Only the Essentials

Due to the global disaster situation, we were haunted by the fear that the dystopia we used to see only in movies or games might actually manifest in our lives, in the city where we reside. People's desires poured out like a desperate contest through windows, into the streets, and within the smartphone news feeds. We began meticulously collecting whatever might help us endure even just one more day.

What does survival entail? What are the things that enable our survival? Toilet paper? Canned baked beans? Aspirin? To quickly gauge public opinion, all we had to do was rush to the market and see what items were disappearing from the shelves. Those were considered the most vital and popular essentials for survival.

However, as an artist named 'ii eun' and a human named 'YEEUN HUR,' I don't entirely agree with that public opinion. If I had to rush into a bomb shelter right now, I would grab the red train-shaped teapot I bought from Russia, while my colleague working nearby said they'd take a book by Laozi instead of a radio. Because, for us, these items are absolutely necessary for living. What would you take with you? What are the things that keep you alive?

The impact of this pandemic period on me doesn't seem solely negative. As someone who often worked while contemplating dystopia, I instinctively felt that the time had finally arrived to apply my artistic world to reality. Through the artist support from the Sungdong Cultural Foundation, during weekly meetups with local residents in Hangdang-dong and Geumho-dong, I witnessed the redevelopment happening in Hangdang-dong. Observing the urgency of the residents abruptly forced to leave their long-term homes, which were being turned into a mess due to the redevelopment, I thought, 'Ah, these people have gathered essentials and left somewhere, or they have been compelled to leave.' Leaving behind their wardrobes, keys, even the Elsa toy they used to play with, what did they hold onto as they flowed away?

The strange sensation created by the juxtaposition of the pandemic's unreal reality and the reality of redevelopment-induced migration heightened my curiosity. As someone who used to direct people living in a dystopia, I finally found the most realistic portrayal. The dystopian human figures of this Seoul city, clutching tightly to the essentials for survival within their bags.

[ONLY THE ESSENTIALS - 필수품만 챙기시오]
1.Lim Jung-hee

Q : Please tell us your name and age.
A : My name is Young-ho Jang, I turned 62 years old this year.
Q : How long did you live in Haengdang-dong and do you have any memories to share?
A : I lived here (in Haengdang-dong) my whole life. You asked me about something I cherish, so when I was in elementary school, you know, there were still Chogajib (thatched houses) in several places. And that was probably during winter... that's why I remember people collecting and stacking charcoal that turns white after using it. Me and my friends blew firecrackers, but it shot onto a Chogajib and burned it down. That’s what I remember.

Q : When you decided to relocate due to redevelopment, what did you decide to take as the top priority and why?
A : First of all, because I had to move with my mother, she asked me to bring our Maetdol (millstone), Dadeumitdol (ironing stone), and the pressure cooker. We took those kinds of things.
Q : Do you still have them?
A : I might have happened to throw away the Maetdol and Daduemitdol. (laughs).
And what ‘I’ took was… I was into listening to music at that time, so I brought a radio with me. Also, the last and most important things: the elementary, middle, and high school Yearbooks. I took those with me. As I said before, I spent much time playing like that with my friends when I was a student. It was very upsetting to leave Haengdang-dong. The memories here were very precious, so I still have those graduation albums.

[ONLY THE ESSENTIALS - 필수품만 챙기시오]
2.Jang Young-ho

Q : Pleasetell us your name and age.
A : Jeong-hee Lim, 59 years old.

Q : How long did you live in Haengdang-dong and do you have any memories to share?
A : I moved here when I was in middle school. After that, even though I moved several times because of development, I’ve only lived around here. Well, when it comes to memories, honestly I guess mine are similar to others, but when I was a student, I dated a boy and kept it secret from the locals. I remember that. (laugh)
Q : You didn’t get caught?
A : No! If you get caught, everyone here knows, and we’d be the talk of the town. Everyone was oblivious... and if they knew, my parents probably would have kicked me out. (laugh)

Q : When you decided to relocate due to redevelopment, what did you decide to take as the top priority and why?
A : I've been thinking about it. So Jang (Paste from soybeans) is important for people to live.
Q : Jang?
A : The Jang we eat. Doenjang (soybean paste), Ganjang (soy sauce), Gochujang (red chili paste). Before we moved, I lived in an old house, so we had a small yard. We had a few large Jang Hang-ali (Korean jar that usually hold traditional pastes) in the yard. but when we had to move to a new house, there wasn’t any space for them. So I simply just took Gochujang and Ganjang from them and left. This is my opinion: How can we live without eating? I should have just thrown away the jar, but I definitely took the sauces that I made at the old house.

Q : Did you take anything else?
A : Also, since I am a Buddhist, I used to bring two Buddha statues to wherever I moved. I prayed for a harmonious and beautiful life in the new house. I think that's why every time I move with them (Jung-hee said she moved 3 times), my family becomes more harmonious and prosperous.

[ONLY THE ESSENTIALS - 필수품만 챙기시오]
1.Lim Jung-hee

[ONLY THE ESSENTIALS - 필수품만 챙기시오]
2.Jang Young-ho

[ONLY THE ESSENTIALS - 필수품만 챙기시오]
3.Kwon Mi-Young

Q : Please tell us your name and age.
A: My name is Mi-young Kwon and I am fifty-eight.

Q : How long did you live in Haengdang-dong and do you have any memories to share?
A : I was born in Haengdang-dong and lived here the whole time. Then I moved to the outskirts of Seoul 10 years ago.
Q : Do you have any valuable memories of Haengdang?
A : After having babies, all of sudden when I turned around, and I had grandchildren. So to speak, it’s the same as everyone else. but It's still amazing.

Q : When you decided to relocate due to redevelopment, what did you decide to take as the top priority and why?
A : When I moved at that time, I had just given birth to my first child and had to move quickly, so it wasn't long until I was married. So, the hanbok (Korean dress) that was tailored before my marriage, and the teacup set that my mom gifted to me for my honeymoon... I took those things because I like pretty things.(laughs) So, when I moved to a new town, I didn’t wait and threw away things that I didn’t like, even if it was just a little, or something I was forced to keep, but I definitely kept things that I adored wearing— valuable things that my mom gifted.
Q : What color was the hanbok?
A : Pink. I was a girly girl.
Q : Was there anything else?
A : I brought my check book. (laughs) At that time, I was in the midst of having a child, and I was working hard for my new family. So when the groom comes with a salary, I’d save it and put it in my check book just to look at it over and over again. It was fun.