“Loops of Algorithmic Karma” began during Jungwoo Lee’s residency at Künstlerhaus Bethanien, with an initial goal to document the planned removal of the Statue of Peace in Berlin. This monument, which commemorates women forced into sexual slavery during Japan’s colonial rule of Korea (1910–1945), represents a critical symbol of women’s and minority rights. Despite its significance, the statue has faced criticism for oversimplifying complex colonial histories. The project expanded beyond simple documentation, addressing the wider influence of historical revisionism, post-colonialism, and extreme-right political movements in both Korea and Japan.
The work “To Be Determined” revolves around photogrammetry scans that resulted in incomplete or omitted data. As photogrammetry algorithms process images to calculate an object’s dimensions, data that doesn’t meet specific criteria is automatically filtered out. This piece takes these discarded elements and re-materializes them as 3D prints, highlighting how both algorithms and historical narratives omit and select what is remembered or forgotten, and at times, distort what remains.
“Because: Surrounded by Three Dimensions” delves into Korea’s historical and geographical consciousness by recreating the seas surrounding the country using game engine technology. While these engines typically generate realistic environments based on data inputs, the artist intentionally introduces data that cannot be processed. This results in distorted sea movements that challenge the deterministic narratives tied to Korea’s geopolitical position, prompting viewers to reconsider how such narratives shape our understanding of history.
Installed on the exterior wall of the exhibition space, “Die Resistenz” uses an unfinished monument to a military dictator as a focal point. A drone is deployed to symbolically conduct a funeral for the figure, but the attempt fails as the drone crashes due to its obstacle-detection sensors. This failure reflects not only the limitations of technology but also the challenges of coming to terms with unresolved historical legacies.
Finally, “Plant Apples and Get Avocados” employs AR technology to explore the unpredictability of algorithms. A reinterpreted Korean proverb serves as the foundation of the work, which can be experienced through an iPad fixed in a specific location in the exhibition. While this work hints at the possibility of replacing physical monuments with digital ones following the Statue of Peace’s removal, it also reveals the limitations of technology in capturing the intangible aspects of time, space, and human presence.
By juxtaposing algorithmic processes with historical narratives, “Loops of Algorithmic Karma” touches on broader global concerns, beyond just the Statue of Peace. It raises questions about how opaque algorithmic decisions and selective historical preservation influence the ways we perceive the past, present, and future.