k-art portal
404
Kahee Jeong’s creative practice involves merging computational tools with tangible outputs: EEG-scanned biometric data translated into 3D-printed ceramic objects, Arduino systems that modulate environmental parameters like heat, light, or airflow. Most recently, she has focused her attention on films and written stories, drawing upon visual media, fiction, theory, and lived experience to expand these speculative worlds in new directions.
Kahee endeavors to probe the subtle friction that operates beneath the surface of daily life, tracing the societal and psychological impact of rapid technological advancement, and unpacking the often unsettling feedback loop between human beings, machines, and nature. In doing so, she renders legible otherwise latent truths, scrutinizing the deepening of inequalities, the erosion of social connections, and the weakening of autonomy and resilience in an era of hyperconnectivity.
404 (2025) follows a protagonist drifting in a state of perpetual inadequacy while seeking refuge in a digital system that only amplifies their sense of estrangement. Central to this is a distinctly fragile relationship with Godo, a virtual idol whose mechanical indifference underscores the protagonist’s role in a world where machines define the terms of existence, and human emotions are commodified and converted into data. Through scenes titled after HTTP status codes, the work captures the realities of digital dependence. It depicts a soul fading into a 404 Not Found state of sensory overload, foregrounding the isolation, entrapment, hopelessness, and internal collapse that inevitably ensue.
The work sheds light on the damning impact of external forces as they engulf, enrapture, and reduce us to inconsequential husks unaware of our own descent into oblivion. It reminds viewers to consider what it means to remain human, and above all, what it takes to choose alternative pathways to a more inclusive and equitable digital future. It motivates us all to identify the glitches and pinpoint rare moments when the system fails, embracing unmistakable moments of humanity as they slip inconspicuously through the cracks.
404 is currently on show at the SONGEUN Art & Cultural Foundation until February 14 as part of the 25th SONGEUN Art Award.
For inquiries regarding the full version of the work, please contact @kahee.jeong
