THE FORGOTTEN WORDS PROJECT

Daegu Contemporary Art Festival, Gangjeong, Daegu, South Korea Small metal sculptures, each inscribed with a German or Korean word of equivalent meaning, were subtly dispersed across the festival landscape. Though connected by their semantic resonance, the words were installed separately, appearing only incidentally in the same view, and were never presented as conventional artworks. Some may still remain in situ, quietly forgotten. While surface-level comparisons between Germany and Korea suggest historical parallels—particularly regarding periods of national division—closer inspection reveals profound cultural differences. Words rarely translate literally, yet the project selected terms of deep significance to both nations’ histories, cultures, and spiritualities: Fate, Destiny, Delusion, Separation, Division, Retribution, Forgiveness, Unification, Redemption, and Return