TIME

• Photographer
  Wonchul Lee, Korea, Republic of

T I M E
-Time out of clock-

In 2010, the world's biggest clock was built in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
The diameter of the clock is 43 meters, which is big enough to be
observed from tens of kilometers away. Because of the significance
of this clock, and because Mecca is Islam's holiest site, Arabians
have argued that Mecca's time zone should be internationally
regarded as GMT. While this proposition is commonly thought to be
unfeasible, it begs the question: Why do Arabians want to establish
Mecca's time zone as the world's standard? I think this is because
they consider Mecca to be the spiritual and cultural center of the
world, such that the world's standard time zone should accordingly
be centered in Mecca.
It is common to find clocks on older buildings in Europe. These
buildings are usually rich in political, religious, and social
significance. Beyond keeping track of time, there are other reasons
for publicly displaying clocks on buildings. For monarchies and
religious authorities, I believe it symbolizes a mastery of time or a
desire to possess the instrument of time because this demonstrates
their absolute power. However, clocks have a different significance
for the multitudes of people living in modern cities. Contemporary
people are directed by the hands of a clock. They act out their daily
life following predictable routines, just as the hands of a clock.
While the concept of this project is time, the objects are clocks. I
would like to observe the expression of time through clocks while
dragging the existence of time out of them. Using images to explain
this idea, I would like to show the existence of time using vanishing
clock-hands and other changes of circumstances as time passes...

Education
2007 M.A. in Photographic Design, Hongik University (Korea)
2002 B.A. in Photography, RMIT University (Australia)
1999 Diploma, majored in Photography, Seoul Institute of the Arts (Korea)

Solo Exhibition
2015 Lee, Won-Chul Photo Exhibition – Gallery Achim (Seoul)
2015 ‘The Window' - Youngeun Museum of Contemporary Art (Gyeonggi, Korea)
2014 ‘TIME’ – J.One Gallery (Daegu, Korea)
2014 ‘TIME’ – Space22 (Seoul)
2013 ‘The Starlight’ – Art space Withartist (Gyeonggi, Korea)
2012 ‘TIME’ – Space CAN (Beijing, China)
2011 ‘Skiagraphie’ – Gallery Bresson (Seoul)
2010 ‘Industrial Starlight’ – WM Class Gallery (Seoul)
2009 ‘Industrial Starlight’ – Gallery JINSUN (Seoul)
2008 ‘The Starlight – Gyeongju’ – Gallery Su (Daegu, Korea)
2008 Lee, Won-Chul Photo Exhibition – Gallery Designer Zoo (Seoul)
2007 ‘The Starlight – Gyeongju’ – Gallery JINSUN (Seoul)
2006 ‘Epiphanie Landscape’ – Gana forum space (Seoul)
2005 ‘Our Mutual Crossing’ (Duet Exhibition) - Daelim Contemporary Art Museum (Seoul)
2004 ‘The Starlight’ - Gallery Lux (Seoul)

Group Exhibition- about 130 times

Awards Solo Exhibition 15 times, Group Exhibition about 130 times Awards, Grant and Residency - Surim Photo Prize, Youngeun Art Studio, Exchange Programs with International Organizations, Project Space in Beijing, Grant for Culture Art Funds, fromS Residency, Gana Jangheung Atelier, Grant for SeMA Young Artist Exhibition supporting program, POSCO Steel Art Award, Song Eun Finearts Prize, Joongang Finearts Prize, Nanji Art Studio