Originally, space meant an empty place, so designers are continually researching the place where it may not fail to fulfill. I think when students study visual design for 4 years, what they learn is not just knowledge of the study. They are still looking for their space and myself in the space. When the weather was clear one fall day in October, I went to a graduation exhibition.

Visual Design of Kookmin University Graduation Exhibition 2011
4th Oct. ~ 9th Oct. 2011
Palais de Seoul

The moment that I got off at Gyeongbokgung station and went to the Palais de Seoul building, I felt is the only calm place within a busy and crowded Seoul. The place where royal Gyeongbok Palace and modern cultures fits the theme well: “Harmony between modern and future places”.

While I looked around the exhibition, I stopped in front of a saying. [Socrates said ‘Know yourself’; the person who looks reality in the face while getting over an illusion about themselves would be wise. However, many people live in vain expectation that the world is going to be what they want.] The effort that students applied people’s thinking to the space within the world was very impressive.

It was fantastic because students interpret space and design with many attributes such as:  Parasite, Meta-, Expanded-, Hyper-, etc. One of the students expressed his work as ‘another me, time to face us’. They put themselves into the space with subjects like philosophy or humanities so this is the reason why their works are more precious and fresh.

Kim, Ji Ho: I’m a marketing director of the graduation exhibition in my department. It takes about 40 days to produce works and prepare for an exhibition. A total of 80 students participated, including 52 graduate students as well as first and second year students. I feel very happy to have been able to hold an exhibition.

Kim, Na Ra: I got much information from seniors in getting my work together. Also, it was a very precious experience to learn many things from seniors.

Lee, Jea Won: I had a skeptical feeling while producing my work because I needed lighting, but the wiring was so hard to work with. However at the end of project, the moment when the lighting turned on it was so great. I think this is the whole purpose of an exhibition.

The reason why student’s works are beautiful is that they give us an incentive for looking for their precious value and new design. There is a saying ‘A graduation is a beginning.’ As a designer I felt all the efforts could be a bright beginning after looking around each student’s work. I think they each took a step forward through the exhibition as they achieved their goals through their four years of effort.