miru kim: the pig that therefore I am

miru kim: the pig that therefore I am doosan gallery, new york march 24th – april 23rd, 2011

‘the pig that therefore I am’ by miru kim (above) ‘NY 1’ image © miru kim

‘the pig that therefore I am’, the latest work by korean-american artist miru kim, is a collection of photographs that explores the transferring qualities of skin and the reasoned separation between humans and animals. the work, a modification of philosopher rené descartes’ famed supposition, ‘I think therefore I am’, utilizes the largest organ of the human body to illustrate the striking similarities between beast and man, conveying the notion of being one with your surrounding through the sense of physical touch.

‘MO 1’ image © miru kim

the images show kim among a hoard of three hundred pound pigs, fenced and confined in a large-scale industrial farm. the artist’s form is often made indistinguishable through the use of dramatic lighting and deep shadows, further blurring the differentiating factor between human and animal, ultimately reducing her human identity among the masses. kim explores the idea of the skin serving as an osmotic membrane between the inner self and the outer world, experiencing a deep connection and feeling of inseparability with the pigs.

having previously experimented with the juxtaposition of her nude body with the massive setting of the contemporary society, she depicts the fragile concept of the individual in a visceral and emotionally-gripping manner.

‘the pig that therefore I am’ is showing at the doosan gallery in new york from 24 march to 23 april, 2011.

‘IA 2’ image © miru kim