women in Indonesian mythology. Stories about female farmers’ fights against the destruction of their land were also very memorable.

Interest in ecofeminism is starting to spread in the realm of contemporary art.

5. Fahrettin Örenli, The Zombie Ants, Single channel video, 5 min 46 sec, 2023. Image courtesy of Alternative Space LOOP.

I.W.: Why moving images? Could you also share more about how you chose to show The Zombie Ants (2023) by Fahrettin Örenli? The work was visually quite different from the other pieces.

J.Y.Y.: About The Zombie Ants: As I was the last to choose, I was able to take into consideration the works chosen by others. As there was a lot of work on Indigenous cultures, I thought we needed one that examines capitalism, which has played a significant role in the disappearance of these Indigenous cultures. Since I know that Fahrettin researches the flow of capital in our globalized world through his practice, I included a piece that presents a metaphor for capital under neoliberalism.

I.W.: Are you aware of any responses from the audience to the Screening?

J.Y.Y.: I’m not aware of the details about audience participation at LOOP as I was away many times, but according to our staff, we’ve had quite a few people attend every screening. I’m noticing that the number of people who take interest and attend programs on feminism – even if they may hesitate to explicitly identify themselves as feminists – is growing. I also noticed that the screening in Taiwan was attended by a lot of curators. I found it really interesting; I see it as a sign that interest in ecofeminism is starting to spread in the realm of contemporary art.

About the curator:
Ji Yoon Yang is Director of Alternative Space LOOP and Co-Director of Sound Effects Seoul, the first major international sound art festival in Korea. After participating in de Appel Curatorial Programme 2008/2009, Yang served as Director of Corner Art Space and Chief Curator of Mimesis Art Museum. She published HA CHA YOUN : Home(s)(2023) and Sound+Art (2008) and contributed as a co-author to Talking About Curating (2018) and On Drawing: Je Yeoran (2016). Yang’s interest lies in ecofeminism to expand the new roles of contemporary art institutions.

About the writer:
Insun Woo is a Seoul-based writer and researcher with a B.A. Art History from NYU Abu Dhabi. Her life experience of growing up in cities across the world—from London, Sofia, Seoul, Moscow, and Osaka to Abu Dhabi, New York, and Istanbul—as an East Asian woman informs her present-day interest in contemporary art that explores urban culture and history, memory studies, feminist thought, and the history of modern Korea. Currently an editor at Global Art Daily, Insun has previously managed a professional enrichment program for arts students at NYUAD Career Development Center; created a project related to “comfort women” survivors as part of the Guggenheim Museum’s Summer College Workshop; and contributed to Canvas Magazine, Fiker Institute, and Guggenheim Blog.

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🔍 Legal

Presenting Ecofeminist Imaginaries: Ji Yoon Yang on Alternative Space LOOP

The alternatives presented by LOOP today are artistic alternatives to mainstream social systems such as capitalism, patriarchy, and colonialism.

It makes more sense to do what you can than not do anything out of concern for radicality.

Ecofeminism, which questions this exploitative system and looks for alternatives, is a matter of survival for women in the Third World.

I keep asking myself what art can do about these kinds of histories.

Interest in ecofeminism is starting to spread in the realm of contemporary art.

︎︎︎Previous Next︎

E-Issue 08 –– SELSummer/Fall 2024

E-08++ Summer/Fall 2024

About ––

Interviews ––

Open Call ––

Newsletter ––

Chronological Archive ––

E-Issue 01 –– AUH/DXB Summer 2020

E-01++ Fall/Winter 2020-21

🎙️GAD Talk Series –– Season 1 2020

E-Issue 02 –– NYC Spring 2021

E-02++ Spring/Summer 2021

E-Issue 03 ––TYO Fall 2021

E-03++ Fall/Winter 2021-22

E-Issue 04 –– IST Spring 2022

E-04++ Spring/Summer 2022

E-Issue 05 –– VCE Fall 2022

E-05++ Fall/Winter 2022-23

E-Issue 06 –– DXB/SHJSpring 2023

E-Issue 07 –– AUHWinter 2023-24

E-07++ Winter/Spring 2024

🔍 Legal

Presenting Ecofeminist Imaginaries: Ji Yoon Yang on Alternative Space LOOP

The alternatives presented by LOOP today are artistic alternatives to mainstream social systems such as capitalism, patriarchy, and colonialism.

It makes more sense to do what you can than not do anything out of concern for radicality.

Ecofeminism, which questions this exploitative system and looks for alternatives, is a matter of survival for women in the Third World.

I keep asking myself what art can do about these kinds of histories.

Interest in ecofeminism is starting to spread in the realm of contemporary art.

︎︎︎Previous Next︎

E-Issue 08 –– SEL
Summer/Fall 2024

E-08++
Summer/Fall 2024

E-Issue 01 –– AUH/DXB
Summer 2020

E-01++
Fall/Winter 2020-21

E-Issue 02 –– NYC
Spring 2021

E-02++
Spring/Summer 2021

E-Issue 03 ––TYO
Fall 2021

E-03++
Fall/Winter 2021-22

E-Issue 04 –– IST
Spring 2022

E-04++
Spring/Summer 2022

E-Issue 05 –– VCE
Fall 2022

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Fall/Winter 2022-23

E-Issue 06 –– DXB/SHJ
Spring 2023

E-Issue 07 –– AUH
Winter 2023-24

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