Canada
Ottawa
2025
8
Korean
English
In a nutshell
The exhibition Whispers of the Forest presents a playful, interactive world where contemporary Korean art explores themes of nature, community, and coexistence. This immersive installation, designed especially for children and families, addresses pressing modern issues like rapid urban development, environmental loss, and displacement. The gallery becomes a forest playground featuring works by artists Um A Long, who creates sculptures from discarded materials, and Haksoon Hong, who brings his vibrant Wink Tokki World to life through murals and animations. Visitors are encouraged to engage directly with the art, moving beyond passive viewing to reflect on sustainability and our relationships with others. The experience prompts us to imagine a future where all beings can live and grow together in harmony.
Why should you watch this?
The film Whispers of the Forest asks what it means to share a world at a moment when climate change and rapid urban growth unsettle familiar ways of living. Um A Long’s sculptures, shaped from discarded materials, echo the resilience of creatures adapting to damaged environments, while Haksoon Hong’s Wink Tokki characters invite us into a universe where play and friendship make coexistence possible. Together, these voices create a mood that shifts between unease and delight, reminding us that survival and joy are intertwined. The film ultimately leaves viewers with a simple yet urgent question: how do we choose to live together?
Artists
Um A Long
Bio
Um A Long is a contemporary Korean artist whose installations transform discarded materials into poetic explorations of memory, resilience, and environmental change. Inspired by his experiences of frequent relocations caused by rapid urban development, his works evoke themes of displacement and survival. By reassembling everyday waste into sculptural forms, UM creates art that reimagines human and ecological coexistence.
Haksoon Hong
Bio
Haksoon Hong is a Korean artist known for his fantastical universe Wink Tokki World, inhabited by whimsical characters who embody joy, friendship, and harmony with nature. Through bold murals, playful drawings, and animated films, he brings to life stories that balance humor, imagination, and environmental awareness. His art speaks directly to children and families while carrying universal messages of coexistence and creativity.