Full comprehension is an ever-elusive point—even for the self. To understand each other, then, requires empathy and awareness. Akin to “mirroring” techniques used in relationship counseling and therapy, mimicking the behavioral and speech patterns of the other perhaps expedites this process of empathy, awareness, and understanding. This desire is expressed in TaeYang Hong’s “IOMTEIOT”. Through the many adventures and scenes of Hong’s character, we glimpse into this mirroring experience of finding oneself through the other. “IMOTEIOT”, which translates to “toi et moi (you and me)” backwards, is an ape-like character and the central motif of Hong’s recent works. With one eye symbolically painted as a doorway to the world, this character wears traces of Hong’s own experiences and perceptions of society and culture.  

 

Throughout his career, Hong has used art to understand himself and the other. In the process, he naturally encompasses a larger framework in expressing his views of society at large. From his days in France and Germany working in photography, Hong has persisted in his efforts capture such worldly thoughts and expressions. Through “IMOTEIOT”, Hong reflects his understanding and reveals his own self through such endeavors—reaching higher into a blissful state through such perspicacity.